West Lothian golf round-up

Sep 9 2010 West Lothian Courier

THE victors in the Second and Third Classes of the Linlithgowshire Championship had an easy time of it at the weekend compared to Stuart Boyle of Harburn.

As reported last week, Boyle had a hard time holding off clubmate Michael Burnett to win the top title last week at Uphall.

However, local member Ray Wilson had the luxury of recording bogies at the last two holes in the Second Class event and still run out winner by no fewer than four strokes.

And at Niddry Castle, where the higher handicappers had gathered, it was even more convincing for Greenburn member Phil Flannigan.

Despite a double-bogey six at the last, he broke 80 and left the rest of the field, at nearest, six shots adrift.

Prizewinners (Second Class) Uphall: R Wilson (Uphall) 73, D Reid (Uphall) 77, J McDermott (Uphall) 77, D Kerr (Harburn) 77, A Nelson (Harburn) 78, V Philbin (Pumpherston) 78, J Adams (Bridgend) 78.

Prizewinners (Third Class) Niddry Castle: P Flannigan (Greenburn) 79, P Campbelton (Uphall) 85, S McCormick (Harburn) 87, C Macdonald (Deer Park) 87, A McNiven (Greenburn) 88, S Hardie (Deer Park) 89, P Towers (Niddry Castle) 89.

The team event at Uphall was won by a formation from the host club comprising A Grant, J McDermott, D Reid and J Wishart.

At Niddry Castle it was a Greenburn side who did the team business: P Flannigan, N McNiven and G Smith.

In the First Class event the team honours had gone to the Harburn side of S Boyle, M Burnett, C Deerness and J Gilmour.

The Linlithgowshire Association has a flurry of events in the next month to round off the season.

The Seniors were due out at Bathgate in their Fourball event on Thursday (yesterday), while Bathgate was the venue again for tomorrow’s First-Class Autumn Handicaps. The Second Class brigade were due out at Shotts.

And to round it all off Deer Park is the venue — on a Saturday this year — for the County Captains’ event on October 2.

Sunday’s winds caused a bit of havoc at Bathgate where the CSS was up a shot on SSS and the lads were out in force.

Despite the elements doing their worst, the scoring was good amongst the leaders at least.

Top man in the end was Greg Millar who had his birdie at the 16th to thank in a steady finish to his 72-5=67, which allowed him to see off nearest rival Alan Sommerville (4) by a single-shot margin.

The previous Wednesday in the club’s Medal it was Andrew Baxter with a super 69-5=64 who won by four shots from young Callum Nisbet (5) and club champion Simon Lockhart (scr).

There were 150 souls out at Uphall on Saturday for the club’s Handicap Open who were beaten to the title by Dalmahoy’s S McGeough who carded 72-10=62.

In the section up to 11 handicap it was local player Graeme Stevenson at the head with his 69-4=65, while in the 12-to-22 category it was another Uphall man, I Wilson, in the lead with 77-11=65.

Best scratch was by Marty O’Hara of Bathgate who had started with a four and then six consecutive threes.

His 66 to finish had a blot right at the end though - an ugly double bogey six at the 18th.

The club’s Seniors’ Medal went to Peter Macmillan for his 72-6=66 though only on a countback from both John Robertson (22) and Dougie Paterson (18).

And the Midweek Spoon Final has been decided, with Neil Logan taking the honours for his 73-9=64, a shot ahead of runner-up Craig Beveridge (5).

Meanwhile, at Winchburgh it was Martin Brown who took Niddry Castle’s 36-holer for the Presidents’ Trophy. He amassed 69 stableford points to pip Steven Rafferty by a point while Andy Anderson carded 67 for third place.

Then at Pumpherston it was Michael Herries who birdied the last to win a three-way tie for the club’s most recent Midweek Medal.

The 14 handicapper was on 64 net with Ian Anderson (20) and Stan Cook (5) though the latter is still probably kicking himself for closing with a bogey six.

Ian Whitelaw was top man at Greenburn with a return of 78-12=66 to pip four rivals by a shot for the weekend’s JJ Campbell Trophy.

Second spot went to Tom Stewart (8) – despite his dropping two shots at the last. The others in a pile-up at the 67 mark were James Johnston (2), Frank Brennan (18) and John Kean (15).

There was another tie, this time at Harburn, for the club’s most recent Scott Medal qualifier. The winner, after a countback, was AT Carlyon (13) with Andy Nelson (7) being the man to lose out.

Andy had been going along nicely till he dropped three shots over the 16th and 17th, leaving his birdie at the last irrelevant in the final scrutiny.

At Linlithgow there was some drama too with a tie on 62 net for their Captains’ Prize.

Fourteen-handicapper Roy Webb had a stunning 2,4 finish to lift top spot – though it was an equally stunning finish, in a negative sense, that knocked out the other man on 62, Colin Blair. Sixteen-man Colin closed with a triple-bogey seven.