No West Lothian joy at Scottish Amateur golf

Aug 5 2010 West Lothian Courier

AS predicted, the local challenge faltered early in the day in last week’s Allied Surveyors Scottish Amateur at Gullane.

Although Armadale-based Lothians Champion Allyn Dick got to the fifth round on Thursday afternoon, the rest – apart from former Bathgate Champion David Shields – were long gone by then.

All but these two and Bathgate Champion Simon Lockhart were out in the first round when I wrote last week and Bathgate’s Scott McClory, who had still to clear the first hurdle, joined them in one of the first-round matches held over till the Tuesday.

Wednesday’s second also round saw the demise of Lockhart. But Shields and Dick soldiered on, with the former, in his fifth decade, punching above his weight against much younger opposition.

Mark Bookless of Sandyhills was trailed up the 19th in Tuesday’s second round and Scottish Boy international Scott Gibson of Southerness fell to Shields on the last green in Wednesday’s third round.

Then the luck of the draw threw Dick and Shields together on Thursday morning.

Dick had taken care of Dunbar’s Daniel Kay and another youngster Simon Fairburn from Torwoodlee and it was to be a match too far for Shields as well.

Dick played well and it was hard for his older opponent, finished off by the 13th.

A good week though for the former Linlithgowshire champion and one he will have enjoyed despite the heavy defeat at the end.

And it was a short straw for the winner in the afternoon. Dick had the doubtful pleasure of being up against the top seed James Byrne – recent finalist in the Amateur at Muirfield and one of the world’s top unpaid golfers.

The Kingsknowe and Shotts member quickly fell four holes behind but in the determined fashion that has brought him a couple of Scottish Mid Amateur titles he fought back to parity before going out, agonisingly, on the last green.

It has been a great season for Allyn so far and he is set to win his first cap after he was named in the Scotland squad for next week’s Home Internationals at Ashinburnham, near Llanelli.

There was some consolation for the Armadale player at the weekend, back on Linlithgowshire soil for the Lothians Team Tournament at Linlithgow and West Lothian.

He was in the winning Carrickvale ensemble – yet another of his clubs.

Allyn’s 67 at Linlithgow helped team-mates Craig Elliot, Davy Ewen (the former Uphall stalwart) and Michael Kanev total 285, which won on a countback from Pumpherston, represented by Paul Drake, Mark Timmins, Jim Cleghorn and Ross Burnside.

Meanwhile, it’s nice to report that the seniors of Harburn have won the Linlithgowshire Seniors’ League.

Their task was a hard one at the end, having to travel to Fauldhouse to take on Greenburn, but well done to them after their younger club-mates had won the main league this season.

Maybe on another week the headlines would have been grabbed by young Ryan Boyle of Bathgate.

The teenager had a scratch 64 in the boys’ competition last Thursday for the Leyland Trophy and followed it up with a 66 in Sunday’s August Tankard to take care of the rest of the male membership of the club.

But as if this were not enough his club-mate Greg Miller, off five handicap, had recorded a scratch 63 in the same week in the John Slattery Quaich – though amazingly neither lad was able to win his event.

And another stormer of a story on precocity just along the road at Uphall that had just as sad an ending.

In the club’s last Wednesday Sweep 15-year-old Ryan O’Conner just failed with a five-yarder at the last, which would have equalled the course record of 61.

Still, his 62-5=57 should have been fine but for the competition being cancelled in the end because of poor weather later on.

In the past weekend at Uphall the Sweep went to Andy Grant for his 73-10=63 but there would have been another 63 net by Ron Comber (13) but for his signing for a four at the 12th when he had actually hit a three.

So the four stands – and instead of winning on a countback he had to settle for a tie in second on 64 with Chris Day (6) and Steven Ng (11).

In Sunday’s stableford for the Bates Trophy it was Gordon Newlands top of the heap for his 43 points, one ahead of runner-up Peter Stuart.

And there was an ace in the competition, funnily enough the first of this competitive season when last year there were seven or eight of them by this time.

It went to Davy McLeod who had his first, and it was at the seventh.

In Saturday’s Texas Scramble for the Millennium Trophy at Greenburn it was the Rennie family, Johns senior and junior, brother Stephen and outsider Benny Timmins who took top spot for their 53.3 return.

The following day the Colquhoun Trophy was won by John Mitchell with 72-6=66, one ahead of joint runners-up Jamie Pollard (17) and Mark Wilson (6).

Pumpherston’s July Medal has gone to T Laird with 71-7=64, no fewer than five better than runner up V Philbin (11) who in turn was a shot ahead of third placed P Donlon (9).

At Linlithgow it was Derek Green who won the President’s Trophy with his 77-15=62, although only on a countback from James McCallum (16).

And another 62 net did the business in Dundas Parks’ Summer Meeting. It was recorded by Ken Littlejohn (20) and left him four ahead of joint runners-up Peter Young (17) and Alan Davidson (11).

At Bo’ness it’s been the first weekend of the West Lothian club’s big “Goudie” tournament where scratch players compete for the Windsor Bowl and handicapppers are up for the Josephine Turnbull Trophy.

In the former, Irishman Michael Wilson had an outstanding weekend with 69 and 66 for 135 leaving him eight ahead of nearest rival Alan O’Neill and 10 better than third-placed Revie Thomson.

It could have been much better in Sunday’s 66 too as there was a course record in sight just three holes from home.

Michael took a bogey at the 16th, however, before burying his tee shot in the guarding bunker at the short last hole and running up a five.

Still, it’s his title to throw away or not when things are decided this weekend.

In the handicap event matters are much closer with Andrew Richardson ahead on 134 off his nine mark, by two from Kevin McGowan(10) and three from next placed Ainslie Hamilton (15).

At Niddry Castle Hugh Fraser, current Club Champion, has struck a firm blow for the lower handicap members by winning the McKenzie Medal off his two mark.

Hugh’s 140 total over the weekend left him in a tie with Don Reid (11) and Martin Riggs (16) but his best round gave him top place.

With Fraser winning the event best scratch went to Steve Cherry for his 153 total.