Allyn Dick impresses on Scotland national team golf debut

Aug 19 2010 West Lothian Courier

ALLYN Dick has had to wait a long time to represent Scotland but when his well deserved national call came around last week the Armadale man grasped the honour with pride.

At the Home Internationals at Ashburnham the Kingsknowe and Shotts member had a 100 per cent record in his foursomes partnered by James Byrne.

In the first match against hosts Wales, Scotland were on the wrong end of an 8-7 result and it was the Dick singles match which made the difference in the end.

Allyn could only watch as his opponent holed from over ten yards at the eighteenth to gain an unlikely share of the spoils.

The next day, although the Scots fought like tigers.

It was the same cliff hanging result against favourites England and in the singles this time Allyn went down to his only defeat of the event.

It obviously heartened our lads coming so close against the Auld Enemy and their guns blazed as they steamrollered the Irish on the last day. A

Allyn, after his morning success with Byrne, was too much for his man and won by a 3/2 margin in his head to head.

England, of course, completed the clean sweep by seeing off the hosts in their third encounter but Scotland were able to take second spot courtesy of their 11-4 massacre of Ireland.

On this display there will surely be more caps for Dick in the future.

One young local man who has been showing that there might be honours at international level for him further down the road, too, is Bathgate’s Louis Gaughan.

He’s had loads of good scores this year and he was just pipped in his club’s Midweek Medal last week. His 66 scratch put him behind winner Scott McCandless(9) only after the arithmetic was done on the cards and Scott was found to have the superior inward figures.

And at the weekend, still at Bathgate, it was Bobby Henney’s steadier finish which gave him the Bernard Gallacher Trophy.

He amassed 42 stableford points to beat Harry Cartmill and Willie Henderson by a single point. Cartmill bogeyed the last two, while Henderson dropped a shot at the last while the winner recorded two steady finishing pars.

The Past Captains’ Stableford meanwhile went to Eric Mackay with David Dunsmore runner up. The winner had 39 points, three better than his nearest rival.

Binny members have once again been busy competitively in the last week.

Robert Stone with 36 stableford points took the Seniors’ Bill Wilson Trophy with the Midweek Medal, played the next day, going to Ronnie Lamond for his 90-26=64.

Then over the weekend it was Craig Ballantyne (16) with a 135 net aggregate who won the Gordon Bruce Trophy, five strokes better than runner up Daryl Philp (20).

And on Sunday it was Meg Laidler (21) who came out of a tie with the better back nine to pip Lyn Scott (28) for the Medal.

Meanwhile old hand Gary Sneddon recorded a 73-8=65 to win the latest Kirk Rosebowl qualifier at Harburn. Ewan Rennie (7), Jim Gilmour (1) and Alan Prior (12) were joint runners up on 67 net.

Some hot scoring at Linlithgow at the weekend where Craig Hastie won their August medal off his eight mark with a net 61 but still only a shot ahead of second placed Robert Watson (16).

At Uphall the Gordon Law Lytham Trophy has been won by Stephen Henry (15) with net rounds of 60 and 66 for a 126 total.

His opening round had left him three ahead of his nearest rival Graeme Stevenson and although Graeme faded away second time out his brother Andy came through with a net 65 for a 131 total off his three handicap, to take second from Kenny Rees (13) on a superior second round.

The club’s Midweek Sweep had gone to long hitting Stewart Macbride for his grand 66-4=62, a shot ahead of Kenny Rees (now down to 12) and two better than third placed Neil Logan (10).

And there was a reduction in numbers in the club’s popular Silloth event this year though still enough of an entry to fill both days last weekend.

Winners overall were John Hunter and B Cantwell with a stunning 59 net. The best score outwith the winners on Saturday was that of Stuart Gemmell and Davy Smith while the Sunday best was recorded by Bill Mackintosh and A Lawrie.

Best scratch on the Saturday was by Stuart Macbride and Ross Burnside while Robert Frame Jnr and Paul Drake were best scratch on the Sunday.

Along the road at Winchburgh Niddry Castle members were out for their Category 1 and 2 events and the former went to John Sullivan for his return of 77-10=67. Best scratch here was the 68 of Club Champion Hugh Fraser.

Best among the higher handicappers was Andy Anderson with 80-14=66 while John Forbes was best scratch on 85, though only on a countback from Dougie Burke and John Wilson.

The club’s Summer Rosebowl has gone to Greg Stevenson for his 83-19=64, two ahead of runner up Steve Cherry (5). Again it was Hugh Fraser with best scratch, this time a 72.