STANDARD LIFE LEVEN GOLD MEDAL
GEORGE MURRAY WINS FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW
Anstruther-based George Murray today joined Ian Hutcheon as the only men to win back-to-back Standard Life Leven Gold Medal tournaments since the present four-round format was introduced in 1969.
Hutcheon actually did it twice - in 1976-77 and 1981-82 but George might not be around the amateur ranks long enough to do a repeat performance.
Murray won the title for second time with a level par aggregate of 284, compared with 275 last year.
"That just about sums up how difficult it was to score this weekend. I don't think I've ever played so well before to finish up with a level par total," said George.
"New bunkers have made a difference but the greens were also very, very hard, almost impossible to stop the ball on them .. even with a putter! Conditions like that are tough, very tough but it's all about controlling your golf ball."
It was yet another triumph for Murray in what is proving a marvellous season. This is the third 72-hole tournament he has won, following the Scottish champion of champions' event over the same Leven Links and the Sutherland Chalice. He got within a play-off of winning the Lytham Trophy ... and he has improved his handicap to +5, the lowest/highest in the country.
The Leven Links' watering system went down last Tuesday with the result that the greens were like strips of concrete.
The stimpmeter reading at one stage of the weekend was 15 - compared with the 12 or 13 reading usually prevalent at Augusta National for the Masters.
While several of the field complained among themselves about "ridiculous" pin placings, given the baked hard nature of the greens, Murray just got on with in and shot rounds of 72, 69, 76 and 67. He came from four shots behind halfway leader Gordon Yates (Hilton Park) to win in the end by three shots from US college player Callum Macaulay (Tulliallan) who scored 72, 69, 71 and 75.
Macaulay shared the third-round lead with Philip McLean, the 19-year-old Peterhead player who had his best ever SGU Order of Merit tournament finish.
"I've putted on a course at Kiawah Island which is reputed to have the fastest greens in the world," said Callum. "But there were nowhere near as fast as here at Leven. Some of the flags were positions where there was no grass on the greens at all. It was like putting on glass."
McLean had rounds of 72 73, 67 and 76 for four-over-par 288 and was the clubhouse leader for some time.
"I played well for the 67, putted very well in fact, but I couldn't get the ball so close to the flags in the last round," said Philip. "
FINAL TOTALS
Par 71, CSS 74 74 75 74
284 G Murray (Earlsferry Th) 72 69 76 67.
287 C Macaulay (Tulliallan) 72 69 71 75.
288 P McLean (Peterhead) 72 73 67 76.
289 B Soutar (Leven GS) 73 75 69 72, P O'Hara (Colville Park) 70 75 73 71, S Jamieson (Cathkin Breaes) 71 71 75 72, J Gallagher (Swanston) 71 70 74 74.
290 G Yates (Hilton Park) 64 73 76 77.
292 S McEwan (Barassie) 72 72 70 78.
293 J Mathers (Haggs Castle) 75 67 72 79, G Dear (Murrayshall) 75 66 74 78.
294 W Booth (Comrie) 69 79 72 74, E Saltman (Craigielaw) 72 75 74 73, I Colquhoun (Ranfurly Castle) 73 68 78 75.
296 C Swanston (Uphall) 73 76 76 71.
297 B Fotheringham (Forres) 72 74 73 78.
298 G Campbell (Blairgowrie) 72 79 76 71, G Paterson (St Andrews New) 78 70 75 75.
299 S Borrowman (Dollar) 76 72 79 72, R McKnight (Barassie) 70 76 81 72.
300 K McAlpine (Alyth) 79 74 71 76, S Graham (Blairgowrie) 70 73 78 79.
301 D Stewart (Grantown on Spey) 75 72 75 79.
304 K McNicoll (Carnoustie) 74 77 77 76, A Main (Thornton) 73 73 79 79..
305 A Love (Dunbar) 77 74 77 77, C Watson (East Renfrewshire) 77 74 78 76, S Henry (Cardross) 74 76 82 73, K Weir (St Andrews New) 76 74 77 78, A Anderson (Bruntsfield) 74 71 78 82.
306 D Simpson (Comrie) 77 76 78 75, S Michie (Thornton) 76 75 78 77.
307 N Steven (St Andrews) 75 75 79 78.
309 B McDermott (Leven GS) 77 76 80 76.
310 S Wilson (Forfar) 75 76 77 80, M Main (Thornton) 74 75 78 83.
No Return: S Robertson (Sandyhills) 79 71 75 -.
Retired: B Anderson (Cambuslang) 75 76 79 -, J King (Glasgow) 76 72 75 -.
