GRAMMAR WIN

SCHOOLS TITLE

AFTER CAPTAIN

MHAIRI HOLES

BIRDIE PUTT

Aberdeen Grammar School won the Aberdeen schools golf championship final by the narrowest of margins over Robert Gordon’s College over the Hazlehead No 1 course this evening.
The final ended in a draw: Grammar 1 ½, Gordon’s 1 ½ and the title went to Grammar by one hole on a holes-up countback.
Nick McAndrew and David Law won the first tie for Grammar by beating Michael Kelly and Steven Smith 4 and 3.
Gordon’s College pair Chris Black and Andrew Harris levelled the overall score at 1-1 by beating William Rennie and Kevin Bass 3 and 2.
Under the holes-up format, that meant Grammar had a one-hole lead (4 to 3) which would prove decisive should the last match to finish end all square.
And it did.
Gordon’s boys Neale Barnes and Harris Jones were one up on Grammar’s Donald McAndrew and Mhairi Johnstone playing the last hole in front of a large gallery.
Mhairi played a real captain’s part for Grammar by holing a 6ft birdie putt on the 18th green to halve the match and secure the trophy for the school on the countback.
Details:
Grammar School names first:
N McAndrew, D Law bt M Kelly, S Smith 4 and 3.
W Rennie, K Bass lost to C Black, A Harris 3 and 2.
D McAndrew, M Johnstone halved with N Barnes, H Jones.
++Picture, by courtesy of Derek Johnstone, shows the winning Grammar School team with Mhairi Johnstone holding the trophy.

Mhairi Johnstone said later:
Through 10 holes, Donald and I were three down and feeling down and out, but when Donald holed for a 2 at the 12th, all of a sudden we were pumped and and ready for the ultimate comeback.
We went back to being thre down on the 14th but birdies at the 15th and 16th got us back to one down.
By this time we that that David and Nick had won and that Kevin and William had been beaten.
Donald had a putt on 17 to win the hole but it just slid by. We knew we had it all to do, going down the last but, having played with each other before, we knew that, beween the two of us , we could make something happen.
Donald hit his drive and I hit my five wood. Donald was unlucky with his lie and his second shot landed short of the green.
Our opponents had both hit to the back of the green and I knew I had to land my ball close. Using my nine iron, I stuck the ball into six feet and at that point I had a feeling that it might just be our night.
After some discussion with my partner, I strode up to the ball and slotted it home, just like any other putt.
Afterwards I was overwhelmed. The looks on my team-mates' faces summted it up perfectly. We were all in complete shock.
Our first pair, Nick McAndrew and David Law, played phenomenal golf. They were seven under par through 15 holes, including five consecutive birdies from the 11th.