Wiltshire’s Jake Bolton will be unable to defend his Scottish Amateur Strokeplay title with the 2020 Scottish Men’s Open at Muirfield now cancelled because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Picture by SCOTTISH GOLF

SCOTTISH Golf has become the first of the four Home Nations to completely cancel its entire domestic season as a result of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Eleanor Cannon, who chairs Scottish Golf, announced her board had decided to postpone all remaining events in its championship calendar as the number of deaths from COVID-19 continues to climb – and with no sign of the Government lockdown being lifted as it nears the end of its third week.

A number of Scottish Golf’s early season events in April were called off last month. But the complete suspension of all activities means there will be no Scottish Amateur Championship for either men or women in 2020.

The Scottish Amateur Championship was due to be held at Murcar at the end of July, while the Scottish Women’s Amateur was heading to Ladybank in early June.

Also scrubbed from the calendar is the Scottish Men’s Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship, which Muirfield was set to host from May 29-31.

The strokeplay event – won in 2019 by Wiltshire’s Jake Bolton – was moving to an earliier date in the season, the week before England’s Brabazon Trophy, which attracts a strong international field, and was being played at Sherwood Forest GC, before it was also cancelled last month.

The Scottish Girls Amateur was set to be played at Strathhaven at the same time as July’s Open Championship, while the Scottish Boys was to be played at Haggs Castle, from July 15-19.

Eleanor Cannon, who chairs Scottish Golf

Eleanor Cannon said: “This is the most difficult time we have all had to face in a generation, both personally and professionally.

“All of us have been affected by COVID-19 either directly or indirectly.

“Scottish Golf, like its member clubs, is having to make some tough decisions in light of a significant delay in our member income, so that we can continue to support our clubs as we come through these difficult times.

“To this end, we have furloughed the majority of our employees and made the necessary decisions as regards our season’s calendar of events.

“We have taken the decision to cancel all our events and our performance programmes for the remainder of the 2020 season.

“I recognise that, for each of our 575 affiliated clubs, our committees, employees and members, it is a time of uncertainty and stress.

“Tough decisions are being taken by your management teams so that your clubs can re-open their doors in as strong a position as is possible.

“Clubs need their members more than ever to support them financially so that they can survive the lockdown in an already tough market – and so that we each have our club to come back to.”

Scottish Golf is working on implementing the new WHS handicapping system which CONGU is due to roll out in the UK later in 2020

Work on VMS and WHS continues

SCOTTISH Golf stressed important work is still being carried out during the lockdown to ensure it was in a “positive position” when clubs and courses reopen.

The Hive eLearning platform is being developed further. which will allow clubs to access self-learning tools to manage various aspects of the club, including assistance with educating members on the WHS handicapping system, which had been set to be rolled out in 2020.

Work is also being finalised on the controversial Venue Management System project, which will control all future centralised handicapping under the new WHS system, as well as offering clubs a different way to manage their tee booking systems.

Some unhappy clubs have spoken out over statements that the current CONGU system, which is licensed for individual software companies that service golf clubs across the UK, will only be used north of the border in conjunction with the VMS system and app developed by Scottish Golf.

Scottish Golf’s chairwoman Eleanor Cannon said: “Work continues on the development and testing of VMS.

“We know that many clubs are using the current down time to learn the new system and we have retained team members to support (clubs) in this.

“We continue to liaise with Sport Scotland and the Government and we will ensure we communicate with you as and when decisions about the game are made.

“As a community we represent so much more than golf. Together, locally, we represent camaraderie, friendship, and support.

“We are all pulling together in the golf clubs that we love, reaching out to each other – making sure our golfing friends who are on their own and vulnerable are being looked after and feel supported by their club, and their fellow members.

“In time we will all get back out there onto our courses. For now, we must look after each other and the communities our clubs serve.

“Once we can start playing the game we love again, we will all work together to re-establish golf as the life blood of our communities.

“Thank you for the commitment you have shown us. We look forward to working with you all both now and in the future.”

Jake Bolton reached the South African Amateur Championship semi-finals in February before losing to Scotland’s James Wilson. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

Bolton fast out of the blocks in 2020

JAKE Bolton joined an illustrious list when he became just the seventh Englishman to win the Scottish Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship at The Duke’s St Andrew’s last summer.

The Wiltshire England A squad member capped off a fine season in which he led qualifying at the English Amateur at Hankley Common and North Hants GC at the end of July.

The Ogbourne Downs member had lost a play-off in the Selborne Salver, in April 2019, taking second place in the Hampshire Salver for the aggregate at Blackmoor GC and 24 hours later in the Hampshire Hog at North Hants GC.

The 21-year-old finished with back to back birdies to claim the Scottish Strokeplay – the biggest win of his career so far – to complete a wire-to-wire win at St Andrews.

