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ANNUAL TOURNAMENTS
St Andrews Links Trophy 2007
Record Links Trophy win for Llewellyn
Llewellyn Matthews takes the silverware
Wales internationalist Llewellyn Matthews is the new St Andrews Links Trophy holder after he completed a final round 67 for a total of 273, 15 under par. 'I've always loved St Andrews and the courses were fantastic. Conditions could not have been much better this weekend,' he said after breaking Lloyd Saltman’s 2005 tournament record by two shots.
It was the first time in half a dozen attempts that the 23-year-old Southerndown player has made the cut and his performance in front of GB&I captain Colin Dalgleish this Walker Cup year was sensational. A birdie three at the eighteenth was a fitting way to close out the tournament.
Llewellyn also won the Ian Forbes Memorial Trophy for leading at halfway after rounds of 68 on the Jubilee Course and 67 on the Old.
Scott Arnold of Australia was second on 276 with France's Alexandre Kaleka third on 277. World number one Jamie Moul was a stroke further back.
This year’s Links Trophy was played in benign conditions, with the Jubilee Course and the Old Course both softened up by heavy overnight rainfall on the eve of the tournament. Several inches fell in only a few hours and it is thanks to the fine conditioning of the Links that the event teed off as scheduled.
For the second season running, the star of the first round was Nigel Edwards. Last year he began the Links Trophy by setting the New Course record of 64 and this year he took only 65 shots to go round the Jubilee, only two shots off James Heath’s 2004 record.
‘I love coming here. I love all the courses and I just try to play my best and enjoy myself,’ he said after his great round.
The second round was ignited by Kevin McAlpine of Alyth who completed his first nine holes on the Old Course in 29 shots, repeating his feat of three years ago in the Amateur Championship. That day he went on to finish with a 62 but this year the Old Course had some revenge, with Kevin coming home in 39 to finish with a 68 and a two round total of 142.
The tournament lead switched from one Welsh internationalist to another, as Llewellyn Matthews added a 67 to his first round 68 to set the lead at 135. The highlights of his round were a chip in eagle at 10 and a 50 foot birdie putt at 17.
Jason Barnes of Chart Hills was second on 137, with Nigel Edwards sharing third with Jonathan Hurst (Shaw Hill) and Zac Gould (Vale of Glamorgan) on 138.
A total of 41 players made the cut of 144, including local teenager Greg Patterson of the New Club who shot 70-72. Greg is a graduate of the St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association and his performance was another milestone on what has already been a fine junior career. Tied with Greg was Chris Wood of Long Ashton, who won the St Andrews Boys’ Open two years ago. Another young player to qualify for the final rounds was 14-year-old Oscar Sharpe of Minchinhampton.
The final day was overcast and still, suggesting ideal conditions for low scoring but tricky championship pin positions led to only eight players breaking par in the morning round.
Llewellyn Matthews took a two shot lead into the final 18 holes after going round in 71 for a 206 total. Jamie Moul had the best score of round three, a 68, and he shared second spot with Australia’s Scott Arnold on 208. Frenchman Alexandre Kaleka was a shot further back. David Horsey (Styal) and Nigel Edwards shared fifth on 210.
Moul’s Sunday seemed set to get even better after he went out in 32. Two further birdies at 10 and 12 brought Moul a two shot lead at 13 under par. However, things went wrong for the Stoke by Nayland player at the fourteenth. His second shot landed at the slope of the championship fifteenth tee and he could only cover the final few yards to the hole in another four strokes.
Matthews, meanwhile, had a purple patch round the turn with birdies at 9, 10 and 11 to add to his four at the fifth. Now fourteen under, he was suddenly two shots clear.
Having looked at a scoreboard at the sixteenth tee, Moul risked driver on one of the tightest fairways on the course, finishing in a Principle’s Nose bunker and ending his challenge for the title.
Only Scott Arnold got close to Matthews in the closing stretch. He was 13 under after 14, only one off the lead. However, as so often happens, the Road Hole was his undoing. His approach fell short, ending up in front of Road Bunker and the best he could do from there was a five.
Matthews had the luxury of a two shot lead playing in from the fifteenth. He negotiated Road Hole in four, meaning that he was under par for this most infamous challenge in his three rounds on the Old Course: a rare achievement. With the pressure off, Llewellyn chipped to within a few feet of the final hole for a straightforward birdie and a three shot victory.
The international appeal of the Links Trophy grows each year and the 2007 tournament featured players from 13 overseas countries.
The greenkeepers of the Links coped well with the pre-tournament deluge and presented the Jubilee and the Old in great condition. Llewellyn Matthews, himself a greenkeeper for five years, led the praise for the team's efforts.
Best finishers
Llewellyn Matthews (Southerndown) 68 67 71 67 273
Scott Arnold (Cronulla, Australia) 67 72 69 68 276
Alexandre Kaleka (Marcilly, France) 71 69 69 68 277
Jamie Moul (Stoke-by-Nayland) 67 73 68 70 278
Nigel Edwards (Whitchurch) 65 73 72 70 280
David Horsey (Styal) 68 71 71 71 281
Round One results in full
Round Two results in full
Round Three results in full
Final results
Round One, Jubilee Course SSS 73, CSS 73
Round Two, Old Course SSS 75, CSS 75
Round Three, Old Course SSS 75, CSS 74
Round Four, Old Course SSS 75, CSS 74
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