No show: D Paton (Dunnikier Park) 77 76 - -.
Anstruther-based George Murray today joined Ian Hutcheon as the only men to win back-to-back Standard Life Leven Gold Medal tournaments since the present four-round format was introduced in 1969.
Hutcheon actually did it twice - in 1976-77 and 1981-82 but George might not be around the amateur ranks long enough to do a repeat performance.
Murray won the title for second time with a level par aggregate of 284, compared with 275 last year.
"That just about sums up how difficult it was to score this weekend. I don't think I've ever played so well before to finish up with a level par total," said George.
"New bunkers have made a difference but the greens were also very, very hard, almost impossible to stop the ball on them .. even with a putter! Conditions like that are tough, very tough but it's all about controlling your golf ball."
It was yet another triumph for Murray in what is proving a marvellous season. This is the third 72-hole tournament he has won, following the Scottish champion of champions' event over the same Leven Links and the Sutherland Chalice. He got within a play-off of winning the Lytham Trophy ... and he has improved his handicap to +5, the lowest/highest in the country.
The Leven Links' watering system went down last Tuesday with the result that the greens were like strips of concrete.
The stimpmeter reading at one stage of the weekend was 15 - compared with the 12 or 13 reading usually prevalent at Augusta National for the Masters.
While several of the field complained among themselves about "ridiculous" pin placings, given the baked hard nature of the greens, Murray just got on with in and shot rounds of 72, 69, 76 and 67. He came from four shots behind halfway leader Gordon Yates (Hilton Park) to win in the end by three shots from US college player Callum Macaulay (Tulliallan) who scored 72, 69, 71 and 75.
Macaulay shared the third-round lead with Philip McLean, the 19-year-old Peterhead player who had his best ever SGU Order of Merit tournament finish.
"I've putted on a course at Kiawah Island which is reputed to have the fastest greens in the world," said Callum. "But there were nowhere near as fast as here at Leven. Some of the flags were positions where there was no grass on the greens at all. It was like putting on glass."
McLean had rounds of 72 73, 67 and 76 for four-over-par 288 and was the clubhouse leader for some time.
"I played well for the 67, putted very well in fact, but I couldn't get the ball so close to the flags in the last round," said Philip. "
FINAL TOTALS
Par 71, CSS 74 74 75 74
284 G Murray (Earlsferry Th) 72 69 76 67.
287 C Macaulay (Tulliallan) 72 69 71 75.
288 P McLean (Peterhead) 72 73 67 76.
289 B Soutar (Leven GS) 73 75 69 72, P O'Hara (Colville Park) 70 75 73 71, S Jamieson (Cathkin Breaes) 71 71 75 72, J Gallagher (Swanston) 71 70 74 74.
290 G Yates (Hilton Park) 64 73 76 77.
292 S McEwan (Barassie) 72 72 70 78.
293 J Mathers (Haggs Castle) 75 67 72 79, G Dear (Murrayshall) 75 66 74 78.
294 W Booth (Comrie) 69 79 72 74, E Saltman (Craigielaw) 72 75 74 73, I Colquhoun (Ranfurly Castle) 73 68 78 75.
296 C Swanston (Uphall) 73 76 76 71.
297 B Fotheringham (Forres) 72 74 73 78.
298 G Campbell (Blairgowrie) 72 79 76 71, G Paterson (St Andrews New) 78 70 75 75.
299 S Borrowman (Dollar) 76 72 79 72, R McKnight (Barassie) 70 76 81 72.
300 K McAlpine (Alyth) 79 74 71 76, S Graham (Blairgowrie) 70 73 78 79.
301 D Stewart (Grantown on Spey) 75 72 75 79.
304 K McNicoll (Carnoustie) 74 77 77 76, A Main (Thornton) 73 73 79 79..
305 A Love (Dunbar) 77 74 77 77, C Watson (East Renfrewshire) 77 74 78 76, S Henry (Cardross) 74 76 82 73, K Weir (St Andrews New) 76 74 77 78, A Anderson (Bruntsfield) 74 71 78 82.
306 D Simpson (Comrie) 77 76 78 75, S Michie (Thornton) 76 75 78 77.
307 N Steven (St Andrews) 75 75 79 78.
309 B McDermott (Leven GS) 77 76 80 76.
310 S Wilson (Forfar) 75 76 77 80, M Main (Thornton) 74 75 78 83.
No Return: S Robertson (Sandyhills) 79 71 75 -.
Retired: B Anderson (Cambuslang) 75 76 79 -, J King (Glasgow) 76 72 75 -.
No show: D Paton (Dunnikier Park) 77 76 - -.
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, August 13, 2006
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