Golf: Armstrong sees off Young pretender

Published on Saturday 4 July 2009 11:20

STEVEN ARMSTRONG got a major monkey off his back when he finally won the Turnhouse Open over his home course.

But the former Lothians champion didn't get it all his own way in the final, having to dig deep to beat Scott Young, the rising Turnhouse star, by 2 and 1.

Young suffered an early setback when he lost the first to a par but then went birdie-par-birdie-birdie-birdie to go three up before Armstrong hit back by winning the ninth after hitting his tee shot there stone dead.

A poor second shot also cost Young the tenth before Armstrong holed from more than 40 feet for a birdie at the 12th to square matters.

Both players missed good birdie chances at the 14th, Armstrong, who lost in the final back in 1992, won the next with a par and also the 16th with a birdie to go dormie two.

And, despite looking as though he'd short sided himself after finding a greenside bunker at the 17th, Armstrong splashed out to a couple of inches to secure victory in the Bell Group-sponsored event.

In the handicap event, Glenn Oxton, who plays off six at St Boswells, beat Grangemouth's David Baxter by 5 and 4 in the final.