Nicky Produces The Goods

Sep 4 2008 The Journal

Nicky Maddison produced a week of stunning golf to win the Merchants' Cup and the title of 2008 St Andrews Boys Open Champion. This was the climax to his season on this side of the Atlantic before flying off to America to begin a golf scholarship at Hutchinson College in Wichita, Kansas.

Having qualified from the stroke play round with +2, Nicky defeated Ben Taylor in the first round 2 up, Ian Watson in the second 1 up and in the quarter finals, easily beat Dylan Mallon 7 & 5. He then came up against Scottish International Jamie Binning who was equally outplayed and dispatched 7 & 6. On paper, his opponent in the final Ian Redford, a member at St Andrews and another Scottish International, appeared to be favourite. But on the day Nicky again produced the goods and a 4 & 2 victory gave him the title.

Since May, Nicky has also won the Northumberland Under-18 Stroke Play Championships, the Northumberland Junior Match Play Championships and at senior level, the Fenwick Smith Trophy. He puts his run of good form down to his PGA coaches John Harrison and the McKenna brothers Steve and John. He said: "It has been the county coaching with the Northumberland Development Squad at Matfen Hall. It has really helped with my distance control and has resulted in being able to shoot some much better scores."

Throughout the six rounds at St Andrews, Nicky missed only eight greens and his ability to keep the ball on a lower trajectory was a huge bonus in the windy and wet conditions. He added: "I much prefer links golf and being from Northumberland, I have played quite a bit on the courses up north. I think it just suits my game with me hitting the ball a bit lower and I find it easier than other people."

Eighteen-year-old Nicky first started playing golf at the age of 12, initially at Parklands before moving to the City of Newcastle. His father Brian is also a member at the City and plays off a respectable 10 handicap. Mum Maureen is not a golfer but both are delighted with Nicky's performances this year and are hoping for bigger and better results in the future.

Nicky's name will now be inscribed on the trophy alongside the likes of Paul Lawrie, the 1999 Open Champion the last Briton to lift the claret jug, and this year's Silver Medal winner at Royal Birkdale, Chris Wood from Bristol.

Another performance of note at St Andrews came from Arcot Hall's Andrew Gibson. His 65 in the qualifying round was the lowest gross score and won the gold medal and trophy for the best scratch score.

Although Andrew failed to progress beyond the first matches in the knockout stages, his performance in the qualifying round had to be admired. Andrew's dad Steve, the Junior Liaison Officer at Arcot Hall said: "He played superb golf; he had seven birdies and only two bogeys in eighteen holes. Most of the birdies were from seven or eight feet apart from the tenth, where he sank a monster 35 foot putt - that was probably the highlight of the round."

Andrew, a pupil at Cramlington High School, will soon be receiving his A Level results and he is yet another one of the North East's up and coming teenagers who will be soon looking for a golf scholarship and a future career in the sport.