Whitson’s white hot

Whitson’s white hot

6 March 2013

A HOMECOMING party was held in Newcastle last night for Northern Ireland’s latest golf champion.

Reeve Whitson was the toast of Mourne Golf Club when he won the Spanish Amateur Championship in La Manga at the weekend.

The 23-year-old claimed the biggest win of his career to date by beating English amateur champion Neil Raymond in the final.

The champagne corks were popping last night when a victorious Whitson brought the trophy to the Newcastle club.

“I felt comfortable in both the stroke play and knock-out stages and managed to hold my nerve in the difficult semi-final and final,” the new champion said.

Former winners of the prestigious championship include José María Olazábal, Darren Clarke and Sergio García.

There was double celebration for Whitson when he helped Ireland win the team event.

His heroics could land him with a spot in the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team to take on America in New York in September.

Whitson’s name hasn’t been bandied about too much in conversations about the Walker Cup, but this Spanish win will have caused the selectors to sit up and take extra notice.

Mourne Golf Club secretary Pat Keown was full of praise for Whitson, who, he said, was an inspiration to all young golfers in the area.

“He is a level-headed lad and someone who takes everything in his stride. He has been a member of Mourne Golf Club since he was 10 and we always had the belief that he had the potential to go and become a big name in the sport.

“His victory is a great boost to everyone at the club and is fantastic news for golf in Ireland.

“Reeve has now been catapulted into the top 100 amateur golfers in the world and the icing on the cake would now be a place in the Walker Cup team.

“He is great friends with Rory McIlroy, who comes down to play in Newcastle quite regularly and he is more than capable of joining the world number one on an even bigger stage.”