Roisin Scanlon wins SGF Goswick Classic for second year running

Boys’ event decided in play-off as Callum Hook pips Fergus Brown at Northumberland venue

Woburn's Roisin Scanlon is presented with the trophy by the Northumberland club's general manager Keith Martin after winning the Stephen Gallacher Foundation Goswick Links Classic for the second year in a row. Picture: SGF

Roisin Scanlon overcame the toughest conditions she’s encountered on a golf course to record back-to-back wins in the Stephen Gallacher Foundation Goswick Classic.

As heavy rain forced the season-opener at the Northumberland venue to be cut to 54 holes, the 16-year-old Woburn player retained her title by producing another solid performance.

Having opened with rounds of 76 and 69 to hold a two-shot lead heading into the final circuit, Scanlon signed off with a 74 to finish with a three-over-par total.

Pyle & Kenfig's Callum Hook shows off the Stephen Gallacher Foundation Boys' Goswick Classic trophy after his play-off win. Picture: SGF

In the last round, she birdied the par-5 fourth at The Open regional qualifying venue before dropping four shots in three holes at the start of the back nine but then steadied the ship with a birdie-2 at the 15th.

The effort saw Scanlon win by three shots from Wearside’s Millie Hixon, who closed with a best-of-the-day 72 that included three birdies in the last five holes.

“It feels really good to win this event for a second year in a row and to do it again feels even better, especially as the conditions were really tough,” admitted Scanlon.

“The first round was played in very bad conditions and then it was quite nice to us for the second round, but I’ve never played in conditions as bad as we had for the third round. Even though the golf course held up really well in the weather, we were absolutely freezing out there today.

“This is the start of my season and last year my win in this event set me up for the year and I’m hoping it will do the same thing again this year.”

Scanlon is off to Texas for her next event, meaning she’s not teeing up in next week’s Scottish Girls’ Open at Powfoot, but is hoping to be back north again later in the year.

“I think these events are really important,” she said. “In England, we have a lot of tournaments but these Stephen Gallacher Foundation events have a more open field so it attracts golfers from lots of different places and we also get to play on the best courses and Goswick, for instance, is unbelievable.

“I’ll see if I can play in some more of them this season, but I have a really packed season, so I am not sure at the moment.”

Dunfermline’s Evie McCallum shared third spot on 13 over with Longhirst Hall’s Charlotte Naughton, with Royal Troon’s Freya Russell ending up two shots further back.

It took a play-off to decide the boys’ event, with Pyle & Kenfig’s Callum Hook being rewarded for making the long trip from South Wales as he beat overnight leader Fergus Brown (Buchanan Castle) at the first extra hole.

The pair had tied on 11-over-par, with a double bogey getting the job done for Hook as the conditions proved “extremely testing” at that stage of the day.

“Only a little bit wet,” said the 17-year-old from Cardiff, laughing, of the trophy picture appearing to show he was soaked to his skin, “and it was worth it. I couldn’t feel my hands and could hardly hold on to a club in the play-off, so I was just hitting and hoping for the best.”

Hook had opened with an 80 before hauling himself back into contention with a second-round 71 that included three birdies to finish. “This is definitely one of my best wins so far. My game started to get a bit better over the winter and I was hopeful that I was going to play well this week,” he said.

On making the long journey, Hook said: “It was mainly due to the field and getting to play against some good players. I didn’t know what the course was going to be like but, when we got here and I played a practice round, I discovered that it was really nice so that was great.”