Allyn Dick crowned Lothian Champ

May 13 2010 West Lothian Courier

ARMADALE man Allyn Dick has become Lothians Champion after a hard week of cold winds and sunshine at Edinburgh's Royal Burgess course.

Allyn, better known as a Shotts member was entered from his Edinburgh club Kingsknowe and becomes their first winner of this prestigious title since Scott Knowles as far back as 1980.

The 31-year-old, a relatively late developer, has had a fantastic run at the game since he first came to notice little more than half a dozen years ago and there has been a string of Shotts championships, a Lanarkshire title, a West of Scotland Strokeplay win, two Scottish Mid Amateur victories, several Linlithgowshire crowns as well as a not inconsiderable win in the Cameron Corbett Vase last season.

The Lothian’s is still a nice one to add to his CV though - and it was hard won.

His first round scalp was Bathgate's Simon Lockhart before he had to go an extra four holes in accounting for local hope John Yuille of the host club. Then it was a clash with another of the favourites, Pumpherston's Paul Drake and that too went three extra holes.

The semi final was yet again a desperately close one against holder of the title and a very tough nut to crack in Keith Nicholson of Haddington and it was won on the last green.

In Saturday's final it was Craig Elliot of Carrickvale, another of Allyn's clubs, so a friend and team mate on many an occasion.

Despite the course being at less than its best it was a good match and the West Lothian man was a couple under in seeing off the opposition on the penultimate green.

A great week then and this weekend Allyn will be part of the Lothians Six Man Team for the Area Team Championships at Kinross - Mark Timmins of Pumpherston is also in the side.

The rest of the West Lothian contingent in the match-play last week had mixed success. Young McMehen of Linlithgow went out at the first hurdle but his clubmate Calum Grant won at the fifth extra hole against Dundas' Ricky Moffat before falling to Paul Heggie of Silverknowes.

There was a major win for Deer Park's Alan Crawford, knocking out the leading qualifier Graham Robertson. But he too fell in round two, to McMehen's conqueror, David Miller of Duddingston, an eventual semi finalist.

Veteran Alan Hogg of Dundas went out in round two to Drake before the latter fell in that cliffhanger against Dick in the quarter final.

Pick of the week in the local returns was the 65 scratch compiled by Stuart McKechnie at Greenburn in the club's McFarlane Trophy which, off his two handicap, gave him a tie on 63 with Eddie Agnew (21) but a victory on the countback. Stuart's score was only a shot outside the course record. Third placed here was Colin Fraser (17) a shot behind the tie.

Over at Uphall their Midweek Sweep ended in a tie with Charlie Nisbet (9) getting the nod for top spot on his superior inward nine figures after a net 62, the same as Rab Frame (12).

Then on Sunday winners of the Famous Grouse Shotgun Foursomes was the pairing of Ron Comber and John McDermott with 75-12=63.

Runners up, on a countback again, was the formation of Craig Frame and Stuart Gemmell with 70-5.5=64.5, the same as their old muckers Charlie Bavidge and Stevie Gravestock who make up the regular Friday night four ball.

Bavidge and Gravestock even had the same handicap but lost out on that arithmetic.

Harburn was also in team mode at the weekend with three person sides out for the Bobby Smith Tri Am won eventually by husband and wife pairing of Anne and Bobby Stokes ably assisted by Hugh Campbell. They were on 54 net.

Last week I noted that William McEwan had led after the first round of West Lothian's Caddell Trophy and the good news is that he held on with a second net 69 off his nine handicap to win by two from Joe Armour (12).

Then in Sunday's Polmont Properties Trophy it was Robert Foster (16) who won with 44 stableford points from Stephen Egan (15) who had 43 in runners up spot.