Student Series

Curran and Nilsson on verge of STS wins

The R&A

03 Oct 24

3 mins

The R&A Student Tour Series – Ireland (STS) at Belvoir Park in Belfast looks like being a carbon copy of the season opener at Halmstad in Sweden: the men’s and women’s events look like producing first time winners.

After 36 holes at the two-time Irish Open venue, National College of Ireland scholar Patrick Curran stands on the verge of his debut win playing in just his second STS tournament. He holds a two-shot lead in the men’s event. Halmstad student Hanna Nilsson has considerably more experience. She’s competing in her third season of STS golf, but has yet to record a win. She leads the women’s standings by a stroke.

Unfamiliar territory

Nineteen-year-old Curran returned a tournament low five-under-par 66 over the Harry Colt designed course to go with his opening 70 to sit at six-under-par. He leads by two shots over University of St Andrews student Judd Sundelson, UCLAN scholar Max Weaver and Italy’s Lorenzo Fior of the University of Venice. Curran is in unfamiliar territory. The plus two Handicap Index player has never won a tournament of any note, and only made his STS debut in Halmstad when St Andrews student Judy Joo and Thomas Abom of Maynooth won on their STS debuts. In fact, first-year psychology student Curran has never led any tournament heading into the final round. He counts making the match play stages of the West of Ireland as his major achievement in golf so far. Winning an STS tournament would be beyond his wildest dreams. “I’ve only really started playing men’s championships this year,” he said. “Getting to the match play rounds of the West of Ireland this year was pretty big for me. I had top-ten’s in junior golf but never had a win, so being in this position in a tournament as big as this is new for me. I’ve never led after 36 holes so I’ll soak everything in tomorrow and enjoy every shot. I’m looking forward to the experience.”

After 36 holes at the two-time Irish Open venue, Hanna Nilsson stands on the verge of her debut win.

Scrapping it around

The member of Edmonstown Golf Club in Dublin made seven birdies and dropped just two shots during his second round. Not bad considering he wasn’t hitting his driver well. “I wasn’t good off the tee today,” he admitted. “I was sort of scrapping it around and I’m quite sick at the minute about that. My swing was about 60% and I was just trying to get the ball on the fairway somewhere. “But my irons were quite good. I was on point with those and then anything from 12 feet and in I holed them more times than not. I birdied all the par-5s so I took advantage of my chances.” Weaver was part of a three-way play-off at Troia Resort, Portugal in February 2022 but was eliminated at the first extra hole as Maynooth students Jordan Boles and Ryan Griffin shared the title. Sundleson shared the lead after 36 holes in Halmstad last month, eventually finishing joint third. Fior is making his fourth STS start, and with third in France last season his best effort.

Breaking new ground

Nilsson returned a three-under 70 to go with her opening 69 to get to seven-under, a shot ahead of three-time STS winner Lucy Jamieson of St Andrews and Maynooth’s Kate Lanigan. Nilsson is also breaking new ground: she has never led an STS tournament after 36 holes. Nilsson began the second round with a two-shot lead and built on that with five birdies in her first 12 holes to get to eight-under. A dropped shot at the 13th took her back to seven-under before she reeled off five straight pars. The Halmstad scholar counts two third place finishes as her best STS placings. “I didn’t play as well as yesterday,” she said. “I was a little bit better with my irons yesterday. I just didn’t get the ball as close to the flags today, so I had to work a little harder on the greens.” Nilsson has watched as teammates Elice Fredriksson, William Leu and Jesper Littorin have won STS events. Needless to say, she’s keen to add her name to that winner’s list.

Comfortable

“I feel comfortable in this position, but I know I have to work hard,” she added. “I can only control my game and do my own thing. Hopefully it works. I have very much experience in this series. I have two third place finishes and hopefully I do much better tomorrow.” Jamieson and Lanigan will take some beating. Chemistry scholar Jamieson made a career high eight birdies and returned her lowest STS score, a six-under-par 67, one stroke better than a 68, also six-under, around the Jubilee Course at St Andrews in April en route to winning the 2023-24 Final. Lanigan won in Italy last season and had runner-up finishes in Portugal and France on her way to winning last season’s Order of Merit.