WRITERS' CHAMPION BRYCE

IS KING OF THE CASTLE!

Bryce Ritchie (Scottish Club Golfer) today retained the Alex Fox Trophy as winner of the Scottish golf writers' championship over the Castle Course, which is the seventh public course owned by the St Andrews Links Trust.

It will not be officially opened by HRH Prince Andrew until early July but the golf writers were given the privilege of staging the first organised competition over the course which lies between St Andrews and Fairmont St Andrews (formerly St Andrews Bay).

In terrible weather of wind and rain, 11-handicapper Bryce gained 31 Stableford points, quite a performance over a tough course which, by general consent of the competitors, is going to mature into one of the best, most testing links, not only in the St Andrews area but Scotland as a whole.

Bryce, who won for the first time at Dundonald Links last year, had a 3pt winning margin from Fife freelance writer Malcolm Campbell and Douglas Lowe of the Herald.

Ross Duncan of the Scottish Golf Union staff won The Bunkered Tankard as the leading guest player. Ross, playing off six, amassed 26pt , one point ahead of German golf magazine editor Klaus Braun and Ron Cully (Glasgow Evening Times).

The new Belhaven Cup, presented by Belhaven Breweries to the player with the highest points total overall, whether by a golf writer or a guest, went to Bryce Ritchie whose total topped Ross Duncan's by 5pt.

Which really makes Bryce the "King of the Castle!"

The annual competition was generously sponsored by St Andrews Links Trust, Belhaven Breweries, the Scottish Golf Union and Callaway Europe.

LEADING POINTS TOTALS

WRITERS

31 Bryce Ritchie (Scottish Club Golfer) (11).]

28 Malcolm Campbell (Fife freelance) (6) better inward half, Douglas Lowe (Herald) (11).

24 Martin Vousden (Freelance) (12).

19 Martin Dempster (Bunkered).

17 Bernie McGuire (European Tour freelance), Ian Wood (The Scotsman).

16 Nick Rodger (DBS Freelance).

14 Michael McEwan (Scottish Club Golfer.

GUESTS

26 Ross Duncan (Scottish Golf Union) (6).

25 Klaus Braun (German magazine) (11) better inward half, Ron Cully (Glasgow Evening Times) (20).

24 Hugh Hunter (SGU past president) (9).

23 Eric Maitland (Belhaven Breweries).

22 Josef Schill (Germany golf photographer) (5).

21 Jo Maes (European Golf & Travel Media) (8), Billy Sim (Hacienda del Alamo) (3).

19 Roger McStravick (Visitscotland) (8)

16 Alan Hedley (Newcastle freelance) (10), Michael MacDougall (Scottish PGA) (7).

12 Jim Young (Belhaven Breweries) (25).