Student Series

McClymont shoots 60, smashes Montrose course record

The R&A

20 Sep 22

3 mins

Many have walked off a golf course disappointed at missing a seven-foot birdie putt on the final green. Then again, most probably haven’t had a chance to shoot 59.

Scotland’s Lorna McClymont had that length putt on the 18th green at Montrose Golf Links to break 60 for the first time, in the opening round of the R&A Student Tour Series – Stirling International.

“Insane”

It goes without saying her 13-under-par 60 is a course record around the world’s fifth old course. By six shots! Fellow Scot Kylie Walker previously held the Montrose course record of seven-under 66, set in the 2008 Munross Trophy. Stirling University student McClymont struggled to find the words to describe a near perfect round that featured nine birdies and two eagles. Playing companion Elice Fredriksson of Halmstad University had no trouble: “Insane!” The Swede returned a fair score of her own. She shot a five-under-par 68 and then quipped: “I’m only eight shots off the lead.”

“A wee bit disappointed”

McClymont knew what her putt on the last green meant. Missing it took a bit of the gloss off the round despite her imperious play. “I knew that putt was for a 59, so it wasn’t a great end to the round. I’m a wee bit disappointed because it was really the only putt I missed all day. But I’ll take it on the chin: it’s the best round of golf I’ve ever played,” said the Milngavie Golf Club member, who owns one other course record, a nine-under 64 at Gullane number 1.

Good Lorna, bad Lorna

“It’s hard to describe but everything just kind of fell into place today. I just stuck to my routine. “There were some negative thoughts going through my head but I managed to get rid of them. I wouldn’t have been able to do that a few years ago, but I’ve worked hard with Dean (Robertson, Stirling University high performance manager) and with my coach (Colin Fisher) on getting rid of the bad thoughts. “I know there are two sides to me, good Lorna and bad Lorna. I’ve managed to quieten down the bad Lorna. I did that very well today, stayed positive and played one shot at a time.”

Odds on to repeat

McClymont has picked up exactly where she left off when she finished the final event of last year’s R&A Student Series: at the head of the field by a long way. The Dumbarton native topped last year’s order of merit by 210 points thanks to three wins and two runner-up finishes. While there is clearly a long way to go before the final event at St Andrews next April, the smart money says the Milngavie Golf Club member will be on or near the top of the pecking order once again.

Renewed confidence

The Scottish International has enjoyed a good summer warming up for the 2022/23 R&A Student Tour Series. She won the Italian Women’s and Girls Open Stroke Play Championship, was runner-up in the Scottish Women’s Amateur Championship and placed 28th in World Amateur Team Championship in France as she helped Scotland to a seventh-place finish. That French result is a career best performance considering she was playing against the world’s elite, including the world’s top three amateurs in Rose Zhang, Ingrid Lindblad and Rachel Heck. “It is my best achievement in golf,” the sports science student said. “It’s given me quite a lot of confidence to know I’m not that far off the pace of the world’s best golfers. It takes the pressure off a wee bit. I now have a better idea of what I’m capable of.” Quite a lot on the evidence of her round over Montrose’s ancient links.

Murphy takes slender lead

The men’s competition is slightly closer, not to mention somewhat overshadowed by the women’s event. Maynooth University student Eoin Murphy went around Montrose in five-under-par 66 and sits one shot in front of Stirling’s Will Coxon, with six players in joint third on three- under-par. “I kept it in play, hit a lot of irons off tees, kept it tidy and made a few birdies,” said Dundalk Golf Club member Murphy, who is doing a post-graduate degree in business and management.

Good summer

“I’ve had a good summer. I finished sixth in the Lytham Trophy and have just won the Boyd Quaich Memorial at St Andrews, so I’ve been trending nicely and came in here with a bit of confidence. Hopefully I can keep going tomorrow." Murphy, who finished ninth on last year’s order of merit, has a tough task on his hands over the final 18 holes with so many players on his heels. McClymont just might be a wee bit harder to beat.Final day one leaderboard can be found here.