Evie McCallum hits first hole in one and wins by ten shots in week to remember

Dunfermline player recovers from slow start to land The Foundations Trophy at Blairgowrie

Evie McCallum hit her first hole-in-one and won by ten shots, making it a week to remember for the Dunfermline player in The Foundations Trophy at Blairgowrie.

McCallum, who won the Scottish Girls’ Championship last year at Cardrona Hotel, Golf & Spa near Peebles, produced a polished performance on the Lansdowne Course to claim her latest title triumph in an event supported by St Leonards School in St Andrews.

The 17-year-old carded rounds of 75-70-72-72 for a three-under total, winning comfortably from Sabrina Wong (Cathkin Braes), with Carly McDonald (St Regulus) three shots further back in third place.

Dunfermline's Evie McCallum shows off The Foundations' Trophy after it had been presented by Stuart Johnston of the Stephen Gallacher Foundation.

McCallum, who is coached by former DP World Tour player Peter Whiteford, had been three over after four holes in the opening round before finding her stride and made the ace at the 120-yard ninth hole in the second round using a 9-iron.

“It’s definitely up there,” she said of where the impressive success in an event involving the Stephen Gallacher Foundation and Barrie Douglas Foundation ranked. “I’ve only won a 36-hole stroke-play competition before, so I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to win a 54-holer or 72-holer.

“I’ve had a good start to the season. I had a good off-season, fitting in a lot of good work, so it’s good to see some of that work being rewarded. I was very happy as I played solid. I didn’t miss many fairways over the three days, which definitely helped as the course is so tight.”

The victory came in McCallum’s first year flying the Stephen Gallacher Foundation flag as one of its ambassadors. “It’s a real privilege,” she said of that. “The foundation is so good. They do so much for the juniors and I was very happy when I was chosen to be an ambassador.”

On the back of this effort, McCallum will be heading into the Scottish Women’s Amateur Championship at Nairn Dunbar later in the month with a spring in her step.

“My goal is to win a couple of more events like this one and maybe another national title before I head off to America later in the year,” she said. “I’m going to Campbell University in North Carolina, which is very exciting and I can’t wait.”