Garrick Porteous carried the Carrick Neil Scottish Strokeplay title over the border for the second time in three years as the Walker Cup hopeful withstood the biting winds of Southerness for a comfortable four-shot victory.
The 23-year-old had a shorter trip home than most from the isolated Solway Firth venue just over the border to Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland but left in the knowledge that his case for a place in the Nigel Edwards’ GB&I team to defend the cup at the National Golf Links of America in September had been strengthened.
Porteous was one of several players who barely missed out on the team two years ago but has timed his emergence perfectly this year.
“It’s my biggest win here, although I had a few when I was in the US at the University of Tennessee,” he said, after finishing with three rounds of par or better on the tough par 69 track and completing a one-over aggregate of 277. “It’ll help with world ranking points, obviously there’s a big stretch of big events coming up and it’s great to win the first one, while the Walker Cup is a big goal this year.”
The weekend was a stiff test of his mettle with the wind off the Firth bringing an unseasonal chill and a strain on the short game.
“The difference today, probably all weekend, was getting those putts from inside six feet,” he said after a closing 68 left him four shots ahead of Irish duo Dermot McElroy and Richard O’Donovan, and fellow Englishman Callum Shinkwin.
“Making sure you get up and down was really important because it’s inevitable you’re going to miss some green in conditions like that.”
McElroy’s eagle up the final hole allowed the Ulsterman to draw level with O’Donovan, from the Lucan club near Dublin, who played with Porteous in the final round but finished with a two-over 71.
Porteous follows Andy Sullivan, victor two years ago at Blairgowrie, meaning that the national strokeplay title goes out of Scotland again with Wallace Booth the last home winner back in 2007.
Scotland’s two big hopes had differing fortunes with Graeme Robertson well off the pace but Jack McDonald finished strongly with a closing 68 in the tough conditions and kick-started his Walker Cup candidacy by getting a sixth-placed finish.
The Barassie 20-year-old is finally free of this year’s exams for the Pure Maths degree he’s doing at Stirling University and can concentrate fully on his golf.
“It’s the big events now with this, St Andrews Links Trophy next week, the Brabazon the week after and then the British Amateur, and I feel my form coming back,” said last year’s big find of the Scottish season.
“It was the same last year when I finished exams and then felt a load off my mind and did well at the Amateur. This championship was at my home club last year but I had an exam on the Wednesday before and I put too much pressure on myself.
“My short game was excellent today, the best it’s been all season, and I feel ready for a big push over the next few weeks.”
McDonald, part of the Stirling University golf team under Dean Robertson, got to the semi-finals of the Amateur and played all four rounds of the Scottish Open while starring in Scotland’s Home Internationals win during his breakthrough year in 2012.
“It’s a tough act to follow last year but to be honest I don’t see why this year I can’t do even better,” he added.
Dollar’s Scott Borrowman made the most of holing out from the fairway to eagle the final hole and make the cut on the mark on Saturday night.
Last year’s Scottish order of merit winner responded with rounds of 69 and 70 yesterday to move from a tie for 49th to a top 10 finish.
St Andrews’ Ewan Scott, who turned 18 just last month, continued his consistent season with rounds of 71 and 75 for a 16th place finish, while Scottish Boys champion Bradley Neil closed with an 81, still finishing ahead of World ranked No 2 Brady Watt of Australia.