Cambridgeshire’s Dominic Clemons blew away the field at the Scottish Men’s Open Championship as the 21-year-old carded a mesmerising -24 across four rounds at Muirfield.
Rounds of 68, 65, 65 and 62 saw Clemons (pictured above) finish an enormous 17 shots ahead of his nearest competitor, becoming the 11th Englishman to win the event.
The Gog Magog golfer went from a one-shot lead after 36 holes to shoot 15-under-par for his two Sunday rounds to send Muirfield club historians digging out the record books, and said: “When it’s your day, it’s your day. I was just trying to keep my head down and make pars and birdies but it felt good walking off the 18th and realising it was at Muirfield, made it special.”
Having won the Scottish Boys’ U14 Open eight years earlier, Clemons revealed: “My record around this part of Scotland is weird. I’ve loved links golf since I was a kid. It was probably a two or three-club wind on Sunday and I was just playing a shot at a time. With the wind, you’ve got to hit different shots, low, high, left-to-right, right-to-left, and that’s probably my strength as I can move it both ways. I love shaping it – exhibition shots almost – and playing them in competition, I just felt comfortable.
“I’ve always liked putting on links greens too and it just seemed to be dropping for me. I didn’t hole too many long ones till Sunday afternoon and then it went my way with a chip-in and holing a few long ones.”
With dad Mike on the bag, Dominic, who was part of England Golf’s Regional Squads and represented England U16s and Hertfordshire Boys, admitted: “He didn’t say too much, he just pushed the trolley and left me to it on the greens and it worked well. Afterwards, we just went back to our apartment, had a few drinks and got a kebab, it was fun!”
Clemons will take on the St Andrews Links Trophy this week before The R&A Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin in Ireland.
The Gog Magog golfer went from a one-shot lead after 36 holes to shoot 15-under-par for his two Sunday rounds to send Muirfield club historians digging out the record books, and said: “When it’s your day, it’s your day. I was just trying to keep my head down and make pars and birdies but it felt good walking off the 18th and realising it was at Muirfield, made it special.”
Having won the Scottish Boys’ U14 Open eight years earlier, Clemons revealed: “My record around this part of Scotland is weird. I’ve loved links golf since I was a kid. It was probably a two or three-club wind on Sunday and I was just playing a shot at a time. With the wind, you’ve got to hit different shots, low, high, left-to-right, right-to-left, and that’s probably my strength as I can move it both ways. I love shaping it – exhibition shots almost – and playing them in competition, I just felt comfortable.
“I’ve always liked putting on links greens too and it just seemed to be dropping for me. I didn’t hole too many long ones till Sunday afternoon and then it went my way with a chip-in and holing a few long ones.”
With dad Mike on the bag, Dominic, who was part of England Golf’s Regional Squads and represented England U16s and Hertfordshire Boys, admitted: “He didn’t say too much, he just pushed the trolley and left me to it on the greens and it worked well. Afterwards, we just went back to our apartment, had a few drinks and got a kebab, it was fun!”
Clemons will take on the St Andrews Links Trophy this week before The R&A Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin in Ireland.
ENDS
Contact details:
Tom Vale, Press & Media Manager
Tel: 07912 240850
Email: tom.vale@englandgolf.org
www.englandgolf.org
Contact details:
Tom Vale, Press & Media Manager
Tel: 07912 240850
Email: tom.vale@englandgolf.org
www.englandgolf.org