Stirling cleans up at the Scottish Student Golf Championships

University of Stirling golfers are celebrating after triumphing across all events at the 96th Scottish Student Championships.

A top performance from Laird Shepherd saw him win back-to-back Scottish Student titles in the men’s singles competition; Hazel MacGarvie claimed top spot in the women’s strokeplay event; and Penelope Brown scooped the women’s matchplay title.

Hazel MacGarvie won the individual women's event.

The Stirling men’s first team lifted the Charles McNeill Cup – their eighth consecutive Scottish Students matchplay title – while both the men and women’s teams won their strokeplay events too.

Dean Robertson, High Performance Golf Course at the University of Stirling, said: “We are very pleased that the hard work of our athletes has been rewarded with a fantastic result at the Scottish Student Championships. All of our golfers can be incredibly proud of their performance at the competition, especially Laird, Hazel and Penelope who excelled in the individual events.

“The wins will stand our athletes in good stead for the rest of the season.”

The Championships took place on the Old and New Courses at Moray Golf Club, in Lossiemouth, between March 25 and 30.

Laird Shepherd won the individual men's event.

Shepherd defended his 2017 men’s singles title by seeing off stiff competition from Stirling teammate Rob Foley and St Andrews’ Alexander Wilson in difficult conditions.

Shepherd, a third year Sports Studies student, said: “It is a great championship and a real highlight of my season to come up to Moray. The courses here are superb and the whole club contributes to a fabulous event. It was tough out there today but I’m delighted to have closed out the win.”

Shepherd also contributed to a Stirling victory in the team strokeplay competition, with an eight-round total of 422, ahead of St Andrews III (427), and St Andrews I (428).

Meanwhile, in the final of the men’s team matchplay event, Stirling easily overcame St Andrews, winning 11.5 to 0.5.

In the women’s strokeplay singles, MacGarvie fought back after double bogeys at the second and fourth holes to finish ahead of St Andrews’ Lieve Van Veggel and three-time champion Gemma Batty, also of Stirling.

The win meant even more to the first year Sports Business Management student as it was her inaugural visit to the Championships.

She said: “It feels great to win this tournament, especially first time round. I got off to a bad start today but didn’t feel too nervous and I was really happy to be able to bring it back.

“I really enjoy playing student golf. It gets me out of the classroom and I really enjoy getting to play with new people.”

The Stirling I women’s team won the strokeplay event with a six-round total of 289, eight shots ahead of St Andrews, with Stirling II a further four shots back.

Second-year Sports Studies scholar Penny Brown beat fellow Stirling golfers MacGarvie and Emily Laws to win the individual matchplay competition.

Reflecting on her performance, Brown said: “It’s been a very special day and I am really thrilled to have won the event. It can be strange playing against teammates but I felt really comfortable out there and didn’t realise I’d made so many birdies.”