Exeter’s Sam Haynes-Coote shot a six-under round on the final day at the Malone Golf Club in Belfast to win the second event on this season’s R&A Student Tour Series.
Haynes-Coote began the third and last round two-over par and went on to shoot a bogey at the first hole, putting him further back. But from there, the fourth-year MEng student bounced back, recording seven birdies, including two in the final three holes, to post a round of 64, the lowest of any of the male competitor in the event. The finish gave him a total score of -4, three shots clear of Halmstad University’s Joel Eliasson in second place. The pair were the only players to finish under par.
A total of eight shots separated Sam from the lowest scoring of any of the other competitors from British Universities. Four players from the University of Stirling, one from St Andrews, and two from the Lancashire all finished on +4. One of the latter, Lancashire’s Martin Lucas, had entered the final round in the lead but slipped down the leaderboard after shooting a three-over 73.
Haynes-Coote headed up a six-strong team from Exeter, which also saw Tommy Evans and Freddy Dortmans place well with finishes tied for 13th and 23rd respectively. The finishes build on Exeter’s good placings in the tour’s opening event in Halmstad back in September, where both Dortmans and Haynes-Coote finished tied for 20th.
Now in its sixth season, the R&A Student Tour Series aims to provide competitive opportunities to male and female student golfers outside the USA and Mexico. Like the professional golf tours, golfers are ranked over the course of the tour by an order of merit based on points won in each event. At the end of the four tour events, the next of which sees the student golfers travel to the Troia Golf Club in Portugal in February, the top 30 players are invited to the final event at the iconic Old Course at St Andrews.
Haynes-Coote’s victory at Malone moves him up to fourth in the season standings, putting him in good stead to qualify for the final event at the home of golf.
