Golf news in brief 05/03/2012

EPD Tour: Dear slips to third in Morocco event

Five Scots finished inside the top 20 in the Amelkis Classic in Morocco but the disappointing feature of the last day’s play at the Marrakesh event was that joint overnight leader Gavin Dear from Murrayshall slipped from pole position.

The Perthshire man finished joint-third with rounds of 69, 67 and 73 for a seven-under-par total of 209 to earn E1750. Aberdonian David Law produced an encouraging performance to finish joint 11th with a closing round of 68 for four-under 212, one ahead of fellow rookie Philip McLean (69). Ross Cameron (Ellon) and Paul O’Hara (Colville Park) shared 18th place on 216. Cameron finished with a 74, O’Hara with a 71. Frenchman Damien Perrier beat Portugal’s Tiago Cruz in a play-off to claim the E5000 top prize after they both closed with 69s to finish two shots ahead of Dear on 207.

Spanish Women’s Amateur: Pretswell bows out in quarter-finals

Curtis Cup hopeful Pamela Pretswell lost by 2 and 1 to Spain’s Silvia Banon in the quarter-finals at El Valle. The Bothwell Castle player did not play to the best of her capabilities and was three down after eight holes.

Pretswell had the proverbial mountain to climb after losing the tenth before claiming her first birdie of the match to win the 11th and halved the short 12th in birdie 2s. Pretswell went four down again with four to play before staging a fighting finish by winning the short 15th with a par and the long 16th with a birdie 4 to get back to two down with two to play. But a half at the 17th saw Banon go through. The Spaniard then lost in the semi-finals as Karolin Lampert (Germany) beat Ileen Nieuwenhuis (Netherlands) by 3 and 2 in the 18-hole to win the title.

Spanish Men’s Amateur: Hiluta springs Spanish shock

England’s Jack Hiluta scored the biggest win of his golfing career yesterday when he beat Germany’s highly-rated Marcel Sneider by 4 and 3 in the 36-hole final at Alcanada Golf Club on the northern part of Majorca. The Chelmsford player, who spent four years at South Alabama University and was a tournament winner on the US college circuit, qualified in ninth position against Sneider’s seventh.

Hiluta was two holes up after 18 and was never really under serious pressure to maintain that advantage in the afternoon. His victory earns him a place in the Spanish Open on the European Tour later in the year. Jack Hiluta beat Dutchman Dan Huizing by one hole in the semi-finals, with Sneider overcoming Frenchman Franck Daux by 5 and 3.