Otaegui follows in great Spanish footsteps

Adrian Otaegui followed in the footsteps of his golfing hero Jose Maria Olazabal last night when he won the Boys' Amateur championship at Barassie.

The 17-year-old Spaniard, who comes from the same Basque city of San Sebastian as former Masters champion Olazabal, eased to a 4 and 3 win over Germany's Max Rottluff in the 36-hole final.

Otaegui's success came 27 years after Olazabal triumphed in the same event at Glenbervie in 1983 while the list of Spanish winners of the Boys' championship also includes Sergio Garcia and Pablo Martin. "I love Olazabal and he is my hero," said a jubilant Otaegui, who is now based near Biarritz in France. "I have played golf with him a number of times and it will be nice to tell him about this win. Spanish golfers have done well in this event over the years and for me to join that list of winners makes me very proud."

Leading by one hole after the morning round, Otaegui slipped to a bogey on the first hole in the afternoon to allow Rottluff to draw level before producing a telling burst that pushed him towards victory. The Spaniard won the third, fourth, fifth and sixth to move into a commanding four-hole advantage that Rottluff never really threatened. "Those four holes were very important and is was too difficult for me to come back from that," conceded Rottluff, who won the Scottish Youths' Open by 10 shots at Monifieth back in May.

Elsewhere, Scotland girl Hannah McCook, 17, won the North of Scotland girls title for the second year in a row.