Irish teenagers Dermot McElroy and Jeff Skerries failed in their bid to carry off the British Boys Amateur title at Kilmarnock (Barassie) at the weekend — but both can feel proud of their efforts during the gruelling contest.
McElroy, the 17-year-old from Ballymena who has another year in the tournament put up a tremendous fight in the quarter-finals before going down on the home green to Aaron Leitmannstetter from Germany.
It was a truly nip and tuck affair with never much separating the players. McElroy needed a birdie on the last to take the match into extra time but failed.
Hopkins from Skerries having got past French boy Stanislas Gautier 2&1 in the quarter-finals came up against German Max Rottluff for a place in the final.
This was a very close affair with Hopkins going down 2&1 when he lost the 17th.
Yesterday's 36-hole final was between Rottluff and Spaniard Adrian Otaegui who counted among his victims during the week Jamie Richardson of Royal Portrush.
In the end Otaegui triumphed by 4&3 to follow in the footsteps of famous Irish players Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia who both won the British Boys on their way to Ryder Cup glory.
Belfast Telegraph