Heavy rain fails to dampen golfers’ spirits

Aug 27 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

THE recent heavy rain has made local courses long and soggy but it has not stopped some really spectacular scoring.

Bob Kerr and Greg Beveridge at Uphall needed net 59 to win the club's latest two events; Stuart Bell had a 62 at Linlithgow which only came second. And Paul Drake had a 65 scratch at Pumpherston.

Uphall once more catches the eye in local returns. Five handicap Bob Kerr, playing in last week's Midweek Sweep, opened his round with a birdie and then eagled the second before racing to the turn in 29.

He maintained his nerve on the inward nine to record a super scratch 64 for a net 59 and a five-shot win over next-placed Jim Gardner (19) with Willie Grant (18) a shot further back in third place.

Then on Saturday 11-handicap Greg Beveridge was going along very nicely in the Gordon Law Lytham Trophy when he aced the 15th – the seventh hole-in-one of the season in competitions.

He too kept his head to finish on 70 scratch and it was another winning 59. Next placed were veteran Jim Craig (12) and Barrie Storrar (13), both on 63 net.

Saturday's Gena MacKinnon Trophy at Linlithgow was won by Simon Clegg with a grand 76-14=62 which meant that Stuart Bell (9) on the same mark, lost out on a countback. Calum Grant (4), Ian Scott (9) and Charles Ramsay (12) were in joint-third on 64 net.

Earlier in the week Scott Barr's 81-18=63 had won the August Spoon by a shot from David Russell (4) with Peter Hunter (14) in third on 65.

Paul Drake's 65 scratch at Pumpherston still did not put him in the prize list in the club's 8th Midweek Sweep. Stuart Brown was top man with 77-14=63 with Stan Cook (6) a shot more in runners-up spot.

Bathgate had some contrasting weather for members to face in the Edinburgh Cup played over both days at the weekend.

Saturday's leader was nine-handicap Craig Kempik with a 68 but he needed 10 shots more on the very blowy Sunday.

Stepping into top spot was 11-handicap Stuart McLeod with a very fine 76-11=65 to follow his first-day net 70. This on a day when CSS was up two on SSS at 73.

Stuart's 135-aggregate beat scratch man Scott McClory into second by no fewer than six shots and he in turn was four ahead of third-placed Dougie Drysdale.

There's been a competitive buzz down at Bo'ness where West Lothian members have had three events to occupy their time in only five days.

Winner of last Wednesday's Bowl was Rab Patterson with 72-5=67, two ahead of runner up Stuart Gray (4).

And it was the lower handicap performers again on Saturday in the Riverview Trophy who did best with Patterson, this time, although improving his Wednesday score, having to settle for joint-second on net 66 along with John Chambers (11).

Winner was former club champion Derek Matthews with a fine 69-5=64.

The following day was the replayed Fair Trophy lost to the elements earlier in the season and this time there was a tie at the top between Steven McKay (10) and Richard Sneddon (5), on the 68 mark. When the arithmetic was done it was Steven who got the nod for his superior back nine.

Up at West Calder, Harburn members have had two qualifiers in the last week.

In the Labinjoh it was Jim Murphy's 78-11=67 which pipped Mark Cushley (10) on a countback with club champ Michael Burnett in third place on 68 off his one handicap.

Then in the Kirk Rosebowl it was G Thomson at the head of matters with 75-9=66, a stroke better than both N Rennie (16) and A McGregor (10) in joint second.

Down at Queensferry their Midweek Stableford was won by Gordon Mackenzie with 43 points from club back marker Allan Hogg on 41. Kyle Milne took third on 38 points.

Nice to see big Allan back to something like the force in the game he was 10 or 15 years ago. It takes some doing to get under scratch into your sixth decade.

Just along the road at Niddry Castle there was a midweek Pairs Strokeplay and the winning couple were John Forbes and Tom Hanson on 60 net, though only on a countback from John Pryde and Charlie Cowan.

Pryde is certainly in some sort of good form because he is also into the final of the club's Scott Trophy having beaten Bill Watson in his semi.

There he will be faced with the task of giving 22-handicap Neil Sammels a bundle of strokes. Neil was too strong for John Forbes in his penultimate encounter.

Then at the weekend members were out in force for the 36-hole President's Trophy. Stuart Lennon amassed an impressive 83 stableford points to win with a particularly good 44 total on a very windy Sunday.

Martin Riggs was second on 78 with Sandy Mackay third a point further back.

Away at the other side of the county it was the Greenburn Open for the Cummins Trophy on Saturday and it was locals all the way in the prize list.

Winner was Michael Carrigan with 81-13=68, a shot ahead of John Mallon and David Auld , 12 handicappers both.

The previous Wednesday in the medal it had been Willie Francis at the top with a 71-7=64, three ahead of joint runners up Blair Todd (4) and John Rennie Jnr (5).