Memories of a 12-year-old boy watching Allan

Brodie at his peak

FROM ANDREW COUTTS

Love the Youth International articles. Thank you for sharing them with us. (David Walkinshaw from the 1958 match was my biology teacher and a real top man!)

As an amateur golf tragic myself I thought you might be interested in me recalling the 1976 St Andrews Trophy match (Great Britain and Ireland v Continent of Europe) over the Old Course.

As a 12-year-old boy (junior member at Balmore Golf Club) on his holiday in the Scores Hotel (St Andrews), I was able to catch the tail end of the 1976 British Amateur in which Allan Brodie made the semi-finals and then watch Allan in the Great Britain and Ireland team.

Large Scottish contingent in the team. When the amateurs were true amateurs, ie worked for a living!

Keep up the great work. Love your website.

Andrew Coutts

Scroll down to the very end to read a footnote by Michael Niven

 

1976 St Andrews Trophy match over the Old Course.

 

FIRST DAY FOURSOMES

GB and Ireland 3.5, Continent of Europe 1.5

I C Hutcheon and S Martin halved with H Hedjerson and J Rube.

P J Hedges and J C Davies bt A Godillot and T Planchin 2 and 1.

B Marchank and A W B Lyle halved with V Pagel and A Croze.

M J Kelley and G Brand bt G Lundqvist and J Muller 6 and 5.

C W Green and A Brodie bt E De La Riva and S Betti 1 hole.

 

FIRST DAY SINGLES

GB and Ireland 6, Continent of Europe 4

Davies bt Godillot 6 and 5.

Hutcheon lost to Hedjerson 2 and 1.

Kelley bt Pagel 3 and 2.

Martin bt Croze 3 and 2.

Hedges lost to Rube 2 and 1.

Marchbank lost to de La Riva 6 and 5.

Green lost to Muller 1 hole.

Brodie bt Planchin 3 and 2.

Lyle bt Hofstetter 3 and 2.

Smyth bt Betti 3 and 2.

 

+Andrew Coutts was unable to supply me with the detailed results for the second day - and with the passing of the R and A Golfer's Handbook, there is no way of finding them out, some 40 years later!

But we do know that GB and I led 9.5 to 5.5 at the end of the first day and, after the second day's play,  were overall winners of the St Andrews Trophy by 18.5 to 11.5, which means that GB and I "won" the second-day foursomes and singles by a combined margin of 9-6.

 

SECOND DAY FOURSOMES

GB and Ireland v Continent of Europe

Davies and Hedges v Hedjerson and Rube.

Hutcheon and Martin v Hofstetter and Muller.

Kelley and Grand v Croze and Pagel.

Lyle and Smyth v Godfillot and Planchin.

Green and Brodie v Lundqvist and De La Riva.

 

SECOND DAY SINGLES

GB and Ireland v Continent of Europe

Davies v Hedjerson

Martin v Godillot

Kelley v Croze

Hutcheon v Rube

Brodie v De La Riva

Hedges v Muller

Marchbank v Planchin

Lyle v Lundqvist

Smyth v Pagel

 

Day 2 scoreline: GB and Ireland 9, Continent of Europe 6

 

OVERALL RESULT: GB and I 18.5, Continent of Europe 11.5

 

As Andrew points out, the GB and I line-up contained several Scots, including Steve Martin, Ian Hutcheon, Allan Brodie, B (not sure if Brian or Billy) Marchbank, and Sandy Lyle. The "G Brand" could have been Gordon Brand junior, who is a Scot, but more likely it was the English version of Gordon Brand!

Sandy Saddler from Forfar was the non-playing captain of the GB and I team.

 

Thanks for the memories, Andrew!

FOOTNOTE FROM MICHAEL NIVEN

Re your post, I think it is virtually certain that the B Marchbank mentioned is Brian (around age 18/19 then).  Billy is too young for this time.  My recollection is that he played for Scottish youths around the early 1980s.

 

On G Brand, I also think that it is likely he is the Brand with Scottish connections who came from the Bristol area.  He is broadly ages with Brian M.  It was only when this Brand turned professional that he become Brand Junior, to differentiate from the English “Baildon” G Brand who was already professional.

  

 

Michael Niven