Hugh Hunter's Clackmannan County News

Clackmannan county championship line up. Front row (left to right): Sam Kinnaird (county president), Scott Borrowman (2008 Clackmannan county champion), Stuart Morrison (captain of Dollar Golf Club). Back row (left to right): Steven Horne, George Kay, Charlie Murray, Jamie Aitken (image by Hugh Hunter).

IT'S DOLLAR'S DAY AS SCOTT BORROWMAN
WINS CLACKMANNAN COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP
The Clackmannan county championship was a total triumph for the home club (Dollar) players when they lifted all the major prizes at the 36 hole event, played in good conditions.
With Callum Macaulay not defending his title, there was speculation that home-based player +5 handicapper Darren Hulston might do something special in view of his experience of producing sub-60 rounds.
However, on the day his magic touch did not appear and it was Scott Borrowman who took the title by three shots form Tulliallan’s Steven Horne. Scott’s win was founded on his outward nine on his first round, when he raced to the turn in 28 with individual figures of 3-3-3-3-4-4-2-3-3 against 32 par.
The inward nine of 36 (345 443 463) was a bit more ordinary, but it gave him a two-shot lead at lunchtime over Steven Horne and seven-handicap Charlie Murray from the home club who did an astonishing 30 for the first nine.
No fireworks appeared in the afternoon from anyone. The best scores of 66 came from Alloa’s Ian Guthrie and Jamie Aitken. Scott Borrowman was one shot behind, but took the title with a two-round aggregate of 131, incidentally one shot worse than Callum Macaulay’s aggregate of 130 (70-60) at the longer Braehead course in 2007.
Top handicap prize went to Charlie Murray with 126 (59-67) with Alva’s George Kay only two shots behind, thus striking a blow for the more mature golfers in the field. Perhaps he took some inspiration from Greg Norman’s performance in the Open at Birkdale.
In the team event for a place at the Scottish Club final ,to be played at Windyhill in September, the Dollar team took the honours from Alloa by two shots.

LEADING SCORES
CSS 66 for both rounds)
131 Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 64 67.
134 Steven Horne (Tulliallan) 66 68.
Other aggregates:
135 Jamie Aitken (Alloa), Ian Ross (Alloa). 137 D Hulston. 138 I Guthrie. 140 C Murray. 141 G Kay. 142 D Milloy, S McPherson. 143 J Gullen. 144 S McIvor, M Robertson. 145 M Graham. 148 S Wilson. 149 A Stark, L Allan, D Ashe. 150 A Flannigan, P Davidson, K McFarlane. 152 M Smith. 153 K Watson. 155 G Chalmers. 156 H Hunter. 158 K Christie. 165 I Hood. NR M Duncan, R Lyons, M Walker, M Quinn, M Hall, G Rennie.

HANDICAP PRIZE AGGREGATES
1 C Murray (Dollar) 126 (59 67).
2 G Kay (Alva) 129 (62 67)

TEAM EVENT
(best two scores in each round to count)
1 DOLLAR 268: D Hulston 67 70, Scott Borrowman 64 67, G Chalmers 77 78.
2. ALLOA 270: J Aitken 69 66, I Ross 68 67, D Milloy 73 69.
3 ALVA 288: S McIvor 70 74, K McFarlane 75,75 M Robertson 70 74.
4 TILLICOULTRY 295: J Gullen 73 70, K Watson 77 75.
5 TULLIALLAN No Return.

GRANT MAKES IT THROUGH
It is always pleasing to report local players (especially junior golfers) making their mark in national events by just participating or even better achieving some success. At the recent Junior Masters qualifying event held at Dunblane it was Tillicoultry’s Grant Carmichael who produced the goods in a field of almost 80 to win one of the qualifying places for the final to be held over the Queen’s Course, Gleneagles on October 12.
With 35 Stableford points, Grant finished in 12th position and took one of the 13 places available to the boys.

COUNTY POSITIONS AND SCORES
12 Grant Carmichael (Tillicoultry) 35 points
20 Ryan Millar (Alloa) 33 points
38 Richard Brown (Tillicoultry) 28 point
43 Ben Smith (Dollar) 27 points
48 Myles Beaton (Alloa) 24 points

SCOTTISH BOYS' STROKE PLAY -- BLAIRGOWRIE.
The top boy players will all be heading to Blairgowrie this week to contest the 72-hole stroke play event, sadly without any entrants from Clackmannashire. Easily explained this year---- no county boys reached the handicap limit of 3.7 needed for entry. Well. maybe next year!