Teenage duo lead Scots bid for title

TALENTED teenagers Grant Forrest and Jack McDonald will carry a weight of expectation on their young shoulders as Scotland bid to end a six-year title drought in the Home Internationals at Glasgow Gailes in Ayrshire over the next three days.

Two-and-a-half years after fighting out an epic battle in the semi-finals of the Scottish Boys Championship at West Kilbride – Forrest came out on top en route to claiming the title – the duo are among seven newcomers in the 11-strong host team for the four-cornered event.

For both 19-year-olds, it’s a chance to lay down markers in the battle for spots on next year’s Walker Cup team.

In terms of raw talent, Forrest, the newly-crowned Scottish champion from Craigielaw, and McDonald, the Barassie player who made the cut in last month’s Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, stick out in the side bidding to land the Raymond Trophy for the first time since 2006 at Pyle & Kenfig.

Encouragingly, they also possess the sort of short games that Martin Laird highlighted to most of the players in this week’s home team during a recent session at St Andrews. “Looking back, the importance of the short game is something I remember. Everyone hits it pretty good and it’s the guys that have got the really good short games that compete every week,” he said.

With Andrew Coltart, the former Ryder Cup player who is now mentoring Scotland’s leading amateurs, having also provided some input at that session, captain Scott Knowles has certainly received useful backing as his team bid to end England’s three-year winning run since Ireland lifted the title the last time it was held in the home of golf, at Muirfield in 2008.