Fearless Scots dominate World Amateur
BY Anthony Powter | Amateur Golf Tour | 2008 World Amateur Team Championships | Round Two | 18 Oct 2008
The Scottish Eisenhower team captain, George Crawford, made it quite clear that they are afraid of no-one competing in this World Amateur, following his team’s move in yesterday’s second round to be 17-under-par and equal leaders with the USA .
“We’ve a very strong team and fear no one,” said Crawford, himself a former Scottish international player.
George Crawford Audio Interview
One of Scotland’s gun players Wallace Booth had just brought Royal Adelaide golf course, the longest Eisenhower Trophy course ever, to its knees with a six-under-par 67.
It was a faultless display by Booth in a round that included seven birdies, his only blemish a bogey on the par 5, 464 metre 16th, which is considered a birdie opportunity hole by the field in Adelaide.
“I got it going out there and played some great shots into the greens which enabled me to be a little more aggressive with my putter,” said Booth, 22, a graduate of Augusta State University in the US.
Booth, currently 19th in the world amateur ranking, is a powerhouse player and made the selection to the European Team Championship where he finished as the top individual performer in the stroke-play format.
In 2008 he secured the Scottish Stroke Play championship, his second national title having won the Scottish Youths back in 2004.
The Scotsman is also bringing some form to this World Amateur Championship. Only six weeks ago Booth added to his ever expanding resume by winning the prestigious Newlands Trophy at Lanark and last month progressed through Stage One of the European Q-School.
Like a number of players this week in Adelaide, the professional ranks appear an inevitable progression.
“The Scottish team we have is highly competitive,” said Booth after his round at Royal Adelaide.
“I not surprised at all as to where we are in this championship, but there’s still two more rounds to go, so let’s not get too carried away yet.”
The remaining two playing members of the Scottish team are equally talented as Booth.
Callum Macaulay, who combined with Booth at Royal Adelaide yesterday with his 3-under-par 70 to elevate his team up the leaderboard, is the current Scottish Golfer of the Year, the Scottish Golf Union Order of Merit title holder and the 2008 Scottish Amateur Champion. In 2007 he made the semi-finals of the British Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
Macaulay and Booth enjoyed a 100% unbeaten record back in June at the St Andrews Trophy with the two playing an instrumental role in their team’s victory over the European side.
The third member is 24-year-old Gavin Dear.
Dear has bagged a number of consistent performances both in Scotland and on the international front. Those included runner up finishes in the Craigmillar Park Open and Tennant Cup and a very creditable sixth place at the European Amateur Championships last month.
In 2002 Scotland broke away its links with the Great Britain & Ireland team in the World Amateur Team Championships. The Scots’ best performance since then is 6th in 2006.
Whilst their record is yet to be on the same scale as the USA with 13 wins from the 24 World Amateur Team Championships, the Scots play with a passion that is unrivalled by any team here in Adelaide and more to the point they fear no-one.
