Bradley Neil may be the new Scottish Boys’ champion but both he and his friend and fellow finalist Ewan Scott have long moved on from junior golf.
Bradley’s 4 and 2 victory over his rival and Scotland foursomes partner at Monifieth on Saturday confirmed that it was his week, requiring to just short of 18 holes less than he was scheduled to play over eight rounds of play.
It was as dominant a performance as the championship has seen, even more so than when Scott Henry, now a tour player, won at Southerness playing the last three holes only once in 2004. But while Bradley managed to win playing the 17th and 18th at the Monifieth Medal only once, Henry never had the quality of opponent in his final as Neil did in St Andrews’ Ewan Scott.
If it looked on Saturday like these two 17-year-olds were far too good to be mere juniors, that’s probably because they are.
“We’re going to be entering men’s events this summer for the experience, but also believing that we can win them,” said Bradley.
Ewan has already all but left junior golf behind, having reached the semi-finals of the South African Amateur earlier this year. One can certainly envisage them both in the men’s home internationals team later this season.
“I’ve won a men’s event already,” said Neil, who was part of the Perth and Kinross team that won the Scottish Area Team Championship last year. “If anything I think Ewan is still a little bit ahead of me, he’s gained all this experience playing in South Africa and China this winter.
“There’s plenty of experience to be gained by both of us yet and we’ll be working on that this summer, but I don’t see why we can’t both do well in men’s events.”
For Bradley, the greatest satisfaction came from the way he played in the biggest match of his life so far and the extraordinary shots he was able to execute in that arena, not least the eight-iron on the sixth hole of the afternoon he holed out for an eagle two in what was unquestionably the turning point of what had been a nip-and-tuck game.
Neil had tried to cut his drive into the breeze to avoid the out of bounds and was only a couple of yards from going OB at the other side, but his second shot, an eight iron from 129 yards “never looked like going anywhere but in” admitted his opponent.
“There’s always an element of fluke in those, but you have to say it was just a quality golf shot,” said the runner-up, who gave his friend a beaming smile before trying for the half with a wedge in his hands.
Neil said: “It wasn’t exactly the easiest shot I’ve ever played. I had to make sure I cleared the trees, but also kept it low into the wind so to pull off a shot like that at any time is fantastic, but in the Scottish Boys final it was just unthinkable to do something like that,” said Neil.
There were a couple more like that, one impossible shot from scrub on the 14th in the morning, and then another on the same hole in the afternoon from a tricky steep lie that nearly went in.
Scott made his own impact, holing out of the sand for eagle on the final hole of the morning’s play, and for so long it seemed the pair couldn’t be separated, in more ways than just on the scoreboard.
Despite the pressure, the two walked down most fairways together Neil even pushed both buggies when Scott nipped off for a comfort break and were chatting the whole way. Bradley even thanked Ewan’s parents for their help in his winner’s speech.
“We’re close friends, we go to the same golf academy (the St Andrews Links Academy) and we’re partners for Scotland at foursomes,” said Bradley.
“We know each other’s games inside out but we respect each other as well.”
Both it seems will further their golfing education across the Atlantic.
Ewan has committed to the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga in August and will not defend his Scottish Youths title to concentrate on men’s golf the rest of this season.
Bradley only finishes Blairgowrie High in the next fortnight, and will do a year mixing college studies here and golf before going to the States in the autumn.
“I’ve spoken to a few universities already but there’s plenty time,” he said.
“I want to play this summer and although it’ll be hard because I love my home, I love Scotland and being close to my family and friends, I think that America will help me be a better player.”