Dutchman Daan Huising smashed every record in the book as he cruised to an astonishing 14-stroke margin of victory in the St Andrews Links Trophy.
The 21-year-old from Soest near Utrecht simply eviscerated the best quality field in amateur golf in Europe this year and became the first man to win the continent’s two most prestigious strokeplay titles in the same year, adding the Links Trophy to the Lytham Trophy he won last month.
While Huising won at Royal Lytham and St Annes by a mere 11 strokes, his dominance over the Home of Golf was even more marked, producing a truly exceptional performance over the three days and pulling even further away over Sunday’s final 36 holes.
His final 23-under-par aggregate of 264 smashed the record for the event set by Llewelyn Matthews in 2007 by a whopping nine strokes. Irishman Alan Dunbar’s nine-under total of 278 would have been good enough to beat Tom Lewis’ winning score last year, but was a long way second this time.
The Dutchman, who finished in second place to Lewis last year, shot rounds of 68 and 67 in ideal final-day conditions and could even afford to twice dunk his ball in the Swilcan Burn on the first hole.
”I hit it a bit fat the second time and was annoyed at myself, but that’s as bad as it got,” he said. ”This course gives you a lot of chances and I found I was hitting a lot of wedges and getting into a bit of a groove out there.
”I feel my game is in a good spot right now and this was really just a warm-up for the amateur at Royal Troon in a couple of weeks.”
Not particularly powerfully built and pulling his own bag all weekend, Daan is enjoying the hottest streak amateur golf has seen in years, but will not change his plans and will stay amateur for now.
He explained: ”The plan has always been to play the amateur season, play in the Eisenhower Trophy for Holland, complete my studies and then go to Tour School, and I won’t change that.”
Dunbar, winner at just 19 in 2009, shot an outstanding 13-under for his three rounds over the Old Course on the weekend but was still left way off the lead.
”Conditions this weekend were a lot easier compared to when I won but, still, it’s like Daan must be playing a different course,” said one of only two of the victorious GB&I team at Royal Aberdeen to stay amateur.
Dunbar will turn professional for Q School but will get a taste of the pro game at the forthcoming Irish Open over his home course at Royal Portrush.
”There’s been 110,000 tickets sold and the whole town is buzzing it’s going to be a fantastic week,” he added.
The Scottish elite squad got a huge boost after a difficult week as Glenbervie’s Graeme Robertson came through with a superb eight-under 64 to claim third place.
Robertson raced to the turn in 31 strokes and added birdies at the 10th, 12th and 14th on the way back.
The 23-year-old University of Stirling student had a couple of good par saves to complete his round without a bogey.
South African Amateur champion Brian Soutar was the only other Scot to make the cut and finished with a solid one-under aggregate after rounds of 71 and 72 on Sunday.Completed scores:264 D Huising (Netherlands) 65 64 68 67
278 A Dunbar (Rathmore) 75 68 67 68
279 G Robertson (Glenbervie) 70 73 72 64
280 C Hinton (The Oxfordshire) 74 70 68 68, R O’Donovan (Lucan) 70 71 71 68
281 E Espana (France) 74 66 69 72, J Zunic (Australia) 71 68 73 69
282 S Fernandez (Spain) 76 69 67 70, M D Lafon (France) 74 70 71 67, V Henum (Denmark) 72 70 71 69
283 Langasque (France) 74 71 70 68, F Zucchetti (Italy) 74 71 68 70, B Stow (Rushmore) 69 73 72 69
285 A Saddier (France) 72 72 71 70, N Raymond (Corhampton) 73 70 73 69, K Subregis (France) 73 67 71 74
286 T Pulkkanen (Finland) 74 71 70 68, R Kind (Netherlands) 72 73 69 72, T Detry (Belgium) 73 71 70 72, R Pugh (Vale of Glamorgan) 74 70 71 71, H Porteous (South Africa) 72 68 72 74
287 J F Valdes (Argentina) 76 69 74 68, J Hiluta (Chelmsford) 75 69 70 73, B Soutar (Leven GS) 73 71 71 72
288 M Trappel (Austria) 75 70 69 74
289 C Smith (Australia) 73 72 70 74, R Whitson (Mourne) 69 75 72 73, T Tree (Worthing) 72 71 75 71
290 T Elissalde (France) 73 67 73 77
291 L Weber (France) 74 71 72 74, N Grant (Knock) 70 75 74 72, G Porteous (Bamburgh Castle) 76 67 75 73
292 J Sarasti (Spain) 71 73 76 77, R Bourke (Australia) 71 73 70 78, C Shinkwin (Moor Park) 70 70 74 75
293 M Stieger (Australia) 71 73 77 72, P Kinnear (Formby) 69 74 77 73, B Campbell (New Zealand) 72 71 75 75, J Bale (Royal Porthcawl) 73 70 76 74
295 D Nisbet (Australia) 75 70 77 73
298 D Booth (Rotherham) 72 73 79 74, B Stone (South Africa) 69 76 74 79
299 J Rutherford (Knebworth) 69 75 77 78
302 C Du Plessis (South Africa) 71 74 80 77.