FROM STEPPING IN FOR HUGH GRANT TO QUALIFYING FOR THE 150TH OPEN? ONE OF ST ANDREWS' LEADING AMATEURS CAN MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE AT THE FAIRMONT ST ANDREWS THIS TUESDAY
THE 150TH OPEN, FINAL QUALIFYING PREVIEW, PART 2 BY MATT HOOPER
JOHN PATERSON TEES OFF THE 17TH HOLE ON THE JUBILEE COURSE DURING ROUND 2 OF THE 2022 ST ANDREWS LINKS TROPHY. PHOTO BY MATT HOOPER.
JOHN HAS ACHIEVED MUCH IN THE GAME AT THE AGE OF 22 INCLUDING WINNING THE SCOTTISH BOYS OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2017, THE CAMERON CORBETT VASE IN 2018 AND THE R&A LOCAL CLUBS' GOLD MEDAL IN 2019.
JOHN FIRST CAME TO THE ATTENTION OF MYSELF WHEN HE WAS A JUNIOR AND I WAS WORKING AT THE NEW GOLF CLUB, AND IN THE AUTUMN OF 2016 HE STEPPED IN FOR HUGH GRANT TO PLAY IN THE ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP ON A MEMORABLE SATURDAY ON THE OLD COURSE, GIVING HIM VITAL EXPERIENCE OF BEING PART OF SUCH A BIG EVENT AT THE TENDER AGE OF 16. JOHN WON THE 2016 ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS SCHOOLS CHALLENGE, PLAYED AT THE DUKE'S COURSE, HIS FIRST SIGNIFICANT WIN AND THE START OF HIS JOURNEY TO A PLACE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO.
John with the Alfred Dunhill Schools Challenge Trophy Photo copyright Gabrielle Levey
John during the 2016 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Photo copyright Gabrielle Levey
FOLLOWING SUCCESS AS A JUNIOR THE BREAKTHROUGH AS AN ADULT FOR JOHN CAME IN THE SHAPE OF THE R&A LOCAL CLUBS' GOLD MEDAL IN MAY 2019. PATERSON CLINCHED THE TITLE WITH A SECOND ROUND OF 67, WHICH LEFT HIM TIED WITHE BEN CATON. PATERSON POSTED A SCORE OF -7 AND CATON TIED HIM, BUT PATERSON CLAIMED VICTORY DUE TO HIS LOWER SECOND ROUND.
THIS VICTORY AFFORDED HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE IN THAT YEAR'S ST ANDREWS LINKS TROPHY IN AN INTERNATIONAL FIELD OF ELITE AMATEURS.
John with the R&A Local Clubs' Gold Medal Photo copyright Matt Hooper
John plays in the 2019 R&A Local Clubs' Gold Medal Photo copyright Matt Hooper
ROUNDS OF 70 AND 71 WERE UNFORTUNATELY NOT QUITE LOW ENOUGH TO SEE JOHN MAKE IT THROUGH TO THE FINAL TWO ROUNDS, BUT A TWO ROUND TOTAL OF 141 SHOWED HE COULD COMPETE WITH A FIELD OF THIS QUALITY. THE SUCCESS IN THE GOLD MEDAL AND THE APPEARANCE AT THE ST ANDREWS LINKS TROPHY CAME AT THE END OF JOHN'S FIRST SEASON AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, IN WHICH THE HIGHLIGHT WAS A 12TH PLACED FINISH AT THE SONORAN SHOWDOWN WITH ROUNDS OF 71, 74 AND 71.
HE WAS ONE OF FOUR FINALISTS FOR COLORADO UNIVERSITY FRESHMAN MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR (WON BY EVAN BATTEY OF MEN'S BASKETBALL), HE ENJOYED A FINE FRESHMAN SEASON, WITH HIS 74.06 STROKE AVERAGE FIFTH ON THE TEAM AND THE SEVENTH-BEST EVER AT COLORADO BY A FRESHMAN ... THAT ALSO RANKED AS THE NINTH-BEST AMONG ALL FRESHMEN ON THE PAC-12 (21-PLUS-ROUNDS).
John plays in the 2019 St Andrews Links Trophy Photo copyright Matt Hooper
John plays in the 2019 St Andrews Links Trophy Photo copyright Matt Hooper
WHILST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO JOHN HAS PLAYED IN 38 TOURNAMENTS WITH 13 TOP 30 FINISHES, AND THE HIGH LEVEL OF COMPETITION IN AMERICAN COLLEGE GOLF HAS UNDOUBTEDLY IMPROVED THE LEVEL OF HIS GAME AND COMPETITIVENESS IN THE BIGGEST EVENTS.
WITH JOHN'S COLLEGE CAREER COMING TO ITS END, THIS SUMMER COULD BE A GOLDEN FINAL FLOURISH IF HE MAKES DREAMS COME TRUE BY QUALIFYING FOR THE 150TH OPEN AT HIS HOME COURSE, THE OLD COURSE, ST ANDREWS.
John plays in the 2021 St Andrews Links Trophy Photo copyright Matt Hooper
PRIOR TO REGIONAL QUALIFYING FOR THE 150TH OPEN JOHN PLAYED IN THE SCOTTISH MEN'S OPEN, ST ANDREWS LINKS TROPHY AND AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. HE FINISHED IN AN IMPRESSIVE 7TH PLACE IN THE SCOTTISH MEN'S OPEN WITH ROUNDS OF 72, 71, 72 AND 72 TO FINISH 9 SHOTS BEHIND THE WINNER. IN THE ST ANDREWS LINKS TROPHY HE LOOKED POISED FOR A CHALLENGE BEFORE FINISHING 32ND WITH ROUNDS OF 74, 66, 76 AND 71. AFTER REACHING THE QUARTER-FINALS IN 2021, JOHN DISAPPOINTINGLY MISSED THE CUT AT THIS YEAR'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP WITH ROUNDS OF 83 AND 73.
BUT THEN CAME THE CONFIDENCE BUILDING AND IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE AT THE FORMIDABLE PANMURE GOLF CLUB, WITH A 67 TO FINISH IN A TIE FOR 3RD.
John plays in the 2022 St Andrews Links Trophy Photo copyright Matt Hooper
JOHN WILL PLAY ALONGSIDE 2020 GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN CHAMPION AARON RAI AND EUROPEAN TOUR REGULAR JOACHIM B HANSEN, TEEING OFF ROUND ONE AT 0700 OFF THE 10TH TEE, AND THE SECOND ROUND AT 1245 OFF THE FIRST TEE.
I'LL BE AT THE FAIRMONT ST ANDREWS ALL DAY TO COVER THE ACTION INCLUDING ALAN, JOHN PATERSON, CHARL SCHWARTZEL, ALEX NOREN AND AARON RAI AMONG THE 73-PLAYER FIELD. THERE WILL BE UPDATES ACROSS FACEBOOK AND TWITTER, WITH A REPORT AND PHOTOGRAPHY ON SHANKMEDIA.CO.UK/THE150THOPEN AND FACEBOOK ON TUESDAY EVENING
