Golf veteran on a winning streak

Aug 6 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

LINLITHGOWSHIRE Senior Champion Alan O’Neill continues to defy both age and statistics and keeps winning things into his sixth decade.

The West Lothian club captain must be one of very few players who have led their club and managed it at the same time – while retaining a scratch handicap.

Alan is just back from holidaying at his beloved Machrihanish (where West Lothian lad Kenny Campbell is still the professional at the local club) during which time he picked up prize money at an open as well as at Carradale and at Dunaverty.

On his return to Bo’ness he went straight into the first two rounds of what has always been known to members as the Goudie tournament.

The scratch event is over 72 holes to decide who takes home the Windsor Bowl, while the competition for the Josephine Turnbull Trophy for the handicap prizes was of a similar size, with both being played over two weekends.

Captain O’Neill maintained his Argyll form to record a super six under-the-card 65 last Saturday and though he was nine shots more on the Sunday he still leads by four shots from John Aitken – someone else having a good season. Ex-champion Paul Dick is in third place on 144.

In the Turnbull it is 12-handicap Ken Bell out in front with a 138 aggregate, three ahead of a man who has also done his stint as captain of the club, Trevor Stapleton (17).

Final placings will be decided on Sunday evening.

The previous week at West Lothian the lads had been out in the Tom Miller Trophy, the second year of its playing since the passing of the man whose name it bears.

Great story in that one of Tom’s twin sons, Graeme Miller (16), won this stableford event with 41 points. Losing out on a countback was Stevie Bryant (13).

There was no glory last week in the Scottish Amateur for Linlithgowshire runners, though Scott McClory of Bathgate won three games, surviving to the fourth round on the Thursday morning.

He had taken out Derek Ramsay of Elgin comfortably in round one early on the Tuesday morning before having a marathon day on Wednesday.

But he still had not the need to play the last three holes: Douglas Hunter of Dalmahoy was Scott’s next target and he went out by a 4/3 margin. Plus-3 handicapper Aaron Sweeney of Carnoustie then fell to the burly Bathgate member, by 5/4. Impressive stuff and all with the minimum of hassle.

It was not to continue and McClory was duly despatched by the youthful but extremely experienced Fife County player James White of Lundin.

The Bathgate man could not cope with the Fifer’s super short games skills and the final margin was 5/4. A good run-though for the big man.

When I wrote last week Stuart Boyle of Harburn had won a game and he went on to take out Daniel Young of Craigiehill by 4/3 in round two before falling on the penultimate green to Richard Graham who himself lost in the next round to Greg Paterson of the New Club at St Andrews.

Paterson had also put paid to the hopes of another of ours in round two — Kingsnowe/Shotts player and former Linlithgowshire Champion Allyn Dick had chased the Fifer to extra holes, but was eliminated at the 19th.

Of the other two, Deer Park Champion Andy Rothney was a first round loser to Ian Redford, another Fifer from St Andrews, while the same fate was suffered by former Bathgate Champion Simon Lockhart.

Lockart had led most of the way against former Amateur Champion Craig Watson of East Renfrewshire.

The pair were square after 18, but the Bathgate man found a bunker at the first extra hole and could not up and down it for the half to prolong the match.

Meanwhile, over at Uphall, it was another club stalwart, Jim Wishart, who took the Bates Trophy with 41 stableford points from runner-up John Gibson on a countback. Stephen Cooney was third a point behind the leaders.

Linlithgow had some stunning returns in its August Medal on Saturday with Robert McIntosh the pick of them.

His winning 78-15=63 was two better than a four-man pile-up comprising Ryan Green, James Shade, Stan Scott and Ian Kerr, in joint second.

And at Bathgate Stewart Veitch continued his good recent form by blowing most of the opposition away in Sunday’s August Tankard with a super return of 76-14=62.

I said most because one other member almost stayed with him — Kevin Gibson (10) only a shot away in second place. The nearest after that was a distant four behind.

The day before at the club there had been a 4-4 draw in the Council v Past Captains match.

The Council’s sharing of the spoils came courtesy of the net two gained by Jamie Turner at the last in the final match.