Staff WriterThe tartan charge is on at SCHLOSS Roxburghe, where Daniel Young lit up the Scottish Challenge with a third-round 64 that could toast your eyebrows.
With nine birdies and just two blemishes, the 33-year-old Scot now holds a four-shot lead going into Sunday, sitting at 18-under for the week—four clear of France’s Julien Quesne, who matched Young’s 64 like a karaoke singer keeping up with Sinatra.
Young, who only just shook the sand out of his shoes after competing at The 153rd Open, looked every bit the man in form as he birdied four of his opening five holes.
Then came a stumble—bogeys at six and eight—but the lad composed himself like a true professional. A back-nine blitz of birdies at 11, 12, and two more before the clubhouse had him winking at the leaderboard like it owed him money.
“It’s been a good day,” said Young, rather modestly. “The putter was really hot and that was probably the key to making as many birdies as I did and that’s why I end the day out in front.”
Well, when the flatstick’s on fire, there’s no need for fireworks.
The Scottish Challenge, supported by The R&A, has seen Young piecing together a season that smells like victory stew. He’s already taken third at the BlotPlay9 and finished runner-up at Le Vaudreuil.
Now, with the home crowd behind him and Roxburghe’s forgiving fairways in front, he’s eying the winner’s circle with the look of a man who packed extra champagne.
“I could do with another nine birdies tomorrow, that would be nice,” he added with a grin. As if it were that easy.
Young’s gameplan heading into the final round? Stay calm, stay humble, and hit the ball like you mean it.
“I will just be keeping my head down tomorrow and try and repeat what I’ve been doing well over the first three days. There’s still a lot of golf left, and the scoring was pretty low today.
“It’s a course where someone could come from nowhere and shoot maybe seven, eight or nine under.”
Translation: don’t count your birdies before they hatch.
The support from the home fans, many of them waving saltire flags and perhaps sipping on something stronger than tea, hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“The home support helps so much and it’s nice to have family and friends here supporting me,” Young said. “Playing good golf helps and you feed off the applause, and the guys I played with were playing nicely so you are just trying to feed off each other at times.”
Behind Young and Quesne, there’s a logjam forming. Five players—Belgium’s James Meyer de Beco, Germany’s Marc Hammer, Scots David Law and Euan Walker, and Denmark’s Jonathan Gøth-Rasmussen—sit five back at 13-under. Italy’s Filippo Celli is just behind them at -12, waiting to pounce if the leaders flinch.
With the final round of the Scottish Challenge teeing off bright and early at 7:15 am, all eyes will be on the 11:40 am group where Young, Quesne, and De Beco will dance the final round waltz.
And if today’s fireworks are anything to go by, we might need earplugs—and a playoff hole or two.
So buckle up, Scotland. Your man’s out in front—and the chase is on.