Jake finished one shot ahead of Yorkshire’s Sam Bairstow – ironically it was the left-hander from Sheffield’s Hallowes club, who denied him the Hampshire Salver on countback.

Bolton said after his win: “This is a really nice way to end my season and to win in such an iconic place as St Andrews is special.

“Knowing my name is going to be beside some of these great players in this trophy is brilliant and a reward for the way I played.”

Former winners of the Scottish Strokeplay include Tommy Fleetwood, Paul McGinley, Stephen Gallacher, Andy Sullivan and Richie Ramsay, who have all gone on to win on the European Tour.

Bolton has committed to staying amateur for at least 18 months more to push for a place in the 2021 Walker Cup, which is due to be played in May, as Florida’s legendary Seminole GC is the planned host, meaning August’s traditional date would be too hot, and September – the normal date in the UK – would be in the hurricane season.

Bolton, who helped Wiltshire win the English Boys County Finals in 2015 and 2016, made a good start to the 2020 season in South Africa.

He reached the semi-final of the South African Amateur Championship, at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club, in February.

But he was beaten by James Wilson, from Balmore GC, who went on to lose 7&6 to South Africa’s Casey Jarvis, in the final.

That was in the last week of February before the coronavirus pandemic took hold, cancelling the rest of the early amateur events of the new season and cancelling nearly all international travel within a month.

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Scotland’s James Wilson knows his country have produced four South African Amateur Champions since 2011. Picture by ERNEST BLIGNAULT

SCOTLAND’S James Wilson is dreaming of becoming a fifth Scottish winner in a decade after reaching the quarter-finals of the South African Amateur Championship, at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC.

The Scots  have dominated the third oldest championship in the world of golf which dates back to 1892. And 15 year-old Pretorian Christiaan Maas (see below) stands between Wilson and a place in the semi-final on Thursday afternoon.

Wilson, from Balmore GC, beat England Boys international Robin Williams 4&3 to book his place in the last eight at Royal Johannesburg, which has been a regular venue for the European Tour in South Africa.

Williams is one of the best teeange talents, certainly in Europe, having won a MENA Tour event as an amtaeur in the autumn, and would have been dreaming of claiming his first international men’s amateur title.

But Wilson ensured at least one Scot remained in the hat by producing two commanding performances on Wednesday.

Wilson beat Parkview’s Cole Stevens by one hole in the second round before lunch, after making a birdie two at the driveable par-four 16th to take the lead.

The winner of the Welsh Open Strokeplay two years ago closed out his last 32 match with a four on the last before facing Williams, from Peterborough Milton).

Wilson needed to be at his best, winning five holes in a row thanks to a run in which he made four birdies.

If Wilson can make it into the semi-finals, he will be guaranteed to face the Auld Enemy in his bid to make Friday’s final.

Frilford Heath’s Olly Huggins, will be hoping to go one better in the South African Amateur after losing a play-off in the African Amateur Stroke Play. Picture by ERNEST BLIGNAULT

England are guaranteed at least one player in the semi-finals of the South African Amateur Championship with B.B.&O. county player Olly Huggins meeting Jake Bolton in the top half of the draw, in Thursday’s quarter-final.

Frilford Heath’s Huggins – who lost a play-off for the African Amateur Championship two weeks ago – will be up against Wiltshire’s Bolton.

The winner of that match will face the winner of Wilson’s match.

Bolton has been climbing up the rankings over the past year – boosted by victory in the Scottish Amateur Strokeplay Championship, in August.

The runner-up in last year’s Hampshire Salver, after losing a play-off in the Selborne Salver at Blackmoor – against England junior international Charlie Strickland – has been promoted to the England A squad as result.

And the Ogborne Downs member beat another Englishman in the shape of Haider Hussain, winning the 18th to go two-up to book his place in the last eight.

That was the match-up that Huggins, from Oxfordshire, was keen to have after he pulled off a pair of 4&3 wins – over South African Nash de Klerk in the morning, and over the imposing Nordin van Tilburg, from the Netherlands, in the afternoon’s third round.

“I’m really happy,” said Huggins. “I’m hitting my driver really good, hitting the fairway, and my caddie is giving me good lines.

“I’ve been struggling the last two weeks with lines.”

The Oxfordshire ace got it to five-up through 12, but then Van Tilburg came back at him after lunch.

“I knew he was going to come back at me with a couple of birdies,” said Huggins. “I was ready for it, and he holed some really good putts coming in, and I just made a 20-footer on 15 to close him out.”

Bolton also finished first in the strokeplay qualifer at last year’s Amateur Championship, played at North Hants GC, and Hankley Common, but lost in the second round to Surrey’s Lewis Hinton.

