St. Andrews Links Trophy: McNicoll wins in thriller

June 8, 2008 | by

2008 St. Andrews Links Trophy champ

Keir McNicoll wins Europes most prestigous amateur stroke play event with a birdie on the famed 18th hole

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (June 8, 2008)--Keir McNicoll, two years removed from a crushing defeat at the St. Andrews Links Trophy, won the same event in dramatic fashion with by rolling in a 10-foot birdie putt on the famed 18th hole to take a one-stroke victory. He finished 67-71-77-68--283, 5-under-par. “It’s unbelievable, but I just had a feeling coming over in the car from Carnoustie this morning that it was going to be my day today,” McNicoll told the UK's Courier. “I learned a lot from what happened two years ago and I knew how to handle myself this time." The putt avoided a three-way playoff between McNicoll and former Scottish Boys Champ Michael Stewart and France's Rudy Thuillier. The 24-year-old McNicoll trailed Thuillier, a part-time ski instructor who was an unknown coming into the tourney, by four strokes with 14 to play, but was able close the gap with some outstanding play. Adding more drama to the events was a late charge put on by Stewart, who birdied the famous Road Hole then holed out an eagle from the Valley of Sin on 18 to grab a share of second.

Results: St. Andrews Links Trophy

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Keir McNicoll	, Scotland	1500	67-71-77-68--283
T2	Michael Stewart	, Scotland	1000	68-71-76-69--284
T2	Rudy Thuillier	, France	1000	71-72-68-73--284
4	Sam Hutsby	, England	700	71-71-70-73--285
T5	Rhein Gibson	, Australia	700	71-73-72-70--286

View full results for St. Andrews Links Trophy

About the St. Andrews Links Trophy

St. Andrews Links Trophy: McNicoll wins in thriller

72-hole stroke play that draws one of the top amateur fields in Europe. Field plays two rounds, one at the Old Course and one additional (sometimes the Jubilee, sometimes the New), then the field is cut to the low 40 and ties. The final two rounds ar...