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Madras College pupil wins schools golf

ST ANDREWS, September 25, 2016 – John Paterson, a 16 year old student at Madras College in St Andrews has won the Senior Boys’ category and overall scratch prize at this year’s Alfred Dunhill Schools Golf Challenge played in Fife on Sunday, September 25. A strong field of young golfers from across Fife, Dundee and Angus competed for honours in this year’s annual schools event.

John, a scratch golfer and member of the New Club in St Andrews shot 73, just two over par, on the Duke’s Course, St Andrews to record the lowest gross score of the day. For the past three years he has represented the Scottish Golf Academy and has competed in a number of tournaments including this year’s Scottish Mens’ Amateur Championship at Royal Aberdeen and the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters, played at Nizels Golf and Country Club in Kent.

John said: “I’m delighted to win today’s event at the Duke’s. I’m really enjoying my golf and hoping to compete for Scotland in the European Boys’ Championship in the year ahead. I will finish school next year and plan to take a year off to further concentrate on my game. I am considering the potential of pursuing golf through university in the US but I’ll first need to see how the next year goes before I make any firm decisions on that.”

Meanwhile Jodie Taylor, a 15 year old S4 student from St John’s High School in Dundee took honours in the Senior Girls’ category with a net 75. An 11 handicap golfer, Jodie has played the sport for three years and was a finalist at the St Andrews Links Junior Ladies’ Open in August.

Meanwhile Philip Brown, an S2 pupil at Harris Academy in Dundee, won the Junior Boys’ category with a net score of 70. Philip is a member of Monifieth Golf Club and plays off a handicap of 11. Anna Mackay, an S2 pupil at Waid Academy, took the Junior Girls’ title with a net score of 73. 12 year old Anna is a member of Crail Golf Club, her local course, and St Regulus Golf Club in St Andrews.

The winners will be invited to receive their Alfred Dunhill Schools Golf Challenge prizes at the Old Course, St Andrews on the final day of this year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Sunday, October 9. All the participants will also be invited, together with their parents and a school representative, to attend an exclusive golf clinic on the Championship practice ground given by the internationally renowned golf coach Robert Baker.

Baker said: “The Alfred Dunhill Schools Golf Challenge is a fantastic tournament, encouraging young people from Fife and the surrounding area to participate in competitive golf. Once again this event was fully subscribed which indicates the health of the game amongst school-aged players in the community. I congratulate all of today’s competitors and look forward to meeting these talented youngsters at this year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship to work with them in our annual coaching clinic. Getting the right direction and coaching early enough in their golf career can really help young golfers develop their game and potentially enable them to compete at the highest level.”

With a prize fund of US$5 million, the Alfred Dunhill Links incorporates two separate competitions – an individual professional tournament for the world’s leading golfers and the Team Championship in which the professionals are paired with the amateur golfers which creates a unique atmosphere.

This year the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship includes a classic professional line-up of Major Championship winners, including current Masters champion Danny Willett, and members of the European Ryder Cup team. Willett will be flying straight from the Ryder Cup in Hazeltine with Rafa Cabrera Bello, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Martin Kaymer, Thomas Pieters, Lee Westwood plus captain Darren Clarke.

Other Major Champions in the field include Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Louis Oosthuizen, Graeme McDowell, Paul Lawrie, Angel Cabrera and Y.E.Yang. Also playing are former winner and world No.13 Branden Grace, leading Irish golfer Shane Lowry, Andrew Johnston, now universally known as ‘Beef’, and former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley.

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which takes place from October 6-9, celebrates links golf at its finest and is played over three of the world’s best known and respected links courses – the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and the highly regarded Kingsbarns Golf Links.

Admission is free for all spectators over the first three days with final day tickets on Sunday, October 9 available to purchase at the entrance gates for £20 (Seniors £15) or in advance at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/alfred-dunhill-links-championship-tickets-25844992067