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Scotsman
3 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Cameron Adam boosts Walker Cup hopes with dramatic St Andrews success
Left-hander mentored by Bob MacIntyre lands play-off victory on Old Course Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Royal Burgess member Cameron Adam landed the first Scottish success in the St Andrews Links Trophy since 2014 after a dramatic final day on the Old Course. Adam, the 2023 Scottish Amateur champion, birdied the last to force a play-off with Irishman John Doyle as the pair tied on 17 under par after 72 holes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The left-hander, who lives in Pattiesmuir in Fife, then won the first extra hole with a par to become the first Scot since Grant Forrest to land the prestigious prize. Royal Burgess member Cameron Adam shows off both the St Andrews Links Trophy and the Ian Forbes Memorial Cup for the best aggegate total in the opening two rounds | Contributed It was a second St Andrews success for Adam, who has been mentored by Bob MacIntyre through a 'buddy' system set up by the Stephen Gallacher Foundation and Bounce Sports Management, after helping Northwestern University win the St Andrews Links Collegiate last October. After following an opening 68 on the Jubilee Course on Friday with a 64 on the Old Course the following day, Adam held a two-shot lead over fellow Scot and Northwestern team-mate Niall Shiels Donegan at the halfway stage. A third-round 71 then left him a shot off the lead heading into the closing circuit after Irishman Thomas Higgins jumped into pole position on the back of a 67. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As Higgins's hopes of staying out in front were undone by a 75 in the final round, it was Doyle who set the clubhouse target as the Fota Island played signed off with a 65 that contained ten birdies, including four in the last five holes. He faced a lengthy wait to see if anyone could match his 271 total and, to his credit, Adam rose to the challenge by producing a bogey-free closing effort. He birdied the second and sixth to be out in 34 before moving to 16 under with another gain at the 14th, where he'd made an eagle earlier in the day. A par at the 17th kept his hopes alive and he was up to the task when only a birdie at the last would stop Doyle landing the fourth Irish victory in the last ten stagings. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Awesome feelingf at the end of a long day' The subsequent play-off win boosted Adam's hopes of making Dean Robertson's Great Britain & Ireland team for the Walker Cup at Cypress Point in California later in the year. 'It feels awesome,' said Adam. 'It was a long day out there starting out with the lead and having to battle away throughout the day. It is definitely really satisfying now that I've won it. 'I started checking the scores midway through the final round and I knew playing 14 what John had posted and I needed to pick up two shots on the way in. When I was standing on the last tee, I knew I needed to birdie it. 'In the play-off, I was fortunate that I was fresh off 18 and still in the zone, so I was quietly confident.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The victory came after Adam tied for seventh behind Englishman Seb Cave 12 months ago and he added: 'Golf is really hard and another year's development has been massive for me.I made progress with my game at Northwestern, so I felt really good coming back this year.'
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Scottish 1-2 at halfway stage in St Andrews Links Trophy
Cameron Adam holds two-shot lead over Niall Shiels Donegan heading into final 36 holes Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Cameron Adam stormed to the top of the leaderboard in the St Andrews Links Trophy and has a fellow Scot, Niall Shiels Donegan, as his closest challenger heading into the final 36 holes on the Old Course. Not since Grant Forrest in 2014 has the title been landed by a home player, but Royal Burgess left-hander Adam and California-based Shiels Donegan have both set up opportunities to end that drought. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Adam, the 2023 Scottish Amateur champion, followed an opening four-under-par 68 on the Jubilee Course on Friday with a blistering second-round effort on the Old Course. Cameron Adam in action for Northwestern University on the US college circuit | Northwestern University He birdied the fourth and ninth to be out in 34 before picking up four shots on the trot from the 11th then adding further gains at the 16th and 17th coming home to sign for an eight-under 64. The dazzling performance left him sitting two shots ahead of Shiels Donegan after the two-time Hawaii State Amateur champion also produced an eye-catching display. His round also included a burst of four straight birdies - in his case from the fourth - and, making seven in total mixed in with a sole bogey at the par-4 15th, he signed for a 66 to add to an opening 68. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ironically, the duo will be going head-to-head on Sunday after being team-mates at Northwestern University in Illinois during the latest US college campaign. Elsewhere, Connor Syme, who is chasing a maiden DP World Tour win, finished birdie-birdie at The International in Amsterdam to take a two-shot lead into the final round of ythe KLM Open.
