Whitson makes Spanish Amateur final
Reeve Whitson in action at La Manga on Saturday. Picture courtesy https://twitter.com/gmacespanyaMourne’s Reeve Whitson put on a sensational show to cruise into the final of the Spanish Amateur Open Championship at La Manga.
The 21-year old international panelist beat England’s Jamie Rutherford 3 and 1 in the quarter-finals before crushing world No 32 Adrien Saddier of France 5 and 4 in the semi-finals.
Reeve WhitsonWhitson will battle England’s Neil Raymond, who beat Jordan Smith (4/2) and Edouard Amacher (2/1), for the King’s Cup in Sunday’s 36-hole final.
According to @gmacespanya Whitson was in fine form in the semi-finals despite losing the opening hole to a par after a bunkered approach.
Both players just missed the green at the par three second but a two-putt from Whitson was good enough to square the match and he was soon one up when Saddier failed to get up and down from sand at the third.
After halves in par at the fourth and fifth, the par-five sixth was halved in birdies before Saddier birdied the seventh from long range to square the match.
Whitson birdied the eighth to go one up again and never trailed after that as he closed out an emphatic victory.
An eagle three at the ninth saw him turn for home with a two up lead which he then extended to three holes by draining “an outrageous downhill curler” at the 11th.
A par three at the dangerous 12th was enough to put the Newcastle man four up before Saddier three-putted the par-five 13th for a bogey six to go five down with five to play.
Reeve Whitson escapes from the trees to close out a 5 and 4 semi-final win over Adrien Saddier at La Manga. Picture credit: @gmacespanyaThe match ended at the next where Whitson pulled his tee shot into the trees on the left but had just enough room (see photo above) to squeeze it under the base of the tree and make the greenside bunker.
With Saddier safely on the green in two, Whitson splashed out to 12 feet and rolled in the putt for a comfortable 5 and 4 victory.