Delight as Darren smashes his own Peebles course record

The 20-year-old amateur player recently blitzed the course record at Peebles Golf Club with a scorching 59.

Ironically, Darren also held the previous record of 61. And, after that had been equalled a few weeks earlier, it was fully his intention to go out and try to beat it again.

A scorecard bearing 59 has become something of a ‘holy grail’ at Peebles, said sibling Craig, and Darren accomplished his quest with nine birdies and an eagle during the sensational round.

Playing off plus four, he was contesting the Wednesday competition, the Holiday Tankard, when he hit peak form.

A round like that was very satisfying, he said – and they don’t come round too often.

Darren told the online magazine bunkered.co.uk that a few players had recently got close to his four-year-old record of 61 and, if it was going to be beaten again, he wanted to be the one to do it.

After a birdie at the 10th hole, he realised the possibility of a 59 was on.

“I holed a putt on the 9th to go six-under and I was thinking there that is was definitely doable from there, because I had shot 30 on the back nine the week before in a competition,” he said.

“I birdied 10 and, by that point, I was like, ‘this is on’.

“After that, with my partners, we were talking about what I needed to do to achieve a score in the 50s.”

Knowing Craig had delivered a great performance in Austria was a great stimulus as well, as the brothers are very supportive towards each other, on and off the course.

“Seeing Craig doing well was good to motivate me,” Darren told the Southern Reporter.

“It was great to see him play well.”

Darren is keen to follow Craig into the professional ranks but knows time is on his side and hopes to gain more experience and better results on the amateur scene, as the sport continues the long process of recovering from the pandemic disruption.

Steve Johnston, head professional at the club, said of Darren: “The lad is a class act, on and off the course.

“He burst his own previous course record of 61 by two shots and the amazing thing is, he never birdied the easier holes.”