Latest news 2023
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St Andrews, Scotland – The 73rd Boyd Quaich Memorial Golf Tournament commenced today at the world-renowned Links of St Andrews, surpassing earlier weather forecasts and setting the stage for an exhilarating day of golf. A formidable international field of student golfers from 15 countries, representing 45 esteemed institutions worldwide, gathered at this prestigious event, ensuring a highly competitive tournament from the very start.
Despite the challenging weather conditions characterised by the typical Scottish dreich, which added an extra layer of difficulty to the game, the players showcased exceptional skill and resilience, delivering truly impressive scores on both the New Course and the Old Course.
Taking the lead was defending champion Eoin Murphy from Maynooth University in Ireland, who picked up where he left off last year. With remarkable precision, Murphy fired in an astonishing 8 birdies, concluding his round with an exceptional score of 7-under par 65 on the Old Course. Close on his heels, Will Draper, a University of St Andrews scholar and specialist of the Links, continued to demonstrate his competitive prowess with another outstanding sub-par performance, finishing with a score of -3. Joining them at 3-under par 69 were Ben Willis from Edge Golf College and Robert Cannon from the University of Limerick, both delivering commendable performances. The fact that 16 players managed to achieve par or better speaks volumes about the remarkable talent showcased on the course.
With the field closely bunched, anticipation grows as the top 30 players secure their spots for tomorrow’s cut. As the leaderboard remains dynamic and the competition intensifies, the Boyd Quaich Memorial Golf Tournament promises an enthralling second day of play.
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The second round of the prestigious Boyd Quaich Memorial Golf Tournament showcased a thrilling display of skill and determination from a highly talented group of international universities. In contrast to the previous day’s round, the conditions were drier, offering the players a favourable chance to score well on both the New Course and Old Course.
During the tournament, curiosity arose among fellow players regarding the secret recepie of the Maynooth University players, as Ryan Griffin replicated his teammate Eoin Murphy’s outstanding performance from the first round by delivering an exceptional 6-under par round of 65 on the New Course. This impressive score propelled him to take the early clubhouse lead, finishing the round at six under par.On the course, George Cannon mounted a remarkable comeback by firing five birdies on the back nine, achieving a commendable score of 67 and positioning himself as a strong contender. Ronan McCrory later matched Cannon’s score with an equally impressive 67.
The favourable conditions paved the way for other participants to achieve remarkable scores as well. Ben Willis continued his impressive form from the first round, carding a solid 68 (-3), propelling him into a tie for the lead. Cameron Harlock also demonstrated his prowess by matching Willis’s score of 68, trailing just one stroke behind the leaders.
Currently, the tournament lead is shared by Ben Willis from Edge Golf College, Ryan Griffin representing Maynooth University, and the defending champion Eoin Murphy, also from Maynooth University, all finishing at six under par. In close pursuit are George Cannon from the University of Stirling and Cameron Harlock from Boston College, both at five under par.
With the added excitement of two more rounds of golf to be played on the New and Old Course, the competition in the middle of the pack intensified. The burning question among the players was the cut line, with discussions centered around whether it would be set at plus four or plus five. Ultimately, the cut was established at plus five, determined by a countback over the combined last six holes.As the tournament progresses into the afternoon, players eagerly anticipate teeing off on the New Course for the third round, presenting them with a fresh opportunity to move up the leaderboard With the wet conditions to return this afternoon its all to play for this afternoon.
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Round three, traditionally known as “moving day” in a golf tournament, lived up to its reputation as an exciting and eventful afternoon. George Cannon from the University of Stirling and Judd Sundelson from the University of Nottingham displayed exceptional skill, making numerous birdies and placing themselves in contention for the championship as they head into the final round.
University of St Andrews scholars Tom Parker and Will Draper made an early surge during the front nine holes, both scoring under par. However, Will encountered a setback with a couple of bogeys, resulting in him finishing the round at an even score and reaching -4 for the entire tournament. On the other hand, Tom concluded with an impressive 68 (-3), trailing the leader by only three strokes and sitting at 6 under par.
