FORMAT: 54-hole stroke play
There was a sensational home success in Scottish Boys U-16s Open last night where Finlay Galloway saw off the challenge of some of the best U-16s players on the planet to take home the winners trophy at Bishopbriggs GC.
The St Andrews junior’s best performance in a national event before this week was fourth in the Scottish U-14s last year but he rose to the occasion impressively, beating Cheshire’s Dan Hayes at the first extra hole. The duo were five under par for the tournament.
Galloway, who finished top of the U-14s Order of Merit on the Scottish Junior Tour in 2021, has been playing various junior tour events in Scotland ahead of the tournament without challenging for victories but it all just clicked for the Fife-based youngster at the Glasgow course
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“I’m feeling a bit speechless,” he told Scottish Golf. “I’m just lost for words as to what has happened this week. I came here with the goal of just making the cut, but I wasn’t really expecting to win and here I am with the trophy.
“I’ve never really been in this position before, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I got off to a bit of a rocky start but steadied myself up a bit. I played the back nine well with one or two mistakes, but I wasn’t really too nervous.
“I was just shooting for pars, taking birdies when they came. Obviously, you’re going to make mistakes and you just have to take that.
“This means so much to me. To win a Scottish tournament, I don’t really know how to describe it. This has been my first time at Bishopbriggs and it was such a nice course. We couldn’t have asked for it to be in any better condition than it was.”
On the final day four players were involved in a great battle for the title. Alongside Hayes and Galloway, Essex’s Charlie Croker also came through impressively in the third and final round, plus Czech Republic younger Matous Zach also finished within a shot of top two.
Croker birdied the final three holes in falling just short while Zach also finished strongly to finish on four under.
However the real fireworks came from Hayes, who finished second at the Formby Hare Open in May. The Bramhall junior played his final 12 holes in seven under par and that included an eagle at the short par four 11th as he shot a 65 (-6).
Meanwhile Galloway fought back brilliantly after opening with double bogey. His closing round 69 included seven birdies, including a three in a row starting at the 11th.
In the play-off at the first, Hayes missed the green with his approach and just failed to get up and down, his par putt lipping out while his title rival secured a solid par to secure the biggest victory of his life.