Dundonald delight for Fraser Laird and Freya Russell in SGF Invitational

Scottish Boys’ champion Fraser Laird produced a classy display to win the Stephen Gallacher Boys’ Invitational at Dundonald Links, where fellow rising star Freya Russell retained her title in the girls’ event.

Royal Troon's Freya Russell won the Stephen Gallacher Foundation Girls' Invitational for the second year in a row at Dundonald Links. Picture: SGF

Laird, who landed his national title triumph at Edzell last summer, stormed to a five-shot success at the Ayrshire venue after following an opening 77 with excellent efforts of 71 and 69 for a one-over-par total.

He’d finished his first round with four straight bogeys before quickly repairing that damage with a burst of four birdies in five holes on the front nine the following day.

Laird started with a double-bogey 6 in the final round but then went on to make six birdies, including three in the last five holes, as he rounded off an eye-catching performance.

Kemnay's Fraser Laird shows off the trophy after winning the Stephen Gallacher Foundation Boys' Invitational at Dundonald Links. Picture: SGF

Gullane’s Fergus Brown finished second after rounds of 76-73-73, with Lewis Seath (Muckhart) and Brodie Cunningham (Bothwell Castle) two shots further back in an event featuring 27 players.

At the venue where the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open will be held for the second year running in August, Russell landed another title triumph close to her home club of Royal Troon.

Her opening 77 had finished with a triple-bogey 8, but, shrugging that off, she then added rounds of 74 and 73 for an eight-over total.

Two birdies in the last three holes helped Russell get the job done as she held off Pollok’s Rosie Maguire, who’d turned up the heat on the leader until three bogeys in the last six holes doused her challenge.

Evie McCallum (Dunfermline) finished third on 13 over after covering the last 11 holes in level par.