Eoin Sullivan from Trinity College Dublin delivered an exceptional performance, carding a bogey-free round of 64, which matched the best score achieved throughout the week. His outstanding play placed him just two shots behind the leader, setting the stage for an exciting final round.
Cameron Harlock from Boston College maintained his strong performance with a solid 67 (-4), finishing at the top of the leaderboard. Ryan Griffin from Maynooth University also remained in contention with another sub-par round, trailing by two shots after his earlier remarkable score of 65.
Last year’s champion, Eoin Murphy from Maynooth University, demonstrated his resilience by completing the round at 2 under par, staying in the hunt for another title.
Ben Willis made a remarkable comeback after a hesitant start, recording five birdies on the back nine. His impressive performance gave him a one-shot lead heading into the final round, with a total score of -10, showcasing his determination and fighting spirit.
Alex Mair from the University of Cambridge displayed notable improvement following a slow start in the first round. Mair achieved a strong score of 68 (-3) in round three, climbing up the leaderboard and gaining some extra rest as he advanced.
The final round promises an exhilarating climax over the historic old course, with seven players within four shots of the lead. The question remains: Will Ben Willis (-10) maintain his lead under pressure? Can Eoin Murphy defend his title and replicate last year’s remarkable victory? Or will one of the talented contenders seize the opportunity to make their move? Only time will reveal the answers, but one thing is certain: We are in for a thrilling day of golf.
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The final round of the 2023 Boyd Quaich Memorial Golf Tournament came to a thrilling conclusion as Ben Willis from Edge Golf College emerged a worthy champion on the Old Course. A sunny and relatively calm morning set the scene for a thrilling finale to this week’s event as competitors from around the world navigated the historic links. The players enjoyed the best weather conditions of the tournament’s four rounds and took advantage, producing a field scoring average of 71.95 for the day, just under the par of 72.
Champion Ben Willis showcased exceptional skill and consistency throughout the week, ultimately securing his victory with a 6-under par 66 in the final round. He managed to record scores for all four rounds of the tournament in the 60s, an impressive feat on the famous links of St Andrews. He even managed to do so while continually improving on his previous rounds, finishing with scores of 69-68-67-66 for a total of 270, 16-under par.
Ryan Griffin of Maynooth University also managed an outstanding 66 in the final round. Unfortunately it was not enough to overcome Willis’s lead, and the recent Palmer Cup player finished 2 back to settle for a runner-up finish and a total score of 272 (-14) for the week.
Eoin Sullivan, who impressed with a bogey-free 64 around the New Course yesterday afternoon, finished third overall. The Trinity College Dublin student shot 69 (-3) today to conclude the tournament with a score of 11-under par after four solid rounds of golf.
Despite starting the round two shots behind and within striking distance, last year’s winner Eoin Murphy failed to catch the leaders. He shot a final round of 72 (E) to finish the tournament at 8-under par, securing a very solid sixth place but ending his hopes for a title defence.
Three players shot rounds of 68 today– Tom Parker, Judd Sundelson and Charles Petrie. Sundelson, a student at the University of Nottingham, staged possibly the best comeback of the week after starting the round with a bogey followed by a triple-bogey. He managed to quickly turn things around, playing his final 16 holes in a bogey-free 8-under to finish 4 under par for the day. Tom Parker of the University of St Andrews took a different route to his 68, shooting a steady 2-under on each nine. Petrie, who represents Dartmouth College, got off to a hot start with a bogey-free 3-under par on the front nine and was able to hold on to shoot an impressive 68 and move into the top-15. His round also featured an eagle on both hole 5 and hole 12, which further punctuated Petrie’s remarkable final day.
The performances seen both today and throughout the tournament have been a testament to the talented field, many of whom have travelled across continents to play in this event. The final round today on the Old Course was a thrilling display of golf and an excellent way to finish the 2023 Boyd Quaich Memorial Golf Tournament. It has been an exciting and inspiring week at the Home of Golf, and Ben Willis has managed to etch his name into Boyd Quaich history after a hard fought battle on the links.
