Shufflebotham Edges
Pugh In Welsh Final
Brown Cruises To English Amateur Title
ABERDOVEY, WALES | Bernard
Darwin, the golf writer, would
have felt at home in Aberdovey,
the snug little port in mid-Wales,
where the Welsh Amateur took
place last week for the first time
since 1966. Patric Dickinson, the
author, noted that at Aberdovey
“you always have to stand aside
to let the ghost of Bernard Dar-
win play through.”
The Welsh Amateur was
played over the course laid out
by an uncle of Darwin’s in 1886.
The final was
between Jason
Shufflebotham,
22, from Pres-
tatyn in north
Wales, and
Rhys Pugh,
17, from Cardiff
in the south. It
was a match
between two
good friends,
who both have
an allegiance
to the U.S. –
Shufflebotham
attends the
University of
Alabama and
Pugh will start
this fall at East
Tennessee State University,
where Rhys Davies was a
student a few years ago.
Steven Brown defeated Jamie Clare 7
and 5 in the 36-hole final of the English
Amateur at a sun-drenched Woburn on
Saturday.
“I’m hugely thrilled to win this title,”
said Brown after his first major victory.
“I’ve been close a lot of times over the
past few years so it’s good to have finally
won something significant.”
The 24-year-old from Surrey had one
hand on the trophy at lunch after ending
the morning round over the Marquess
Course with an eight-hole lead. At that
stage many people were asking if he
might beat the highest winning margin
of 12 and 11 set by Michael Bonallack in
beating David Kelley at Ganton in 1968.
To Clare’s credit, the 17-year-old won
the afternoon session, but he had too big
a mountain to climb.
Brown dominated the morning. He won
the first two holes and was 6-up at the turn
after covering the front nine in 3-under-
par 33. Brown dropped only one shot in the
morning when he took two to exit a green-
side bunker on the short 14th.
Brown stayed 8-up until the 25th which
Clare birdied while he cut the deficit to 6
with a birdie-three at the ninth, going out
in 34 to Brown’s 36.
The end came at the par- 4 next where
Clare missed the green right and faced a
devilish chip only for the ball to roll down
the slope and stop further away than it
started. He bravely tried to repair the
damage but when Brown rolled his birdie
putt close for a certain par, Clare offered
his congratulations. The victory boosts
Brown’s chances of a Walker Cup selection.
He is aiming to turn professional later in the
year.
LAW WINS SECOND SCOTTISH AMATEUR
David Law produced a links golf
master class to clinch his second Scot-
tish Amateur Championship title with a 6
and 5 victory over Dunbar’s Daniel Kay at
Western Gailes on Saturday.
Law, who becomes the first multiple
winner of the championship since Charlie
Green in 1983, was in outstanding form
from start to finish, firing eight birdies and
an eagle in 31 holes, which 20-year-old
Kay couldn’t match.
The win was sealed in fine style as Law
rifled a 9-iron from 153 yards to 18 inches
at the par- 3 13th of the afternoon round.
A jubilant Law, whose first title win came
just a few miles down the coast at Royal
Troon two years ago, was delighted with his
display: “It feels even better than the first
time as I think I’ll appreciate it more,”
said Law, who moves onto Sweden this
week to compete in the European Ama-
teur Championship. “I’ve had an up-and-
down year after the high of performing so
well in South Africa, then probably being
too hard on myself in the big events dur-
ing the middle of the year. This was a big
week for me and I can take great pride in
the way I’ve played.”
Despite the defeat, Kay was a pleased
with his performances throughout the
week: “That was frightening golf today, as
solid as it gets and David deserved to win.
Overall, it’s been a great championship and
I’ve played some great golf myself. Hope-
fully my performances will get noticed and I
MACDONALD FOURPEATS
IN SCOTTISH GIRLS UNDER- 21
Kelsey MacDonald won her fourth con-
secutive Scottish Under- 21 Girls’ Stroke
Play Championship Friday. She recovered
from an opening 75 to win by six strokes
at Cardross Golf Club, closing with a pair
of 70s for a 215 total. Nichola Ferguson
finished second on 221.
HALEY RULES IN ENGLISH GIRLS
Dorset’s Hayley Davis shot a stunning
6-under par 66 to win the English Girls’
Championship by eight shots at Ellesbor-
ough in Buckinghamshire on Thursday.
Her final round included back-to-back
eagles and she signed it off with an im-
pressive putt into the hole on the 18th for
a last birdie. It gave her a 72-hole total of
3-under par and a clear victory in an event
she led from start to finish.
to read more.
Staff and Wire Reports
Jason Shufflebotham
David Law