Scotsman
4 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Scottish 1-2 at halfway stage in St Andrews Links Trophy
Cameron Adam holds two-shot lead over Niall Shiels Donegan heading into final 36 holes Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Cameron Adam stormed to the top of the leaderboard in the St Andrews Links Trophy and has a fellow Scot, Niall Shiels Donegan, as his closest challenger heading into the final 36 holes on the Old Course. Not since Grant Forrest in 2014 has the title been landed by a home player, but Royal Burgess left-hander Adam and California-based Shiels Donegan have both set up opportunities to end that drought. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Adam, the 2023 Scottish Amateur champion, followed an opening four-under-par 68 on the Jubilee Course on Friday with a blistering second-round effort on the Old Course. Cameron Adam in action for Northwestern University on the US college circuit | Northwestern University He birdied the fourth and ninth to be out in 34 before picking up four shots on the trot from the 11th then adding further gains at the 16th and 17th coming home to sign for an eight-under 64. The dazzling performance left him sitting two shots ahead of Shiels Donegan after the two-time Hawaii State Amateur champion also produced an eye-catching display. His round also included a burst of four straight birdies - in his case from the fourth - and, making seven in total mixed in with a sole bogey at the par-4 15th, he signed for a 66 to add to an opening 68. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ironically, the duo will be going head-to-head on Sunday after being team-mates at Northwestern University in Illinois during the latest US college campaign. Elsewhere, Connor Syme, who is chasing a maiden DP World Tour win, finished birdie-birdie at The International in Amsterdam to take a two-shot lead into the final round of ythe KLM Open.
Scotsman
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Britain's '100 per cent best amateur' moves on to radar for prestigious golf event
GB&I captain opens up on one Scot who is turning pro but two others who are in contention to face Americans Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Luke Poulter, the son of Ryder Cup player Ian, has been hailed as Great Britain & Ireland's '100 per cent best amateur' at this moment in time, making him a strong contender for a Walker Cup debut in California later this year. The praise heaped on Poulter, who has made an impressive recovery after fracturing his back this time last year and was sidelined for around seven months, came from Dean Robertson, the man who will lead the visitors into battle in that biennial clash at Cypress Point in September. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In an exclusive interview with Scotland on Sunday, the GB&I captain mentioned Poulter's name without any prompting about the 20-year-old and also revealed that Calum Scott, last year's Silver Medal winner in the 152nd Open at Royal Troon, had ruled himself out of contention for a second successive appearance against the Americans due to the fact the Nairn man is turning professional at the end of his college career. Luke Poulter pictured caddying for his dad Ian in practice round prior to The 150th Open at St Andrews |Blairgowrie's Connor Graham, who created history in the 2023 match at St Andrews when he became the youngest-ever player on either side to play in the event, is pushing hard to be involved again after an eye-catching freshman season on the US college circuit. It also sounds as though Cameron Adam, the 2023 Scottish Amateur champion from Royal Burgess, is in with a good chance of securing one of just ten spots up for grabs after the left-hander impressed during a preparatory visit to Cypress Points towards the end of last year. There's no denying, though, that it was the mention of young Poulter, who, in his sophomore year at the University of Florida, landed his maiden US college win in the Schenkel Invitational in Georgia and recently came through the first qualifying stage for next month's US Open, that seemed a particularly significant soundbite. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The best GB&I player 100 per cent at the moment is Luke Poulter and don't be surprised if he's got a very strong chance of representing GB&I this year,' said the former Scottish Amateur and Scottish Professional champion, as well, of course, as a DP World Tour winner in the Italian Open. Robertson, who is being assisted by his long-time friend Raymond Russell - the pair fought out an epic battle in the Scottish Amateur at Royal Dornoch 32 years ago - and Welshwoman Kath O'Connor, a well-known figure in the amateur game, will oversee a squad get-together at Dumbarnie Links just before the St Andrews Links Trophy early next month. He'll then get to try out some pairings in the St Andrews Trophy match against Continental Europe in Madrid towards the end of July, admitting that being held in the same year as the Walker Cup on this occasion could be 'huge' when it then comes round to the Walker Cup. It had been suggested by someone who keeps a close eye on the amateur game that all ten spots on this occasion could be filled by English players, but that is unlikely to be the case and, though certainly not about to show any bias, Robertson happily talked about some of his compatriots. