Scottish golf round up: Woodhouse win, Junior Jug joy and Jack Nicklaus honour

Susan Woodhouse wins Scottish Women’s Amateur Championship

A year after winning the consolation event, East Kilbride’s Susan Woodhouse landed the main prize in this season’s Scottish Women’s Amateur Championship.

Being played for the first time at Western Gailes, Woodhouse claimed the crown in style by holing a ten-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to beat Royal Troon’s Freya Russell in the final.

It was the second year running that Russell suffered heartbreak in the title decider after losing to Lorna McClymont in the 2024 final at Nairn Dunbar.

Woodhouse won the Clark Rosebowl, which is for players finishing in positions 17-32 in the stroke-play qualifying, in that event, but, with her dad Douglas on the bag, is now the national women’s champion.

“My dad did great for me this week,” said Woodhouse. “It’s good to bounce things off him – the wind, the yardage. I wouldn’t believe his club choice but at least it’s good to get his opinion or someone to say ‘yep, that’s good’".

This year’s Clark Rosebowl winner was Ladybank’s Eilidh Henderson, who claimed the prize for a second time after beating former St Rule Trophy winner Jen Saxton (Dunfermline) in the final.

Host club member Mike Gray shines in Scottish Men’s Open

Host club member Mike Gray outshone the top home players in the field at North Berwick as Eliot Baker became the latest English winner of the Scottish Men’s Open.

Carding rounds of 67-66-64-67 for an impressive 20-under-par total, Tiverton member Baker landed the coveted title by seven shots as he joined an illustrious list of English players to put his name on the trophy.

Tommy Fleetwood used a win at Murcar Links in 2009 as a springboard to become a multiple DP World Tour winner and Ryder Cup star while Andy Sullivan (2011) and Marc Penge (2015) also claimed the crown before going on to become DP World Tour champions as well.

“To win a trophy with those other names on it is brilliant,” said Baker, who also won the Portuguese Amateur Championship earlier this year. “Looking at what they’ve done, I hope I can go on and somewhat replicate that.”

Gray, the North Berwick champion, posted scores of 70-70-66-71 as he finished as the leading Scot along with Glenbervie’s George Cannon in a tie for seventh spot.

Junior Jug joy for Finlay Galloway and Hannah Ounap

St Andrews New member Finlay Galloway and Loudoun’s Hannah Ounap were the respective boys’ and girls’ winners in this year’s Paul Lawrie Foundation Junior Jug event at Newmachar.

Played on both the Hawkshill and Swailend Courses at the Aberdeenshire venue, Galloway carded scores of 67-65-71 to win by ten shots with an eye-catching 13-under-par total.

Craigielaw’s Fraser Walters, the 2024 winner, had to settle for second spot on this occasion following efforts of 72-71-70, with Nairn’s Fraser Brown (68-70-76) a further shot back in third place.

Meanwhile, Ounap came out on top in a more-closely contested girls’ event played over 36 holes.

Posting rounds of 76-73, she won by two shots from Royal Troon’s Jodie Graham (76-75), with Erin Huskie of Stirling one further back in third after signing for 75-77.

With Paul Lawrie, as ever, out watching, Harvey Allan from St Andrews and Deeside’s Amy Blackadder were the respective winners in the net events.

Amateur dramatics on Golfbreaks Get Back to Golf Tour

It was an amateur 1-2-3 at the third event of the season on the Golfbreaks Get Back to Golf Tour at Longniddry.

Leven Golf Society amateur David Paterson won the tournament with a level-par 68 in blustery conditions in East Lothian, pipping fellow amateur Cameron Fraser (Baberton) by a shot, with Malcolm Pennycott (Royal Burgess) a shot further back in third.

Pennycott’s effort took him to the top of the Golf Finance Ltd Order of Merit, sitting eight points ahead of professional Dan Toogood of Myrus Golf Centre.

The leading 12 players from the OOM will battle it out to be the tour’s champion at Dumbarnie Links in October.

