The 24th Faldo Series Europe season came to a dramatic finish at the Scotland Championship, where Scottish talent, Ruben Lindsay, showed resilience and determination through a 6-hole playoff to claim the final title of the Europe Series.
On Monday, 105 elite junior golfers wrapped up the Faldo Series Europe season at Ladybank Golf Club with the rescheduled event providing players a final competitive opportunity this year.
Regularly used as a Final Open Qualifier, Ladybank’s stunning course measures only 6,800 yards and provides a number of risk/reward opportunities to create quite the stage for exciting tournament golf, especially when matched with this week’s wild conditions that were true to Scotland’s temperamental autumn weather.
With the Faldo Series Europe Grand Final now cancelled due to COVID-19 measures and concerns, players competed for vital WAGR points, however winners will be rewarded with an invite if the event is able to be rearranged in 2021.
The tournament’s Overall Champion, Ruben Lindsay, produced a scintillating display over the three days, never shying from the top two spots on the leaderboard. A rollercoaster final round contest saw Lindsay and English talent, Joshua Berry, battle it out at the top, with Lindsay making back-to-back birdies on the two closing holes to force the playoff. Racing against the light, the players’ matched one another in a tightly fought stalemate over six playoff holes – though it was in-form Lindsay who found the breakthrough on the sixth time of asking and was named overall champion and U16s winner too.
Following his playoff win, champion Ruben Lindsay said: “It was a new experience as I’ve only been involved in one or two-hole play-offs before. It was really good fun but weird at the same time. I think we were both quite tense at the start of the play-off but then started to talk all the way thereafter as we got more relaxed. I’ve played in four Faldo Series events this year and they’ve been so much fun, and it is great to end with a win.”
Elsewhere in the Boys, Calum Scott went one better than his second at the Faldo Series North Boys Championship to claim the U18s title, whilst George Ash secured the U21s Boys win.
In the Girls categories it was another fellow Scottish talent, Lorna McClymont who successfully defended her win in the U21s, and becomes part of only a handful of players to win back-to-back titles. In the U16s, seasoned Series competitor Zara Naughton won the category by 7 shots to claim her second Faldo Series win of the year after her success at the England North East Championship in July.
After the event, Matthew Faldo, Faldo Series Director, said “To be able to conclude the Faldo Series Europe season here at Ladybank with such entertaining golf from the players is a real privilege. The conditions over the three days played a great challenge, particularly on a course that demands an accurate iron game and strategic course management.”
“Many congratulations to Ruben for a terrific display, showing amazing determination to maintain concentration to win. It was a great battle between Ruben and Josh with not a lot separating the two. Also, congratulations to Lorna for a magnificent back-to-back win here at the Scotland Championship. It’s an achievement very few have been able to pull off and deserves a lot of applause. Finally, to Zara for her second Series win this year, again, with another impressive performance and confident win.”
The Faldo Series team and Ladybank Golf Club staff went above and beyond to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of all players and staff at the event remained uncompromised, with sanitisation stations, social distancing and reduced touch points implemented and signed throughout the event. Players continued to use the Faldo Series app to complete all scoring.
Following a delayed start, the Faldo Series season has gone from strength to strength with its most successful campaign to date. Over the summer, a record-breaking 1133 elite junior golfers teed up to compete in the Faldo Series, including its largest ever field in the junior series’ history hosting 260 competitors for the Wales Championship back in August. The season also celebrated a number of other historic milestones with its largest ever Girls field, 93, first event held over two courses, and its first junior event to be live streamed via its social channels with broadcast partner, ContentLIVE.
The Faldo Series now sets its sights on its Asia Series, which begins 26th October on the prestigious Jack Nicklaus Signature Course, Serengeti Estates for what is set to be a momentous South Africa Championships.
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