Hat trick of titles for Bathgate

Jul 14 2011 West Lothian Courier

THE Linlithgowshire Boys’ Championships were played at Bathgate with the host club taking three of the four titles up for grabs — each of which had been in Uphall hands.

Among some of the illustrious names on the under-16 Boys’ trophy are two who have gone on to play in and captain Ryder Cup Teams – Eric Brown and Bernard Gallacher – while Stephen Gallacher is also a past winner of the trophy.

Since then have been added the Centenary Trophy for the under-13s and the Linlithgowshire Trophy for under-18 competitors.

In the fourth event clubs nominate four players and three of their scores in a stableford format count for the trophy.

After carding 75, the Walker Cup went to Scott McCandless, who is part of a family whose golfing success stretches back to the early years of the Bathgate club and who have made more than a few ripples in club history.

The first of these was John Dickson, a miner who used to play with the local mine-owning family, the Robertson-Durhams.

He was a great player, though not a long hitter, and he numbered among his tricks an ability to hit with a full drive any nominated sheep, which roamed the course freely in those days to keep the grass short. The toffs would bet on his attempts and John, no doubt, benefited financially if he was successful.

The line continued with the two Jimmys of the Mackay name — an uncle and nephew who both were good enough to win club championships and in the present generation there is Stuart Crookston, a club and county champion and part of the same family.

The Linlithgowshire Trophy went to another Bathgate member, young Greg Miller — despite Louis Gaughan, his clubmate, being a hot favourite.

Greg’s return was a more than creditable 71.

In the event for the youngest players Stuart of the Loch clan from Pumpherston took the title, with a return of 87.

Meanwhile, the team event was won by the Bathgate side comprising L Gaughan, D Black, G Miller and S McCandless.

Still on Linlithgowshire business, Harburn won the Seniors’ League with a 2.5 to 1.5 success at Binny last Thursday.

This leaves them too far ahead of the opposition to be caught so this week’s match at home to Greenburn will be a celebration for them.

GREENBURN has had a busy competitive few days. In their latest Wednesday Medal it was the long-hitting Tom Cunningham jnr who came out on top with a fine 69-5=64, including an eagle two at the ninth hole.

Then in the David Wilson Trophy for the club’s over-50s it was former Captain Adam Storrie who won with a return of 72-9=63.

The following day Stephen Buntin’s 76-10=66 was good enough to lift the Neilson Trophy.

On the same day at Bathgate it was George Duncan at the head of matters in the club’s July Tankard. Off his 20 mark his net 67 was two ahead of a group of six players in joint runners-up spot.

At Winchburgh the Niddry Castle club has had its Midweek Medal for the month and it was Gordon Trenzinger who blew away the rest of the field with his stunning 75-16=59, four ahead of runner-up Jack Norris (5) and six better than third-placed John Pryde (5).

The Pumpherston edition of the Midweek Medal was a good day out for the Bishop clan with Billy C Bishop taking top spot with 85-21=64 and Billy Bishop coming in third with 85-19=66.

The pair were separated by the best gross of the day by Jim Cleghorn. His 66 scratch gave him a net 64 but he lost out on the countback to the winner.

There was good scoring in the middle of the week too at Linlithgow where Norman Sillars won the Wednesday Spoon, by two shots with a fine 76-15=61, from both Stephen Marshall (10) and John F Creighton (12).

And something similar occurred at Uphall with a triple tie at the top on 64 net involving Paul O’Day (4), G Jones (8) and Jim Kinniburgh (5).

Paul’s two birdies in the last four separated him from his rivals in the countback and gave him the win.

Harburn’s Kirk Rosebowl Qualifier had some good stuff played as well. Top man was Ewan Montgomery with a return of 76-13=63 – a shot ahead of runner-up David Newlands (13).

At the weekend at West Lothian it was DJ Raeburn at the top of the tree on Saturday with a 74-11=63, four better than his nearest rival in the Carter Trophy

The next day there was a tie in the Griffiths Wood Memorial Trophy involving Douglas McFee (7) and J Slessor (11).

They were on the 67 net mark but Douglas’s superior inward half earned him the silverware.

A big week for Stephen Gallacher at Sandwich followed a run of some indifferent form. He has missed five of the last six cuts, including the weekend’s weather curtailed Scottish Open at Castle Stuart.

A little improvement on last year’s fine effort at St Andrews would do no harm to the Gallacher coffers.