England’s selectors sent the A squad to South Africa hoping to see them emulate the success of Yorkshire’s Ben Schmidt, who claimed the New South Wales Open, in Australia, last month.

And their hopes of producing the first English winner of the South African Amateur title since Somerset’s Laurie Canter back in 2010, were strengthened by results in the bottom half of the draw.

Gloucestershire’s Joe Long defeated South Africa’s Luca Filippi 3&2 and will now play Aneurin Gounden – one of four players from the host country still left in the competition.

Lansdowne Golf Club’s Joe Long is in the bottom half of the draw in the South African Amateur, and will be hoping to reach the semi-final after losing in the last eight in 2017.
Picture by ERNEST BLIGNAULT

Long was beaten in the final of the English Amateur two years ago by Sussex’s Tom Thurloway.

And having reached the quarter-final in the South African Amateur three years ago, he is still on course to claim a first international victory.

He has the motivation of wanting to play in the Eisenhower Trophy later this year, having seen his county team-mate Mitch Waite – who joined him on their first trip to South Africa three years ago – go on to become a full England international, and play in the last World Amateur Team Championship at Ireland’s Carton House, in 2018.

Long made his Home Internationals debut as England won the Raymond Trophy at Conway GC, off the back of losing to Thurloway at Formby GC, but lost his place in 2019 despite finishing third in the European Amateur Championship.

Having qualified in second place in the strokeplay qualifier earlier this week, and gone close in the South African Amateur Strokeplay Championship last week, Long will be longing to make it into Friday’s final.

But first he must beat Gounden, who went all the way to the 21st hole before he downed Gergory McKay – and that was after he took 19 holes to defeat Scotland’s Darren Howie, from Peebles GC, in the morning.

It could have been even better for the Scots but Castle Park’s Scottish international Connor Wilson – who was fourth in last year’s St Andrews Links Trophy, also lost to youngster Christo Lamprecht by two holes.

Lamprecht, the youngest champion in the Aon South African Amateur championship, overcame that shaky victory to run out a 4&3 winner over Dutchman Koen Kouwenaar, last year’s Spanish Amateur Champion to reach the quater-final.

Reigning South African Stroke Play Champion Casey Jarvis kept his ‘double’ dream alive when he overcame left-handed Frenchman Nicolas Muller, on the 20th hole, in a tough match.

Jarvis’ win came after 4&2 win over compatriot and 2019 finalist Jordan Duminy in the morning’s second round.

Teeanger Christiaan Maas pulled off the shock of the day beating African Amateur Strokeplay Champion Martin Vorster to reach the quarter-finals. Picture by ERNEST BLIGNAULT

Maas makes charge by knocking out African Stroke Play champ Vorster

YOUNG gun Christiaan Maas charged through an open door after Martin Vorster’s putter deserted him, to play his way into the quarter-finals.

The 15-year-old Pretoria junior defeated Vorster by one when the African Amateur Stroke Play champion left his eagle putt on 18 agonisingly short – a putt which would have handed him the hole – and a chance to extend the match into sudden-death.

For Maas, there is the thrill of playing in the quarters that awaits him.

“I’m taking a lot of confidence from the win into the quarter-finals,” Mass said.

“Now I know I’ve beaten Martin, who has won all over the world, and he’s a great player. I feel like my game’s almost there, but I must get a little bit better.”

Mass stepped up and nervelessly rammed home a 10-footer to seal the victory and set up a quarter-final clash with another Scot – James Wilson.

The GolfRSA Junior Protea got to two-up through the 11th. But his lead was cut to just one after the 13th when Vorster made birdie to arrest his slide, which had started with bogeys on nine and 11.

“I played extremely good golf this morning,” said Maas of his 4&3 win in the previous round over Germany’s Connor Engelmohr.

“And my putter was on fire. In the afternoon, my putter went a bit cold, but I managed to not make a drop against Martin.

“Unfortunately for him, his putter went cold on the back nine, and fortunately for me, I made a 10-footer on the last to win.

“He’s a very tough opponent. He hits it miles, great iron-play, his putter was just a bit cold today.”

Vorster had two earlier opportunities down the stretch to pull things back.

After Maas hit the flag with his birdie chip on the 16th, Vorster missed his birdie putt on the right edge. Then, on 17, he had a three-footer for birdie and it just missed the edge.

“My putting let me down today,” said Vorster.

Now Maas will face Scottish ace James Wilson for that place in Thursday afternoon’s semi-final.

Wilson will be clearly motivated by the chance to join that list of Scottish winners – Michael Stewart (2011), Brian Soutar (2012), Daniel Young (2015) and Craig Ross (2016).

•To follow the results of Wilson in the quarter-finals, click here.

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