David Oliver wins Royal Aberdeen

Medal as leading qualifier

 

 By COLIN FARQUHARSON

David Oliver (Caledonian) won the Royal Aberdeen Medal as the leading qualifier for the match-play stages of the Aberdeen Links championship.

He shot a five-under-par 66, a great score which might have been even better as Oliver was seven under with four holes to play but bogeyed two of them.

Oliver was given a walk-over in the first round of the match-play.

Defending champion Barry Reid (Caledonian) had the second best score of 68. Barrie Edmond (Bon Accord), a multi-winner of the title,was also among the 16 qualifiers for the championship match-play,

In this the first year that entries from ALL clubs who play in the Aberdeen and District Pennant League were accepted. Bryan Innes (Murcar Links) is the only non-Links club member among the qualifiers. He won his first match-play tie by 2 and 1 against the joint ,third best qualifier, L Minty of Northern,  to reach Wednesday evening's quarter-finals

Stewart Finnie (Caledonian), the 1994 Links champion, lost his first round tie to clubmate Richie Davidson at the 27th hole, believed to be the longest match in the history of the championship.

 

LEADING SCRATCH QUALIFIERS

Par 71. CSS 70.

66 D Oliver (C)

68 B Reid (C)

69 M Greig (BA), L Minty (N)

 

First round results:

LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

D Oliver (C) w.o. P Benson (N) scr

C Ross (N) bt M Smith (BA) 7 and 5

B Innes (Murcar Links) bt L Minty (N) 2 and 1

N Mitchell (BA) bt D Leslie (BA) 1 hole.

B Reid (C) bt L Ross (C) 3 and 1.

B Edmond (BA) bt C Somers (BA) 4 and 2.

M Greig (BA) bt N Walker (N) 5 and 4

R Davidson (C) bt S Finnie (C) at 27th.

 

HANDICAP SHIELD

G Meade (C) bt S Smith (C) 2 holes.

A Sheldrick (C) bt S Slessor (N) 4 and 3.

J Thomas (BA) bt J Muir (N) 2 holes.

D Smith (Portlethen) bt A Divers (C) 1 hole.

A Doig (C) bt W West (N) 5 and 3.

G Robertson (N) bt P Cheyne (N) 3 and 2.

D Forbes (C) bt D Rae (N) 3 and 2.

J Gray (C) bt P Kirton (BA) 2 and 1.

MURRAY CUP

R Grieve (BA) bt G Fiddes (N) 4 and 3

J Forrest (N) w.o. A Hunter (C) scr

A Shirreffs (N) bt R Sellar (N) 3 and 2.

R Duncan (BA) bt C Moir (Hazlehead) 4 and 2.

P Kane (Murcar Links) bt M Ogston (N) 3 and 2.

S Kelly (BA) bt T Russo (N) 3 and 2.

B Smith (C) bt L Robson (N) 1 hole

N Stewart (N) bt L Barclay (BA) at 19th.

Abbreviations

BA: Bon Accord

C: Caledonian

N: Northern