Kelso golfer Jack McDonald shocked to end up at top of Scottish amateur order of merit

The 21-year-old, a player and also pro shop worker at Heiton’s Schloss Roxburghe golf course, was taken aback to find himself in pole position in the rankings after a recalculation of scores saw 100 points added to his total for winning September’s Border Golfers’ Association strokeplay championship at the Hirsel at Coldstream.

That took his tally up to 585 from five events, past runner-up James Morgan, of Longniddry in East Lothian, on 555 and third-placed Connor Graham, of Blairgowrie in Perth and Kinross, on 540.

“It feels really good to have topped the rankings,” said McDonald, of Galashiels.

“I thought I’d finished third but I got a phone call saying that because I’d won the Border championship, I’d got an extra 100 points and that leapfrogged me into the lead.

“That came as a bit of a surprise but a good one.

“I didn’t know there were any extra points for winning the regional championship. It doesn’t actually say so on the order of merit list – it just lists the Scottish events – so that was a bit of a bonus to start the new year with.

“I’d been in the top ten last year and the year before and I think I got in the top five once but to win it is obviously nice.”

McDonald won the regional championship that earned him the national order of merit accolade by beating Torwoodlee’s Colin Riddle in a three-hole play-off after ending up tied on scores of 146 from scratch from the preceding 36 holes.

He’s about to compete in South Africa as part of a six-strong team representing Scotland and said he was looking forward to a bit of sunshine ahead of flying out on today, January 16, as temperatures plummeted to -6C overnight in his home-town.

“It’ll be nice to get away from the cold for a few weeks as it’s their summer out there,” he said.

“It’s a nice way to see out the worst of the winter as our tour goes into February, and they’re really big international events with quite strong fields so it’ll be a good opportunity.”

The Borderer’s team-mates for the four events making up this year’s South African amateur championship campaign include Graham and his elder brother Gregor and Morgan, along with Sussex-based Gregor Tait and Matthew Wilson, of Forres in Moray.