West Lothian remain pointless after loss at league leaders

Jan 27 2011 West Lothian Courier

A RESUMPTION of the Fife and Lothians Winter League on Sunday did not bring a change in fortune for West Lothian.

Pointless after three games before the weather set in they remain so after a narrow reverse against league leaders Mid at Prestonfield.

It was a curious match with several big victories as well as three games where the spoils were shared.

In the top one international Allyn Dick, more often associated with Shotts in these parts but this time out for the enemy, halved with Steven Armstrong but had to rescue the final hole to do so.

Mark Timmins at number two caught Duddingston’s David Miller in top form and was quickly blown away although Gary Corrigan fought back from two behind with only three to go for a halved game to revive our hopes.

The Bathgate duo Simon Lockhart and Louis Gaughan were far too strong for the opposition and recorded 7/5 and 4/3 successes respectively. But then their clubmate, Ryan Boyle, went down to restore parity.

Young Andrew Loch of Pumpherston was in fabulous nick and destroyed Duncan Johnston out in the country to give us the lead again.

Things were not looking good further down, though, with Davy Ewen obviously on the way out in the last match and Tom Caldwell, although mounting a fight-back, always looking like coming up short.

Paul Heggie, then, was our only hope at number eight and the best he could do was scrape a half against Scott Finlay to leave Mid winners by 5.5 to 4.5.

So everybody is left with a winning chance except poor old West Lothian who have had a miserable time of it.

They are hoping for better fortune in their next encounter which will be against Fife at Silverknowes on February 6.

The East Alliance was in Edinburgh at the Braids last week in Greensomes mode and there was considerable success for competitors from West Lothian.

Winners of the Richardson and Brownlee Salver for top handicap was the pairing of Houstoun Driving Range pro Andy Marshall and his amateur partner from Cawder Stuart Mason.

The lads had 66- 1.6 = 64.4 to pip another competitor from our neck of the woods, Roy Murray from West Lothian and his pro partner from East Kilbride, Graham Fox. They were on 65.6.

Top scratch was the 66 of local member Mike Robson and Dougie Watt from Baberton on 66.

Second placed was another Braids player — but with West Lothian ties at Deer Park — Justin White, partnered by Leven’s Brian Soutar. They were a shot behind

There was a share of third too for two of West Lothian’s Winter League squad, Allyn Dick of Kingsknowe and Shotts and Davy Ewen of Carrickvale. They were on the 68 mark.

Weather prospects were looking good for the boys this week, too, when they were due at the Glen in North Berwick.

Stephen Gallacher made a decent fist of it last week when he had his first European Tour outing of the 2011 campaign.

His six under total of 282 in Abu Dhabi was good enough for a joint 31st place and just over 15000 euros in the hip.

This, already, pushes him well into the top hundred in the standings despite many of his contemporaries having played four events.

A much better start than 2010, then, for Stephen, when he missed the first three cuts.

Last year went on to be just about his best effort though minus the win he recorded in 2004. That second biggie is long overdue and his many supporters are baying for it.