Hugh Hunter's Clackmannan County News

Callum Macaulay (extreme left) and Scottish seniors champion Bob Stewart (extreme right) pictured with Clackmannan team members John Maxwell, Scott Moffat, Ross Benvie and Steven Horne (image by courtesy of Hugh Hunter).

SUNSHINE INSPIRES COUNTY GOLF TEAM

In the Scottish Golf Union’s Area Team Championship, Clackmannan came out on top in a closely fought match against Fife over Braehead Golf Course; the team eventually winning by 5 matches to 3 with one halved.
In the morning foursomes top match, Scott Moffat and Ross Benvie lost narrowly to Scott Michie and Michael Main on the last green. The second all Tulliallan pairing of John Maxwell and Steven Horne gradually pulled away from a one hole deficit on the sixth, going 1 up at the tenth and finishing the match at the sixteenth. The Third all Alloa pairing of Ian Ross and Jamie Aitken were never really troubled--- a three hole lead was increased from the 6th hole to close out Alex Main and Jordan McColl on the 15th green.
This left the County with the task of winning three matches in the afternoon with the heroes being local Ross Benvie who fought back from a 4 hole deficit at the seventh to take his match on the last. Steven Horne, helped by some good putting was all square over the first 11 holes , quickly took two holes and finishing the match on the 16th green. John Maxwell’s match seemed to be slipping away when he went from 3 up at the sixth to 1 down at the 13th, but a strong performance over the closing holes including a brilliant eagle two at the 16th was good enough for a win. The halved match came from Alloa’s Ian Ross after another close match
Team Captain John Gullen was ecstatic “ It was a great performance against a strong team= helped by good team spirit. Good to see new European Tour star Callum Macaulay and Scottish Senior Champion Bob Stewart giving the team some support”
Further matches against Argyll & Bute and Renfrew are due to be played later in the season

RESULTS FOURSOMES (Clackmannan names first)
1. Ross Benvie & Scott Moffat lost to Scott Michie & Michael Main 1 hole
2. John Maxwell & Steven Horne beat Colin Martin & Scott Stewart-Cation 3/2
3. Ian Ross & Jamie Aitken beat Alex Main & Jordan McColl 4/3

SINGLES
1. Benvie beat Michie 1 hole
2. Moffat lost to Michael Main 3/1
3. Horne beat Alex Main 3/2
4. Maxwell beat Gary Page 3/1
5. Aitken beat Martin 2/1
6. Ross halved with Stewart-Cation

MATCH RESULT --- CLACKMANNAN 5 ½ FIFE 3 ½

QUICK START FOR BOB
Tulliallan’s Bob Stewart was quick to show that he is in good form for the 2009 Seniors Golf events when he took the Gailes Senior Open title last week by three shots from Gordon Macdonald. It really was an outstanding win--- there were 120 entrants including a fair number from outwith Scotland
1. R Stewart 71, 73 144
2. G Macdonald 74, 73 147

TOUGH AT THE TOP FOR CALLUM
Even with a number of good performances in the early European Tour events, Tulliallan’s Callum Macaulay is finding it difficult to get entries to the summer European Tour events—there is a complicated system to determine entries, and the “Race to Dubai” is making European Tour events very attractive. A recent re-ranking has moved Callum up to number six in his category which may help slightly.