Saints Golf retain national championship title

Fergus Knight
Friday 14 April 2023

The University of St Andrews Performance Golf Team were crowned champions in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) National Final last week (Thursday 13 April) for the second year in succession.

The team of Saints Golf performance scholars kept their nerve to swing an exhilarating and closely fought Match Play Team Golf Championship final in their favour despite stiff competition from the University of Stirling.

The Scottish rivals met in the 36-hole final following a St Andrews 8.5:3.5 semi-final win over Exeter University earlier in the championship (Wednesday 12 April), and a win for the University of Stirling over the University of Bath in the other side of the draw.

The final was played at Woodhall Spa National Golf Centre, home of England Golf, in Lincolnshire over four matches of morning foursomes followed by eight singles encounters in the afternoon.

The two teams were tied with 2 points each after the morning’s foursomes matches, with strong performances across the board. Lucy Jamieson and Adam Charlton as well as Tom Parker and Will Draper were successful in getting points on the board for St Andrews. The afternoon’s 8 singles matches produced significant drama, with five games requiring all 18 holes to determine a victor. Adam Charlton led the pack with a convincing 3&2 win over Stirling’s Will Coxon, and this was followed with success from scholars James Conn, Charlie Reynolds, and Lucy Jamieson. The match reached an exciting end with a closing par from captain Roddy McAuley on the 18th to finalise the win. In the end, St Andrews secured 6.5 points to Stirling’s 5.5 to retain the BUCS title and finish a successful season. 

Team Captain Roddy McAuley said: “Winning the BUCS national championship is a really special achievement, and something that we have worked so hard throughout the year to achieve. Being the first St Andrews team in recent history to win it two years in a row makes it all the sweeter. I am so proud of the full team for their hard work and dedication throughout the year, despite our hectic academic schedules. We will continue to work hard for the rest of the year and aim to come back bigger and stronger, with our eyes fully set on winning a third championship in a row.”

Saints Sport at the University of St Andrews aims to provide a comprehensive and world-class supported programme for its performance golfers through golf scholarships, which provide all the resources needed for players to take their games to the next level whilst studying at St Andrews. The scholarships are supported and funded through the 600 Club, a community of donors and supporters around the world, alongside Saints Sport, The R&A and the St Andrews Links Trust.

Saints Golf performance scholars represent the University in tournament golf around the world, competing domestically within the BUCS calendar and across Europe as part of the R&A Elite Student Tour. Additional competitive opportunities include invites to high-level tournaments in North and South America.

University of St Andrews Director of Golf, Ian Muir, said: “I am absolutely thrilled and proud of the team for their exceptional performance in building upon their previous success and winning the BUCS golf national title back to back. It’s a remarkable feat, and what makes it even more amazing is that this is the first time in our institution’s history that we have won the title two consecutive years. The team’s dedication, hard work, and teamwork have truly paid off, and they have set an inspiring example for future generations of golf scholars.”

Saints Golf Performance Scholars
Megan Ashley
Josie Baker
Elise Bishop
Adam Charlton
James Conn
William Draper
Lucy Jamieson
Roddy McAuley
Thomas Parker
Charlie Reynolds

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