Golf: Scott and Neil set up ‘dream final’

As was the case back then, today’s title tussle at Monifieth will feature the event’s top two seeds after fellow 17-year-olds Ewan Scott and Bradley Neil set up what the latter described in the build-up as the “dream final”.

Showing a steely resolve to “claw it back” from three down after six, Scott, last year’s beaten finalist, won an all-St Andrews affair against Ben Kinsley while Neil, in “keeping my end of the bargain”, maintained his imperious form on the Angus coast by proving too strong for Glenbervie’s Ben Craggs in the other semi-final.

Never behind at any stage since the gun went off on Monday, the Blairgowrie lad has only needed 94 holes – one less than Scott, despite him playing a round less after receiving a bye at the outset – from a possible 126 to reach the final. He’s not yet played the last two holes.

“I don’t think anyone will be able to predict a winner,” said Neil of the final. “Considering that he’s been in the final before, Ewan is probably slightly more experienced, but it will come down to who brings the game and handles the pressure.”

Scott came out on top when the pair met in the quarter-finals at Murcar 12 months ago and is aiming to repeat the feat. Doing so would see him complete a rare double as he is the current Scottish Youths’ title-holder. “My game is definitely better than a year ago and I also feel more confident off the back of a good winter,” he warned.

With a drill sergeant’s bark carrying in the wind from the nearby Army camp at Barry Buddon, Kinsley stole a march in his match, which proved a dangerous experience early on for one of the participants’ parents.

Twice in the opening few holes, Kinsley’s mother was almost felled by wayward drives, the first one from Scott, at the second, raising a smile with both players.

Despite a decent recovery from a nasty hanging lie close to a tree, that effectively cost him the hole, conceding after failing to save par with Kinsley around 15 feet away after two majestic blows, Scott immediately fell further behind after finding sand from the tee at the next.

When Kinsley then won the sixth as well, holing a 15-foot birdie putt from off the green, Scott looked to be in a spot of bother, but the youngster is a cool customer. In fact, the similarities between the Fifer and Catriona Matthew, Scotland’s top-ranked world player, have become more apparent as the week has progressed.

Scott, who was three-under for 14 holes in beating Irvine’s Stuart Easton in their morning match, pulled one back when his opponent three-putted from above the hole at the seventh, then won the next as well. There, after tugging his drive, Scott conjured up a flop shot to eight feet and holed for a birdie.

Now starting to warm to the task, Scott produced a great up-and-down from a bunker for a half at the ninth, squared the match when Kinsley three-putted again at the tenth and went on to secure a 2&1 success with back-to-back birdies at the 15th and 16th.

Neil, who had also won 5&4 in the quarter-finals against Ben Carnegie, another Glenbervie hopeful, got his nose in front at the second, the first of four holes in a row that he came close to picking up birdies.

On each occasion, his ball either shaved the hole or hung on the lip.

Craggs, a polished performer, held on to his coat tails early on, but the impressive Neil won three holes out of four from the sixth to turn four up and, once again, wrapped things up out in the country.