PEEBLES golfer Craig Howie scooped the Scottish Boys’ Championship in the north east at the weekend, the second player from the club to achieve major honours, following in the footsteps of Ailsa Bain who triumphed in the 2009 Scottish Girls’ Championship.
High school student Howie, 17, the first Borderer to put his name on the Scottish Boys’ Championship trophy, said after victory: “I think I’ll be sleeping all day tomorrow!”
Howie, who plays off plus one, fought hard for the success, beating Ewan Scott of St Andrews, in eight challenging games in the SGU season-opening tournament.
Saturday’s final 36 holes for Howie, who had not been past the fourth round in three previous attempts at the honour, proved a tussle too before he prevailed in a seven and six success.
“My putting was really good in the semi-final and final – I think that’s what won it,” he said
The young Borderer, who will leave school in a few weeks, hit an overly enthusiastic shot at the second and fell one behind after Scott’s with a birdie putt.
A second birdie at the third doubled Scott’s lead. It was becoming tense – Howie had bogeyed five of the first six holes.
But Howie won back a hole with a par on the seventh and a back and forth battle commenced. The young Borderer gained his first birdie of the day at the 13th and a curling putt of 10 feet on the 15th for a birdie three kept him in the frame before he got ahead on the 18th when Scott three-putted.
The tie was all square after 19 holes before Howie found tearaway form, winning seven of the next eight holes to take the top silverware.