Stewart bids to turn his fine form into a victory
Teenager Jamie Stewart hopes to maintain his purple patch of format this week’s Carrick Ne ill Scottish Men’s Open Championship as the home hopefuls seek an elusive win.
Just over the fence from where the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open will be contested at Dundonald Links in July, a strong international field of 144 players chase the prestigious strokeplay title at Western Gailes from today until Sunday.
Stewart, the 17- year-old from the Old Ran furly club in Renfrewshire, will tee up in positive mood as arguably the most in- form Scottish player. Indeed, Stewart has climbed 128 places up this week’s World Amateur Golf Ranking to just outside the top 350.
Having produced an 11- under-par weekend to finish joint runner-up at last week’s equivalent event in England, the Brab az on Trophy, Stewart is on a high, building on a third- place finish at the African Amateur, seventh at the Lytham Trophy and second at the Scottish Boys’ Open Stroke Play in 2017.
“I’ve had a lot of top threes but not quite the win yet,” said Stewart, last year’ s Scottish Golf Boys’ Order of Merit champion. “It was a good weekend at the Brabazon. It was my best result as an amateur, finishing second in an A- class field.”
No Scot has won the Open strokeplay since Wallace Booth in 2008, but Stewart is joined by a number of home players in seeking to end that run, among them European Amateur team winners from last summer, Craig Howie(Peebles ), Connor Syme ( Drumoig) and Sandy Scott ( Nairn).
In a Walker Cup year, it’s a chance for all GB& I players to catch the eye, including Irishman Stuart Grehan.
Brabazonw inner Kyle Mcclatchie of South Africa is seeking the EnglishScottish double, while leading Australians Harrison Endycott and Travis Smyth are bidding to emulate their victorious country man at Gulla ne last year, Cameron John. Other past winners include Andrew Coltar t, Alastair Forsyth,Ric hi e Ram say, Tommy Fleet wood and Andrew Sullivan.
Entry for spectators this week is free.