Scottish Golf Union vice-president John Sommerville, Scottish Seniors Order of Merit winner Ian Hutcheon (Monifieth) and Gordon MacDonald (Callander), captain of the Scottish Seniors Golf Society outside the Blairgowrie clubhouse. Click on the Cal Carson Golf Agency image (c) to enlarge it.

HUTCHEON FOURTH BUT CLINCHES SENIORS'
ORDER OF MERIT TITLE AT BLAIRGOWRIE

Monifieth maestro Ian Hutcheon duly won the inaugural Scottish Seniors Order of Merit at Blairgowrie Golf Club today, even though the 65-year-old former Walker Cup player finished only fourth in the end-of-the-season event restricted to the leading 30 players in the points table.
Hutcheon, the Scottish seniors amateur champion, had built up such a big lead in earlier events on the Scottish over-55s circuit, that he could not be caught even if he had finished last.
Ian totalled 589pt to win the Order of Merit title and trophy by more than 250pt from runner-up Gordon Brown (Vale of Leven), 320, with John Fraser (Royal Burgess) third with 292, George Paterson (Northern) fourth with 260 and Jim Watt (Letham Grange) fifth with 245.
“I don’t feel I need to practise as much as I once did,” said Ian after returning a two-over-par 74 (37-37) at the Lansdowne course, “especially if I am playing two or three times a week as I usually do.”

Ian had "only" one birdie in his round, at the 13th and three bogeys, at the seventh, 11th and 18th.
Winner of first prize for the Order of Merit Shoot-out meeting was Alloa man Tony Stafford who plays off scratch at Troon St Meddans Golf Club.
Stafford, 55, had a very good round of two-under-par 70 off the back tees on the Lansdowne course (6,952yd) despite finishing with four 5s in a row, which includes bogeys at the 15th, 16th and 18th.
Driving very well, mostly with a three-wood, he birdied the first, fifth, seventh, 10th and 12th and, without a blemish on his card, was five under par with four holes to play. He bogeyed the 15th even though he was playing a pitching wedge approach; he three-putted the 16th and had his one bad drive, into the trees, at the 18th in halves of 33 (three under par) and 37 (one over).
Stafford played for a spell as a professional on the Hooters and Golden Gate Tours in America in the 1990s.

He had played in only one of the Scottish seniors' circuit events, at Stirling Golf Club but plans to play the full tour next season.

Tony recalls he did play for a Midlands representative boys' team of yesteryear but was never capped for Scotland at Under-18 level and that he gave up golf completely for three years after getting married at the age of 18.

His Blairgowrie Lansdowne figures were:

OUT: 4-4-4-4-2-4-3-5-3-33.

IN: 3-4-3-4-3-5-5-5-5-37.
Robert Humble (Kilspindie) was runner-up with a 71 (36-35). Robert birdied the first, fourth, eighth, 12th, 13th and 17th but had bogeys at the second, third, sixth, 14th and 16th.

Gordon Brown (Vale of Leven), who did well in the recent British seniors' open amateur championship at Nairn and Nairn Dunbar, finished third on the day with a 73 (37-36).

Gordon birdied the first, seventh, 11th and 13th, bogeyed the fourth, ninth, 12th and 15th.

Collated scoreboard

SCOTTISH SENIORS ORDER OF MERIT SHOOT-OUT
Blairgowrie Golf Club, Lansdowne Course.
6,932yd. Par 72
SCRATCH
70 T Stafford (Troon St Meddans).
71 R Humble (Kilspindie).
73 G Brown (Vale of Leven).
74 I C Hutcheon (Monifieth).
75 D McCart (Castlerock).
77 A K Pirie (Hazlehead), R Stewart (Tulliallan), W Erskine (Kilsyth Lennox), D Miller (Kilmarnock Barassie), P Tomisson (Nairn), J Fraser (Royal Burgess).
78 G Thomson (Bearsden), R MacLellan (Turnberry), G Paterson (Northern).
79 W Wallace (Strathaven), H Anderson (Callander), S Ellis (Cowal), I Taylor (Royal Burgess).
80 J Paton (Kirkintilloch), R MacLean (Hamilton).
81 W Brown (Strathaven), J W Johnston (Royal Aberdeen), G Rodaks (Moffat).
82 B Grieve (King James VI).
83 J Roy (Grange), B Smith (Hamilton), C Christy (Kilmacolm).
86 I Dickson (Lundin).
NR J Watt (Letham Grange).
HANDICAP – D McCart (Castlerock) (1) 74; G Thomson (Bearsden) (3), R Stewart (Tulliallan) (2), W Wallace (Strathaven) (4) 75.

SCOTTISH SENIORS ORDER OF MERIT
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
1 I C Hutcheon (Monifieth) 589, 2 G Brown (Vale of Leven) 320, 3 J Fraser (Royal Burgess) 292, 4 G Paterson (Northern) 260, 5 J Watt (Letham Grange) 245.