Young Hartlepool golfer Cameron Wallace wins Association of Colleges Championship at St Andrews

Cameron beat off over 40 other hopefuls from all over Britain to land the Association of Colleges Championship on the links of St Andrews.

The 18-year-old not only carded the lowest winning score in the history of the championship but did it just in the nick of time due to the age limitations of the tournament restricting the entrants to 18 years and under.

Cameron said: “I could have played even better, but at the end of the day I won.

“I don’t go into a competition to come second.

“I can’t play again due to my age, but this has been a very good ending to my college golf era.”

Cameron had played in the competition two years ago, disappointed to finish runner up, then missed last year’s championship due to the pressure of studies.

With little tournament experience under his belt this year, Cameron started a regimen of constant practice after only achieving a top 15 finish in the Cleveland Salver three weeks ago.

On day one of the two day championship, Cameron was drawn to play mid-morning over the long and narrow Kittocks course, in strong winds with very tight landing areas ahead of him.

Cameron said: “I didn’t hold back on the power and play for position off the tee, not at all.

“For all I’m used to playing in the wind, it did get tricky at times and I had to deal with changing wind directions.

“I didn’t hold back though. I was hitting it ‘mint’ off the tee, I only missed two fairways over the whole two days.”

Cameron had a steady start with four straight pars, then eagled the fifth with a 340 yard drive, a running shot to the green and then holed the putt from six feet.

Two birdies on nine and ten and a steady run home left him on 69, two under for the round and a three stroke lead going into the final day.

The second day’s round was played over the Fairmont course, once again in strong winds with narrow fairways.

Cameron said: “I wasn’t playing that well really. But on the ninth I thought I’d holed it for a hole-in-one when the ball hit the flag.”

Finishing the round with composure, hitting fairways and greens with ease, a couple of birdies on 16 and 18 left Cameron with another two under par round.

His final closing score of four under par gave him his record-breaking two stroke victory.

The next outing for the reigning AoC Champion will be the qualifiers for the Brabazon Trophy in Blackpool, then on to the Durham County Championship.