HUGH HUNTER'S CLACKMANNAN COUNTY NEWS

BRAVE TRY BY CLACKMANNAN AT MONIFIETH
It was always going to be a tough Provan Salver opening match over the fast running links at Monifieth against a strong Angus County team containing two local Club Champions.
In the end, although Clackmannan County fell by 5 matches to 2 with one half, there were some close matches, but the necessary turn around did not happen in the matches that were down after nine holes.  
Best performances of the day came from Braehead’s Scott Moffat. One up at the turn, he fell one behind on the inward stretch. However, thanks to two good winning putts at 17 and 18 he snatched a victory. 
The other Clackmannan win came from Steve McIvor who was never behind in his match and closed out his opponent on the 17^th green.  Ross Benvie looked to heading for a win with athree- hole lead, but had to settle for a half in his match.   With two further matches in the Provan Salver---- both matches at home----big wins will be needed to have a chance of winning the trophy from the other three Areas.  The next match is against Fife at Braehead this weekend.

  MATCH RESULTS (Clackmannan names first)
Scott Borrowman (Dollar) lost to Ross Bell,(Downfield)  2 and 1

Darren Hulston (Dollar) lost to Raymond Perry (Monifieth) 3 and 2.

Jamie Aitken (Alloa) lost to Maurice Lindsay (Broughty) 5 and 3.
Steven Horne (Tulliallan) lost to Ross Coull (Downfield) 1 hole
Michael Robertson (Alva) lost to Steven Smith (Downfield) 5 and 4.
Scott Moffat (Braehead) beat Danny Elder (Carnoustie) 1 hole
Steve McIvor (Alva) beat Campbell Donaldson (Downfield)  2 and 1.
Ross Benvie (Braehead) halved with Steven Cargill (Arbroath)

Clackmannan 2 ½    Angus   5 ½

GOOD START BY LAWRENCE

Alva’s Lawrence Allan made a good start to the Junior Golf season with a 7^th place finish from 42 Scottish elite junior golfers in the first of the Scottish Hydro Junior Tour events. Finishing with two birdies for a 70 in the final round, and adding to his first two rounds of 72 and 71 gave him a level par performance for the 54 holes over the par 71 Gullane No 2 course, and must have given him a confidence boost for next week's Paul Lawrie Foundation Scottish Boys Championship at Murcar----- also a links course. 
As the current County Golf Champion, Lawrence is entitled to a place at the Scottish Champion of Champions at Leven this weekend, but has sensibly declined it. To play 72 holes on the weekend before the Scottish Boys Championship is not really a good idea.  Clackmannan will have two representatives in the event - a pair of Scotts - Scott Moffat (Braehead) and Scott Borrowman (Dollar).

                       UPCOMING COUNTY  COMPETITIONS

Clackmannan golfers are reminded that entries will be closing next week for the County Spring Meetings and Boys Championship. On the 14^th April, Tillicoultry Golf Club holds the long established Waddell Shield.

                                    CALLUM TAKES A BREAK

 Despite taking a break from the Challenge Tour, and missing the Kenya Open, Tulliallan’s Callum Macaulay  has only dropped two places   ( 6^th to 8^th)  in the rankings,   The Challenge Tour events in Europe start up in around a month’s time.

 AND FINALLY-------- FOR LOCAL HANDICAP GOLFERS—

Golfers ( and probably many non-golfers) will be eagerly awaiting the Masters Golf at Augusta this week—will it be Tiger, Rory or someone else at the top on Sunday over the difficult course?----- but just how difficult?   Experienced golf course rater Michael Niven (Alloa) casts his eye over the Masters scene “Scotland uses the same rating system as the USA for golf courses. 
Taking into account information that is publically available--- mainly length, and 10 other factors including water hazards, trees, speed of greens and slopes of greens ---- it can be estimated that the Standard Scratch Score of Augusta is 77.6 which would round up to 78. (Incidentally, the same figure was arrived at by an American commentator)  That would be 6 over the par score of 72…… Schawpark has a par and SSS of 71 which would make Augusta at least 7 strokes harder……. If a golfer at Augusta this week goes round in 66 then he is playing to a plus 12 handicap.”

Food for thought and emphasising the huge difference between the top amateurs and top class professional golfers.