P& K county weekend double for Nicky Barr

over Blairgowrie’s Lansdowne

Nicky Barr, beaten in the final of the Scottish mid-amateur championship final, gained a measure of compensation when he won both the Perth & Kinross men’s county stroke-play AND match-play championships on the SAME weekend.
Craigie Hill Golf Club member Barr was capped for Scotland in the boys' home internationals of 2001. The following year he accepted a golf scholarship at Midland College, Texas where he stayed from 2002 to 2004.

HERE’S JOHN SIMPSON'S REPORT, FIRST OF THE STROKE-PLAY:

The re-scheduled Perth & Kinross county stroke-play championship was played on Saturday (September 5) over 18 holes of the Lansdowne Course, Blairgowrie.
Players and officials were grateful for a dry day after so much recent rain.
As in 2007 the championship was reduced to 18 holes. The scoring turned out to be excellent, which was a credit to the players and to the greenkeeping staff at Blairgowrie.
All eight qualifiers for the match-play stage scored 72 or better.
The winner of the championship was Nicky Barr from Craigie Hill with a fine score of 68. Runner-up was David Simpson of Crieff who prevailed over local player Stuart Graham on the better inward nine after they both returned 70s.

STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP SCOREBOARD
CSS 73 (match-play qualifiers highlighted)

Nicky Barr Craigie Hill 68
Ian McLeod Kinross 74
David Simpson Crieff 70
Roger Lamond Blairgowrie 75
Stuart Graham Blairgowrie 70
Tom McLevy Blairgowrie 76
Philip Scott Auchterarder 71
Mark Rose Pitlochry 78
Stuart McKendrick Dunkeld+Birnam 72
Fraser Inglis King James IV 78
George Brass Blairgowrie 72
Darren Watson Blairgowrie 79
David Murray Blairgowrie 72
Andrew Jackson Kinross 80
Wayne Crole Blairgowrie 72
Andrew Merrilees Muckhart 80
Neil Cameron King James IV 81
Eric Lindsay Blairgowrie 73
Patrick Sandison Blairgowrie 81
Glenn Campbell Blairgowrie 73
Scott Michie Kinross 82
Stephen Carruthers Pitlochry 74
Iain Simpson Craigie Hill 84
Daniel Harrison Crieff 74
Andrew Hutchison Kinross 84
Jason Thomson Kinross 74
Jim Wardrope Kinross 86
Bruce Caldow Kinross 74

NOW FOR THE P&K MATCH-PLAY REPORT:
The eight qualifiers from an 18 hole P&K stroke-play championship all scored 72 or less.
On Sunday morning, the semi-finals were contested: Nicky Barr beat Philip Scott on the last green, while Stuart Graham needed one extra hole to shake off George Brass.
In the afternoon the final produced excellent golf again. The standard of golf between the two rivals was very high with accurate driving and impressive iron play.
Nicky was one up playing the 16th but drove into the trees. Both players were in the middle of the 17th fairway.
Stuart hooked his second but had the good fortune to see it come back out towards the fairway; Nicky hit a good second just short of the green; Stuart played his third to about ten feet; Nick's approach shot hit the pin and sat close to the hole for a 4. Stuart missed his birdie putt to go back to one down with one to play.
Both players hit good tee shots down the middle of the 18th fairway; Nicky played a short iron first, pin high fourteen feet right of a front pin position; Stuart hit an impressive approach which backed-up a little to fifteen feet.
Stuart putted first and holed for a birdie three but as he was contemplating another trip up the nineteenth, Nicky holed for his birdie and the match.
A great game played in good spirit between the next best players in the county after the big four. The big four, however, may have struggled to compete with these two on this showing.

MATCH-PLAY RESULTS
QUARTER-FINALS
Nicky Barr bt Wayne Crole 2 holes.
Philip Scott bt Stuart McKendrick 1 hole.
Stuart Graham bt David Murray 6 and 5.
George Brass bt David Simpson 1 hole.
SEMI-FINALS
Barr bt Scott 1 hole.
Graham bt Brass at 19th.
FINAL
Barr bt Graham 1 hole.