Dalmahoy delight for Melissa Keay and Jaci Moriarty

The fifth event of the season on the new Golfbreaks Scottish Women’s Amateur Tour was played at Dalmahoy, with players from all over Scotland teeing it up in the 36-hole tournament.

Ralston 16-year-old Melissa Keay won the scratch section with a two-over-par total of 146 over both the East Championship Course and West Course at the Kirknewton venue.

Kelso’s Leanne Wilson, who finished seven shots behind in second place, remains in top spot in the scratch order of merit.

In the net category, Lochend’s Jaci Moriarty took the honours, mainly due to a five-under 64 in the second round, to win by one from clubmate Amanda McBain and Abigail Pickett of Craigielaw.

The leading players from both points tables will tee it up in the Tomatin Tour Championship Final at Cabot Highlands Castle Stuart in September.

Jack Nicklaus to honour St Andrews golf pioneer

Allan Robertson, the St Andrews golf pioneer, is to be honoured next year by Jack Nicklaus during the Memorial Tournament on the PGA Tour.

Robertson, who recently had a plaque unveiled in St Andrews close to the 18th green on the Old Course, will receive a posthumous honour during the 50th anniversary of the event in Nicklaus’s home city of Columbus, Ohio.

“Allan was the Champion Golfer for 19 years from 1840 and was an exceptional golfer,” said Roger McStravick, a St Andrews-based golf historian who

recently published a book that covers Robertson’s life, Allan Robertson of St Andrews, the King of Clubs, 1815-1859.

“You could say that he was the Jack Nicklaus of his day, so it is very appropriate that this award should come from Jack’s event in America. This is a truly wonderful and richly deserved honour indeed.”

Donald Ross pin flags set to fly at centenary-celebrating US clubs

Royal Dornoch is partnering with the US-based Donald Ross Society to celebrate the Highlander’s key role in spreading the golfing gospel.

Dornoch-born Ross was “keeper of the greens” and his hometown club’s first professional before being lured across the Atlantic.

He is credited with creating 456 courses in North America, including his masterpiece, Pinehurst No2, regarded as “The St Andrews of American golf” and an anchor site of the US Open.

The Championship Course, which is counting down to its 150th anniversary in 2027, influenced Ross hugely and that was reflected in many of his designs during a “Golden Age” for golf course architecture.

To strengthen ties between a course rated among the finest links in world golf and Dornoch-born Ross courses in the US and Canada celebrating their centenaries, Royal Dornoch is dispatching commemorative pin flags.

Club general manager Neil Hampton said: “When Donald Ross Society president Vaughn Halyard visited us last year, we discussed potential ways we could celebrate the extraordinary legacy of Donald Ross and celebrate one of the most influential figures in golf.

“Ross is among a select band of legendary golf course architects along with the likes of Old Tom Morris - who shaped many of the holes at Royal Dornoch - James Braid and Alister MacKenzie, although his work was concentrated on the other side of the Atlantic.

“Many of our American visitors make tracks for his childhood home in St Gilbert Street during their stay and Vaughn was no exception on his latest visit. We have been liaising with the Donald Ross Society and they have identified clubs celebrating their centenaries this year in Florida, Michigan, Massachusetts and North Carolina.

“Each of them will be receiving a Royal Dornoch pin flag to display in their clubhouse, and we plan to catch up with those clubs which have already toasted their 100th anniversary.”

Milwaukee based Halyard added: “We are thrilled to be working in tandem with Royal Dornoch, where it all began for Donald Ross. “Along with the Royal Dornoch pin flags, the Society is coordinating the delivery of Ross Centennial plaques.

The US clubs enjoying centenary celebrations are Palatka GC, Whitinsville GC, Rackham GC, San Jose Country Club, Salem Country Club, Roaring Gap Club, Hyde Park GC, Biltmore Golf Course, Riviera Country Club and Delray Beach GC.