It’s been a quite a year for amateur golf in Great Britain and we asked some our leading players what were their stand-out moments and also asked them to look ahead to 2024
1) Your best round of the year and why?
It would have to be my semi-final match of the Scottish Boys matchplay at Lanark. I was up against Harry Bent who is a good mate and a great player so I knew it wasn’t gonna be an easy match in any way. It was a back-a-fore affair from start to finish. However I found myself three down thru 11 after some great golf from Harry. I quickly recovered by holing a long birdie putt on 12 for birdie, then drove it greenside on 13 which would lead to another birdie. At the next I recovered out of the left rough with a five iron from just over 200 yards out the left rough to eight feet for three in a row. On 15 I lipped out with my approach for eagle to set up for a tap-in birdie to gain a one up lead, 16 was halved, 17 Harry drove the green and I was in the bunker short but managed to make a great up and down for the half. That meant I was one ahead going down the last, where I holed a six-foot putt for par and the match to get me into the final for the second year running.
2) Your best shot of the year and why?
My best shot of the year would be my second shot on the 15th at Lanark in my semi final match. It was a gap wedge from 130 off a tight lie meaning it came out a bit lower with a bit more spin. It looked good all the way but since it was a blind approach I never saw the result. However I looked over to my uncle at the side of the green with his hands on his head as it had landed in the perfect spot catching the slope before it lipped out for eagle. As I mentioned… the tap-in birdie was crucial as it was the point where the match was flipped on its head from being three down through 11 to one up through 15 (see above for full details).
3) The best shot you saw and why?
The best shot I seen from somebody else would be Billy Devine’s drive in the final of Scottish Boys on 17. I had just put it on the green with my drive so he had to follow that with a one up lead. He hit his drive right down the flag onto the green which was a great shot under any circumstance. But for him to hit that shot at that point in the match under the pressure made it even more impressive.
4) Your favourite moment of 2023 (this could be personal or something completely random but golf related)?
My best moment this year would have to be getting my first team and individual college wins at the Walter State Fall Invitational. As a team we won by 26 shots and as an individual I won by three shots with a total of four under. The final round included three birdies in the last four holes which would give me the three-shot lead that I finshed the tournament with.
5) Your hopes and ambitions for 2024?
For 2024 the aim is to just keep working hard and to keep improving on the previous year’s success in every aspect of the game.
6) One thing you would change about about golf for next season?
One thing I’d change about golf for 2024 is slow play. There’s no reason for it and it is something that can be very easily fixed. However it has only been getting worse in recent years.