CRAIG WATSON RETAINS HERBIE PIRIE TROPHY

               Craig Watson (left) with the Herbie Pirie Trophy

RENFREWSHIRE GOLF UNION

PRESS RELEASE

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Renfrew Golf Club was, once again, the venue for the final Renfrewshire Golf Union competition of the season – the Herbie Pirie Trophy played over 36 holes.  The top golfers in the Order of Merit are invited and, for many of them, the challenge was to wrest the trophy from the current holder.

Last year’s winner was East Renfrewshire’s Craig Watson who does not consider himself to be a veteran and certainly does not play like one.  However, he was 31 when he won the British Amateur Championship and made the Walker Cup team in 1998.  Young Turks like local man Michael Campbell, three times Menzies Trophy winner Sam Binning and Gourock’s Steven Higgins were keen to show that youth could overcome and Derek Anderson of Cochrane Castle, Lee Jenkins of Elderslie and Andrew Farmer had all performed well over the season and expected to put up a strong challenge.  Kilmacolm’s Matthew Clark, having just been advised of his selection for the Scottish team in the Eisenhower Trophy in Turkey, was confident and Craig’s grip on the trophy was a slender one!

In the morning round, it looked as if this might be the case with Chris Kelly of Bonnyton recording a two under par 70 to lead Craig by a shot.  Ronnie Clark of Erskine established a challenge with a great afternoon round of 70 for a total of 144 and when Chris returned an afternoon score of 73 for an aggregate of 143 it looked ominous for Craig as conditions had turned for the worse with heavy showers of rain and a strong wind making life difficult for the later starters.

Undaunted, Craig settled down to record six birdies and only two bogies for a great round of 68 and an aggregate of 139 to retain the trophy and to again demonstrate that the quality of his golf is untarnished with the passing of  time.  The trophy was presented by Craig Pirie, the grandson of the donator of the trophy.

This was the final Order of Merit event and Kilmacolm’s Andrew Farmer, who had already established an unassailable lead during a great season, was presented with the trophy by Ian McCosh, the RGU President

Pictures are Craig being presented with the trophy by Craig Pirie and Andrew receiving the trophy from Ian McCosh