Dane Heverin – Golf Australia
Australian Amateur champion Connor McKinney’s golden year has continued with a massive victory in the prestigious St Andrews Links Trophy.
The Scottish-born West Australian produced a superb seven-under final round of 65 on St Andrews’ Old Course to finish 17-under across the 72 holes and two shots clear of fellow Perth resident Adam Brady.
“To win the Australian Amateur was my previous highlight, but to win at the Home of Golf is pretty special, you can’t ask for more than that,” McKinney said. “I was born just an hour from here as well.”
McKinney commenced the final round three shots back from Brady, but he quickly started making up ground with a birdie at the second hole and he proved to be unstoppable from then on.
He made birdies at the fifth, seventh and eighth to shoot 32 for the front nine before a stunning run of birdies at the tenth, 12th, 13th and 14th all but sealed victory.
His only blemish came with a bogey at the 17th, however he had breathing space by that point.
“I struggled in this third round in the morning, but I finished with a birdie there and that gave me some real momentum for the final round,” McKinney said.
“Back in Perth nearly every afternoon we get a good bit of wind, and my home course (Joondalup) is pretty exposed to it, so even though it was tricky I was used to it.
“It’s pretty cool to play the course as it’s getting ready for the 150th Open. You’re picking the lines off the tee off the TV Towers, and walking up 18 there was a pretty special thing.”
McKinney is part of a Golf Australia development squad touring the United Kingdom to play in big amateur events, and he became the first Australian to win this event at the Home of Golf since Stuart Bouvier in 1990.
