Uphall and West Lothian golfers play on despite bad weater

Sep 10 2009 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

SOGGINESS and high winds continue to be the main problem for local golfers though a surprising amount of competitive play has gone on.

A couple of opens have been completed with a big turnout at both Uphall and West Lothian. And it has been winding up time for county events for local boys.

Bathgate were holders of both the Linlithgowshire league and the Century Cup which is run along the lines of the men’s Courier Trophy and they had to relinquish both to a determined bunch of youngsters from Uphall.

In the league Uphall had their last fixture at Bathgate and it was quite clear what had to be done. A draw would give them the title but if Bathgate won they would retain it. And Uphall came up with the goods getting the vital point required.

It was Bathgate again as opposition in the climax of the Century Cup. The venue here was West Lothian and the Uphall boys represented by Ryan O’Connor and John Bayliss in the first game were two behind Lewis Gaughan and Greg Miller playing the last. But the Bathgate ball cleared the green from the tee, out of bounds. It was heard from the back, though, that Uphall in the shape of Jordan West and Kieran Cooney had gone four ahead of Connor Gray and Scott McCandless so it was all over with the official margin given as 3/1.

Well done to the Uphall boys already mentioned as well as David Samuel, Josh Renwick and Jordyn Rhind who represented the club, too, in the league.

Still with Uphall and it was a former boy champion at the club but now a Binny member, Gary Elder, who won the Open at the weekend. His 77-12=65 was tied with the home club’s Ken Clarke(9) but the Uphall player lost out on the countback.

Former Lothians and Uphall Champion Colin Swanston, took the second net return in the first-class with a net 66 off his one mark. This 67 was the best scratch of the day but the handicap prize value was higher so Colin took the net award leaving the scratch to Pumpherston’s Paul Drake for his 70.

Second-class net top prize went to A Kerr of Hollandbush.

And, strange to relate, there was another hole-in-one in the competition with Pumpherston’s Steven Dand holing out at the 16th for the eighth ace in competitive play this season.

Earlier in the week Mark Irvine had won the Boyle Trophy for leading the Midweek Spoon Final with a return of 71-4=67, two better than the quartet comprising Andy Grant (10), Alan Ferrie(5), Alex Young(19) and Graham Dunlop (12) in joint-second place.

A matchplay event has been decided at the club as well with Club Steward and former Captain Dougie Tait winning the Norman Gilchrist Memorial in a good match with Ian Fairlie. Tait led by four after 12 but surrendered the next three before pulling it together and closing the match out at the 17th.

The big Open at West Lothian on Sunday had a wonderful winning score, a scratch 64 for a net 62 from Tulliallan’s Phil Demsey. Phil was back in a stunning 29 which included five birdies in six holes from the 12th.

Local member Brian Ross took second only a shot behind the winner off his 15 mark with another West Lothian member in third. Revie Thomson’s 68-3=65 was just not good enough on a day of extremely good scoring despite the course playing long.

The previous day it had been Allan Watson who had won the club’s September Medal with his 80-15=65 by three shots from the trio of Scott Sommerville (8), K Bell (11) and K Laahs (17) in joint second.

And it had been John Bell in top spot in the previous Wednesday’s Bowl with an 80-14=66, one better than runner up Martin Stein (14) and three ahead of Paul Donnelly (12).

Meanwhile Pumpherston’s ninth Midweek Sweep on the same day was won by the 75-8=67 returned by S Graham, a shot ahead of five players in joint second. Paul Drake was best scratch with a 66 but his +2 handicap meant that he only ended up as one of the runners up on 68.

Last Wednesday was a good day for former Club Champion, veteran Stewart Close at Greenburn. His 73-6=67 brought him out of a three-

man tie on the countback to win the club’s midweek Medal. Those who lost out were Willie Francis (6) and James Smillie (9).

The club had the Glencorse Memorial Trophy on Sunday and top man here was Graham McLeod who amassed 40 stableford points to edge out both Eamonn Gallagher and Tom Leitch by two.

And to complete a busy Wednesday it was Derek McLean at Bathgate with 78-14=64 who won that club’s midweek event by three shots from Mitchell Brown (13).

Finally Linlithgowshire Secretary Bill Thomas says the Second Class County Spring Handicap, lost earlier in the season and another victim of the weather on the replay date last month, will no longer be played.