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dean Robertson, the University of Stirling's head of golf, with past programme member Louise Duncan and current scholar Ross Laird in the new state-of-the-art facilitiy | Contributed 'Calum is turning pro and let me know that he would be unavailable,' he said of Scott, the current top-ranked Scottish amateur, who is set to bring down the curtain on his college career with an appearance for Texas Tech along with Graham in the upcoming NCAA Championship in California. 'Connor has a chance again as he's really maturing and has been sending me texts and phoning me up,' he added of Graham while, referring to Adam, admitted: 'Cameron impressed when we were at Cypress Point, which is short by modern standards and he showed a great understanding of how to play it.' Only two GB&I teams - the first at Peachtree in 1989, when Jim Milligan holed the winning putt, and the other under the captaincy of Peter McEvoy, who passed away last month, at Ocean Forest in 2001 - have won on US soil. 'On paper, we don't have a chance - but let's wait and see,' said Robertson, who, as the University of Stirling scholars he's worked with for the last 15 years would happily testify, will certainly leave no stone unturned. The current members of that programme and the others who will follow in their footsteps will not only be able to benefit from the Head of Golf's vast knowledge but also have the use of a new indoor Golf Performance Studio, which was opened earlier this week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We are really fortunate as it has been a massive investment,' said Robertson, who mentored the likes of Lorna McClymont, Louise Duncan and Graeme Robertson, all now pursuing professional careers, in their time on the campus. 'The money for all the technology came from the MacLeod Foundation and then the capital investment was made by the university itself, so that is going to an extension of my office. An external shot of the University of Stirling's new state-of-the-art Performance Golf Studio, located on the Stirling campus | Contributed 'When I arrived in 2010, it was Bobby Rushford, Graeme Robertson, Zander Culverwell, Jack McDonald, those sort of players. The campus is about 350 acres but it had its own nine-hole golf course and an area where they would hit some balls. But it was nothing more than that and there weren't any greenkeepers. 'Straight away, my aim was to start to work with the grounds crew to create things in an environment that we could then tap into structure our training programme around. We are really fortunate that it is an amazing campus. We call it a golf classroom where my office is and, for the last 15 years, we've had an all-weather facility as I like to call it where we just had to wrap up and get out there in all sorts of weather and get on with it. 'Now, to have an indoor studio along with the latest technology, which is something we've never really had, is going to be amazing for when the weather is poor. Right now, when the weather is great, we are outside and it was ironic that we opened the new facility on Wednesday when it was 'Costa del Ecosse'. It will allow us to structure irrespective of what the weather conditions are and it will help the players to develop their skills, which the programme is all about. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Times are difficult. There's been a big tightening of belts, which means you are having to cut the cloth due to the higher education sector literally being on its knees at the moment. Budgets are tightening and we are going to just have to make the most of what we've got.'
Daily Record
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
East Kilbride YM make history with league title as side now bid for double
The amateur side are celebrating after winning the Premier Division for the first time East Kilbride YM clinched the Caledonian League Premier Division title for the first time in their history last week - and immediately set their sights on making it a trophy double. The Kirktonholme club got their hands on the trophy with two games to spare, hammering title rivals St Joseph's 4-1 on home turf last Tuesday night to be crowned champions in the Scottish Amateur top flight. YM were 3-1 up at the break thanks to an early Ross McDonagh strike and a double from Kyle Rankin, before Diarmid McCreadie's strike on the hour mark put some gloss on the scoreline. And that allowed club skipper Barry Russell, the former East Kilbride and Albion Rovers defender, to lift the trophy in front of friends and family at their Kirktonholme ground. YM enjoyed the celebrations on Tuesday night but now have the chance to add to their silverware collection tomorrow night when they face St Patrick's at New Douglas Park in Hamilton for the West Cup. YM coach Graeme Robertson said their historic win - a first for an EK club - has been many years in the making and hopes they can end a memorable campaign with another prize. He told Lanarkshire Live Sport: 'It is a great opportunity for us to do the double now. 'This season has been quite a journey for the boys because a lot of them have been with us since they were 17, 18-years-old and now they are 30. 'It has been a long journey but it has eventually come to fruition. Now we go into Friday night on a high and looking for another trophy.' On the challenge facing them from St Patrick's, Robertson added: 'St Pats have proven over the years how good a side they are. 'They've won the West and Scottish Cups before, so they've shown they are one of the best teams in Scotland. 'It will be a really difficult game for us but I am hopeful that our boys will turn it on like they did last Tuesday night against St Joseph's and get us the victory.' Kick-off on Friday at New Douglas Park is 7.30pm and all are welcome to go along and support the team.
