Golf: Darryn misses out on glory

Jun 23 2009 by Paul Behan, Paisley Daily Express

HOPES of a win for Paisley and Renfrewshire during the Scottish Youths Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Renfrew GC were dashed when the event drew to a close following a weekend of excellent competition.

Only Darryn Grant of the home course came close to mounting a challenge for the title but he ended his final round with a slightly disappointing 76 to finish on eight over for the tournament.

Grant’s final round placed him in joint 20th position, a full eight strokes adrift of eventual winner 19-year-old Angus Cappi from Carnoustie, who held his nerve with a 72, which left him on level par for the tournament to claim his first ever title.

Sam Binning of Ranfurly Castle finished a shot behind Grant on nine over, while Erskine’s Michael Dailly was further back on 11 over.

Paisley Golf Club member Alistair Lauder had a disappointing tournament with an opening round of 80 to leave him well down the pecking order, followed by subsequent rounds of 72, 77 and a 76 to finish on +17.

Eventual winner Cappi, who left Loretto School last year and is currently concentrating on his golf full time before embarking on a US-based golf scholarship, finished with a four round aggregate of 288.

He said: “I had a bad start in the morning as my front nine was pretty poor, but I finished strongly to recover and was only one over – my only round when I didn’t finish level or under, so that enabled me to hang on to my lead.”

Day one leader Scott Crichton, from Aberdour, was forced to settle for the runners up place after he finished one over for the tournament on 289.

The disappointed 21-year-old birdied the last on the testing parkland course but knew it was not enough to win the title.

Crichton said: “I didn’t drive the ball as well as I can and don’t feel I ever really mastered the front nine holes here, but my short game was pretty sharp which helped me out a lot and the result is something to build on for the rest of the season.”

With Scotland claiming a one-two finish, third place was shared by fellow Scot William Bremner, Scottish boys runner up back in 2007 along with English players Scott Brace from Colchester and West Byfleet's Tom Hayes.

The trio finished three over for the tournament with a four round aggregate of 291.