James MacBeath breaks Jim Miller's six-win
record in Brora Tournament.
By ROBIN WILSON
Local member James MacBeath became the “ most times” winner of the Clynelish Salver at Brora on Friday beating local hero Jim Miller's previous six wins over a twenty year span from inauguration year in 1972, when the Skibo greenkeeper beat the 1985 winner, Dougal Chalmers (Panmure) at the first extra hole with a birdie three and extend his Salver triumphs to seven.
MacBeath took no form into the event but in the qualifying rounds showed that it is a competition that always brings the best out of him, rounds of 71 and 69 for second seed and only losing the leading qualifier's silver medal prize on a better second round to club mate and defending champion Roddy Cameron 72, 68.
MacBeath (42) won a hard fought semi final battle on the last green over twice previous winner Ronald Sutherland (Helmsdale) and brought into the final a ten year age advantage over Chalmers (52), who had caddying for him his sixteen year old daughter Jemma, not even a twinkle in her father's eye when he won the tournament in 1985 beating Golspie's Alistair MacDougall in the final.
After five holes it looked as if the 52 year old was in for a roasting, four down from losing four of the first five holes before a reviving winning par at the 6th hole inspired a birdie at the next to get back into the game.
MacBeath got back to three ahead after eleven before Chalmers had his third winning hole at the 12th but the tie changed into a classic match play thriller over the remaining six holes. The local member holed a saving 8 foot putt for half on the 13th to stay two ahead but could only watch bewildered as his opponent rolled in two massive off the green putts for birdies at the next two holes.
With the final two holes halved in bogey figures, Chalmers bunkered at seventeenth and MacBeath's ball in a scrape from the drive, they both missed the 18th green and it was on to the 19th . It took a birdie to separate them and it came from MacBeath to end one of the most gripping finals in several years.
Inchmarlo teenager Scott Fraser (handicap of seven ) gave Brora Committee Green's Convenor, Mike Mackintosh (3), a lesson on how to putt on the Brora greens to win the Class 1 handicap section, McRobert Thistle Cup. Time and time again Scott (17) found the bottom of the cup to extend the tie to the 19th hole where he matched Mackintosh's birdie putt then at the second extra hole where the local shaved the hole for the umpteenth time the youngster holed out again for birdie three and a holiday success story.
A second local member, Alister Dunn, involved in the Class 2 handicap final for the Clynelish Shield also had to give way to a visitor, lefty Kevin MacLeod (Torvean/Inverness) who won by two holes. The third handicap final for the Auchroist Cup brought together two school chums from Portabella High School, Edinburgh, Jamie Malcolm and Scott Tulloch, both aged 16 and just two weeks difference in age. Tulloch a previous winner of this cup had to give way this year to his chum who beat him 5&4.
record in Brora Tournament.
By ROBIN WILSON
Local member James MacBeath became the “ most times” winner of the Clynelish Salver at Brora on Friday beating local hero Jim Miller's previous six wins over a twenty year span from inauguration year in 1972, when the Skibo greenkeeper beat the 1985 winner, Dougal Chalmers (Panmure) at the first extra hole with a birdie three and extend his Salver triumphs to seven.
MacBeath took no form into the event but in the qualifying rounds showed that it is a competition that always brings the best out of him, rounds of 71 and 69 for second seed and only losing the leading qualifier's silver medal prize on a better second round to club mate and defending champion Roddy Cameron 72, 68.
MacBeath (42) won a hard fought semi final battle on the last green over twice previous winner Ronald Sutherland (Helmsdale) and brought into the final a ten year age advantage over Chalmers (52), who had caddying for him his sixteen year old daughter Jemma, not even a twinkle in her father's eye when he won the tournament in 1985 beating Golspie's Alistair MacDougall in the final.
After five holes it looked as if the 52 year old was in for a roasting, four down from losing four of the first five holes before a reviving winning par at the 6th hole inspired a birdie at the next to get back into the game.
MacBeath got back to three ahead after eleven before Chalmers had his third winning hole at the 12th but the tie changed into a classic match play thriller over the remaining six holes. The local member holed a saving 8 foot putt for half on the 13th to stay two ahead but could only watch bewildered as his opponent rolled in two massive off the green putts for birdies at the next two holes.
With the final two holes halved in bogey figures, Chalmers bunkered at seventeenth and MacBeath's ball in a scrape from the drive, they both missed the 18th green and it was on to the 19th . It took a birdie to separate them and it came from MacBeath to end one of the most gripping finals in several years.
Inchmarlo teenager Scott Fraser (handicap of seven ) gave Brora Committee Green's Convenor, Mike Mackintosh (3), a lesson on how to putt on the Brora greens to win the Class 1 handicap section, McRobert Thistle Cup. Time and time again Scott (17) found the bottom of the cup to extend the tie to the 19th hole where he matched Mackintosh's birdie putt then at the second extra hole where the local shaved the hole for the umpteenth time the youngster holed out again for birdie three and a holiday success story.
A second local member, Alister Dunn, involved in the Class 2 handicap final for the Clynelish Shield also had to give way to a visitor, lefty Kevin MacLeod (Torvean/Inverness) who won by two holes. The third handicap final for the Auchroist Cup brought together two school chums from Portabella High School, Edinburgh, Jamie Malcolm and Scott Tulloch, both aged 16 and just two weeks difference in age. Tulloch a previous winner of this cup had to give way this year to his chum who beat him 5&4.
+Robin Wilson's picture at the top of the article shows James MacBeath (left) and Kevin McLeod (right) in the back row, and James Malcolm (left) and Scott Fraser (right) in the front.
Labels: Amateur Men
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Saturday, August 08, 2009
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home