HUGH HUNTER'S CLACKMANNAN COUNTY NEWS ROUND-UP

 Alloa Golf Club team captain Andrew Whitelaw with the trophy and team members after the success in the Jubilee mixed foursomes.

 ALLOA TAKE JUBILEE MIXED FOURSOMES

First played in 1963, the Clackmannan County Mixed Foursomes has always been an enjoyable event in its 50 year history.  The first winners were Alloa and they repeated their success last weekend 50 years on at Schawpark  With five out of the County Clubs competing, the Alloa team won by an emphatic 13 shots. The original event was on a scratch basis, but in modern times, net scores are used which theoretically gives every couple an equal footing.

The win by Alloa completes a double since their team took the men’s foursomes title earlier in the season.

 FULL RESULTS

 (Best three out of four net scores to count)

 1 ALLOA 212 (Ian Ross and Morag Hunter 65; Andrew Main and Alison Boyes 76.5; Jim Allan and Tracey-Anne Whitelaw 75; David Abernethy and Janie McMahon 72)

2 DOLLAR 225

3 TILLICOULTRY  227.5

T4 ALVA, BRAEHEAD 235  

LAWRENCE TOPS COUNTY CONTINGENT.

 In the East of Scotland Championship which is a Scottish Golf Union Order of Merit event, the locals had a mixed time.  Alloa’s Jamie Aitken with rounds of 75 and 76 missed the cut set at 148, but Scott Borrowman (Dollar) and Lawrence Allan (Alva)  made it through to the last 36 holes. 

Best placed at the end of the 72 hole event was Allan finishing 10th equal at 7 over par (72, 75, 71, 73) with Borrowman further back at 13 over par (72, 75, 75,76). The winner was Jamie Savage (Cawder) after a play-off against Scott Stewart-Cation (The Duke's) after they finished on one-over-par 285.

 

   A BIT OF IRISH CHEER FOR CALLUM

 The Irish Open was a mixture for Callum Macaulay -  considerable flashes of brilliance neutralised by some over-par scores.  He opened with a  one over par 73, and when he stood three over par in the second round, it looked like a missed cut.

However, his fighting spirit brought him back to level par, including a birdie at the last, and that was right on the cut line. He fell back in round three with a four over 76, but in the last round he finished with a flourish scoring 69, including five birdies in the last six holes. That run was spoiled with a double-bogey 5 at the short 17th.

Both Scott and Callum are in action at the final local qualifying for the Open Championship at Muirfield.
Callum goes straight into the field at North Berwick, while Scott made it through for the final qualifying with a 70 at Bruntsfield Links and is playing at Musselburgh.   
Both will be up against strong opposition in the 36 hole events, and competition is certain to be strong for the few places on offer in the Open Championship starting list.

       

   LOCAL EVENTS COMING UP

  Entry forms should now be in the local Golf Clubs for the 36 hole Clackmannan County Stroke Play event to be held at Alloa on July 28.  The event is used as a qualifying competition of local Clubs to represent a Clackmannanshire club in the Scottish Club Championship to be held in September at Luffness Golf Club.  

Hopefully there will be a strong field of the top County players. The event is good value, and can be an enjoyable day out on a good local golf course.

 Next weekend is the Alexander Trophy at Braehead where clubs from Stirlingshire and Clackmannan compete for the annual trophy.  Five Clackmannan clubs will compete alongside seven from Stirlingshire, starting at 10am on July 7.

 There is an OPEN GREENSOMES at Tillicoultry and the HUGH McDONALD invitation at Braehead, both on July 6.