Scots golfer matches Lee Westwood’s Kingsbarns record

A Scottish amateur golfer has matched an 18-year-old record held by Lee Westwood at the esteemed Kingsbarns Golf Links.

Stewart Watt, a member at Old Course Ranfurly Golf Club, was enjoying a round with friends at Kingsbarns, courtesy of bunkered Golf Breaks, when he achieved a sensational feat he will remember forever.

At the par-five ninth hole, Watt found himself in the centre of the fairway for his second shot, with 235 yards left to the pin. He unleashed a pure strike with his fairway rescue and immediately knew it was good.

“My two friends were a wee bit further up the fairway and were telling me that it’s really good and on line,” Watt told bunkered.co.uk.

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“Obviously, we got up there and there was no ball to be seen. The back of the green fell away and I thought it had trickled over there but there was no ball. Then, we checked, and there it was sitting in the hole.

“You can take the pins out now, so it wasn’t sitting up or anything. We were all absolutely buzzing.”

Previously, the only other player to come away with an albatross at Kingsbarns’ ninth hole was 25-time European Tour winner Lee Westwood back in 2003.

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“They had a plaque for Westwood’s albatross in the clubhouse, so I was saying that I should get one too,” joked Watt.

Watt, who plays off a handicap of plus three, admitted that, although an albatross is a unique feat in golf, it wasn’t his first.  

“I’ve actually had a hole in one on a par-4 before at short hole at Old Course Ranfurly,” he explained. “So, that’s actually an albatross as well so that’s my second of my golf career. It was a wee bit surreal to be honest.”

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Kingsbarns honoured Watt’s feat by presenting him with a bouquet of gifts so that he could remember the day forever.

“They handed me a flag, a book on the history of Kingsbarns and a small bottle of their Kingsbarns whisky, so that was a really nice touch.”