Youngest winner Yang shows boys the way

By The Newsroom
Published 7th May 2010, 00:16 BST
Updated 7th May 2010, 00:20 BST
JULIE Yang, a 14-year-old Korean girl, struck a significant blow for the Loretto Golf Academy last weekend when she became the youngest winner of the Welsh Ladies' Open Stroke Play Championship at Southerndown.

Over the next few days, at Monifieth, it's the turn of some of the male members of the Musselburgh school's cosmopolitan golf programme to make their presence felt in a significant event on the amateur calendar.

Maximilian Walz and his fellow German, Marvin Aurnhammer, are both in the line-up for the 72-hole Golf Data Lab Scottish Youths Championship over the Angus links and should be familiar with the test that awaits a strong field.

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"Both have now had a school year playing and practising at Craigielaw and that should stand them in good stead for this week," said Rick Valentine, the director of golf at Loretto.

Walz, who plays off plus two, tied for sixth in the same event last year at Renfrew and Valentine said: "This is an important event for him as far as getting in the German team for the European Boys Team Championship in July is concerned."

The Monifieth field contains five other Germans, as well as challengers from Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands and Spain. Frenchman Gregory Bourdy, now on the European Tour, lifted the title at Murrayshall in 2002, while other winners of the event include Paul McGinley (1988), Stephen Gallacher (1994) and Martin Laird (2003).

Carnoustie's Craig Cappi, who won by a shot at Renfrew from Scott Crichton of Aberdour, is back to defend his title and will be out to emulate Elgin's Joel Hendry, the only player to have won the event back-to-back, in 1999 and 2000.

The home contingent also includes Ian Redford, the 17-year-old St Andrews New player who was the beaten finalist in the Scottish Boys Championship, and Barassie's Jack McDonald, who has been a joint runner-up in the Fairhaven Trophy in Lancashire since he reached the last four at West Kilbride.

One player who will be particularly keen to mount a strong challenge is the host club's Grant Bowman, who led Monifieth to victory in last week's Angus County Boys Team Championship at Letham Grange.

• Craig Lee powered to his first win of the new Tartan Tour season in the Scottish Wateraid 36-hole Pro-Am at Barassie yesterday. The former European Tour player closed with a five-under 67 for an eight-under 136 and a four-shot victory over Gareth Wright, Ross Dixon, Graeme Brown and Chris Doak.

Andrew Oldcorn and joint halfway leader Greig Hutcheon shared sixth on 141 while Cawder's Chris Kelly, who was aiming for three professional titles in a row, saw his hopes dashed with a 74 for 144.