Exciting climax to inaugural Aberdeen Senior Masters at Meldrum Housed

  

Miguel Angel Martin receives the trophy, donated by member-jeweller Ian Sinclair,  from Bob Edwards, chairman of Meldrum House Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency

Miguel Angel Martin beats Santiago Luna in

 sudden death play-off for £6,000 prize

The inaugural Aberdeen Senior Masters boiled up on a sunny afternoon at Meldrum House to a sudden death play-off between two Spaniards from Madrid - Miguel Angel Martin (53) and Santiago Luna (52) who finished on five-under-par 135 apiece.
Martin had rounds of 66 and 69 (34-35), Luna 68 and 67 (35-32, seven birdies including the 16th and 17th).
Luna, who had hit his first shot out of bounds in the steady rain at the start of the day,  looked favourite to win the title and the £6,000 first prize when he hit the green with his tee shot at the play-off hole (the short 18th) and Martin missed it to the right.
But Martin pitched  to 5ft and holed the putt for a winning 3 after Luna, using a broom-handled putter, left his approach putt from 25ft about 6ft short and missed the next to end with a bogey 4.
Martin, who would have played in the 1997 Ryder Cup match but for a wrist injury, confidently holed the winning putt for the handsome trophy donated by Meldrum House member and jeweller Ian Sinclair who also presented a quaich which is Martin's to keep; the trophy stays in the Meldrum House GC trophy cabinet.
"I have finished first or second in every seniors' event I have played over the past year or so," he said. "I knew that mistakes late in the second round could be costly so I set out to par the last six holes - and I did."
Luna's runner-up prize was £4000.
They finished a stroke head of third placed Englishmen Tim Spence and Paul Streeter.
Tartan Tour regular Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs) was tied for the lead with Miguel Angel Martin and Nick Job on four under par 66 with 18 holes to play.
Arnott slipped down to a final placing of joint 10th with a 73 for 139.
"When I putt well, I can compete. But this was not one of those days. I had missed only two greens by the 12th and even so I was four over  by then. I just couldn't the ball up to or in the hole," said Robert. 
Job, at 66 one of the oldest players in the field - he won the over-60s prize, could not raise his game one more time and a second-round 72 saw him finish joint sixth on 138.
The leading Scot on 138 was Andrew Oldcorn from Edinburgh with a pair of steady 69s. The leading amateur was also a Scot, Nicky Gold from Glasgow Golf Club. He won the £500 amateur prize voucher with rounds of 70 and 72 for 142 ahead of Royal Troon's Paul Moultrie on 148 and  home club man Nick Robson on 149. 
 The Senior Golf Circuit event, of which the second round was washed out on Tuesday, is the brainchild of Nick Robson, chief exec of Thistle Windows who sponsored the event alongwith the  Gymrental company and Meldrum House. The total prize fund was in excess of £33,000.

+The Senior Golf Circuit, whose chief executive is Scot David James, differs from the European Senior Tour in that the age elibility is lower, 48 and over. Also it caters for Category 1 senior amateurs who meet the age requirements. This is its fourth year and it has tournaments all over the Continent. 
See  http://www.senior-golf-circuit.com/

Champion Miguel Angel Martin with representatives of the tournament's three sponsors: extreme left Gary Ross (Gymrental), Bob Edwards (Meldrum House) and, right, Nick Robson (Thistle Windows). Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.


FINAL TOTALS

Par 140 (2x70). The top 30 pros received cash prizes; only the leading 13 are listed below.
135 S Luna (Spain) 68 67, M A Martin (Spain) 66 69 (Martin won sudden death play-off at first extra hole). Martin £6,000, Luna £4,000.
136 T Spence (Eng) 69 67 (£3,000), P Streeter (Eng) 67 69 (£2,500).
137 J Harrison (Eng) 68 69 (£2,000).
138 P Price (Wal) 70 68 (£1,750), A Oldcorn (Sco) 69 69 (£1,500), S Brown (Eng) 68 71 (£1,250), N Job (Eng) 66 72 (£1,000).
139 B Longmuir (Sco) 70 69 (£1,000), D Shacklady (Eng) 70 69 (£950), A Firman (Eng) 69 70 (£900), R Arnott (Sco) 66 73 (£850)
140 J Bevan (Eng) 69 71m J M Carriles (Spa) 69 71
141 R Rafferty (Ire) 71 70
142 C Gillies (Sco) 73  69, K Kami (Malaysia) 71 71, P Affleck (Wal) 71 71, S Cipa (Eng) 74 68, N Gold (Sco) (am) 70 72
143 P Broadhurst (Eng) 69 74
144 B Cameron (Eng) 74 70, M Mackenzie (Eng) 73 71, M Booth (Eng) 75 69
145 J Romero (Spa) 74 71, K Hutton (Sco) 71 74, G Ryall (Eng) 70 75, J Romero (Spa) 74 71
146 C Elliott (Sco) 73 73, P Linhart (Spa) 73 73, D J Russell (Eng) 72 74, J Berry (Eng) 68 78
147 M Wharton (Eng) 74 73, M Farry (Fra) 76 71, D James (Sco) 69 78
148 P Moultrie (Sco) (am) 73 75, S Davidson (Eng) 74 74, N Mitchell (Eng) 73 75, T Lawrence (Eng) 71 77, G Brand (Eng) 75 73, M Reynard (Eng) 75 73, M Spooner (Eng) 77 71
149 N Robson (Sco) (am) 74 75, J Murphy (Eng) 74 75
150 L Turner (Eng) 71 79, G Potter (Eng) 74 76
151 N Marr (Sco) 73 78 , S McAllister (Sco) 74 77, M Briggs (Eng) 76 75, T Stevens (Eng) 76 75, Brian Marchank (Sco) 76 75, J McBride (Ire) 77 74
153 C Haynes (Eng) 77 76
154 G Stewart (Sco)  (am) 74 80 
155 A Campbell (Sco) (am) 78 77
156 B Brooks (Sco) (am) 76 80, S Ball (Eng) 78 78
157 G Banister (Eng) 75 82, A Jarrett (Eng) 78 79, G Pike (Eng) 78 79
159 P Van Dooren (Ned) ) 881, G Ross (Sco) (am) 84 75
161 T Tirkkonen (Fin) 76 85
162 M Gammell (USA)  82 80, P Ridley (Eng) 81 81
164 M Dale (Eng) 83 81
166 M Capaul (Ger) 89 77
167  P Kalita (Fra) 84 83
Best pro aged 60 and over - 1 Nick Job, 2 Bill Longmuir.
Best amateur - 1 Nicky Gold (Glasgow GC), 2 Paul Moultrie (Royal Troon), 3 Nick Robson (Meldrum House).

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    Nicky Gold (Glasgow Golf Club), winner of the leading amateur award, with the professional winner, Miguel Angel Martin

Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency