Aberdeen man does well in Rome tournament

Alistair Fiddes finishes
third in Italian Seniors

By KEITH HOWIE

Secretary, Scottish Seniors Golfing Society.
Alistair Fiddes (Murcar Links) was among the regulars having a bash at the Italian Seniors in Rome. Ongoing Terminal 5 problems led to a worrying delay in arrival of his clubs but he was re-united with them in time for the start of the individual event.
Another problem was the cost of beer at the clubhouse - about double UK prices- which, we are told ,tended to curtail the après-golf, even among the Scots.
Alistair, picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved, reports that the course was probably the trickiest he has ever played and that, by common consent, three scores of 75 would be good enough to win.
Sure enough, only around 12 players broke 80 in the first round. Nuno Machado led on 75, with David Lane, Stuart Pond and Alistair Fiddes himself on 79.
Round 2 and again only 12 people were sub-80 with Basil Griffith equalling the 75 by Nuno in round 1. Nuno scored 82 second time round.
Round 3 saw Alistair, and fellow SSGS ambassador Iain Stewart, playing with Nuno Machado in the third last group.
Leading group was Stuart Pond, Basil Griffith and Adrian Donkersley all tied for the lead.
Alistair’s final round 73 was the lowest round of the week. That propelled him to the top of the leader board with only six players still out on the course.
David Lane equalled the 73 to pip him for second place and Basil Griffith birdied two of the last holes to pip them both for top spot.
Nonetheless a very fine performance in a top quality field and under the most testing of conditions. Well done, Alistair!
This was hard on the heels of fine Scottish performances in Spain and Portugal. Kodak Rodaks, in particular, proved he is a developing talent when he zoomed in to a very fine second spot in Spain.
Sandy Pirie’s final round 71 in Portugal was equal best in the field and shot him up through the field.