Caledonian quintet monopolise trophies

Four of the five Caledonian Golf Club members who won the major trophies at the Aberdeen Links championship are pictured above. That's scratch champion Stuart Whyte in the centre with senior champion, Stewart Finnie, extreme right. Stuart Wemyss is on the extreme left and Dave Forbes  is second left. Not in the picture is the Royal Aberdeen Medal winner as leading qualifier for the scratch match-play is Barry Reid, also a Caley member. He lost in the semi-finals. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

STUART WHYTE (41) WINS ABERDEEN LINKS

CHAMPIONSHIP ON DEBUT IN EVENT

Stuart Whyte, a member of Caledonian Golf Club, beat Steve Jamieson (Nigg Bay), son of the former Scottish amateur champion, Donald Jamieson, by 2 and 1 in today's (Sat) 18-hole final of the Aberdeen Links championship at the Kings Links.

Whyte, 41, originally from Inverallochy, has spent years in Spain, Dubai and Oman in an oil-rated capacity. This was his debut in the Aberdeen championship. 

All square at the turn, he won four holes in a row from the 10th but lost the 14th and 16th. Whyte was approximately level par when the match finished on the 17th green, having hole-winning birdies at the eighth, 12th and 13th. The 17th was halved in birdies.

Caledonian members won all five "major" trophies at the

championship with Stewart Finnie taking the seniors' title, decided over 36 holes of stroke-play, for a third year in a row.

Dave Forbes won the Handicap Shield Final and Stuart Wemyss won the Murray Cup Final.

Barry Reid, pictured right, also of the Caley club and Links champion in 2016, won the Royal Aberdeen Medal as leading qualifier for the scratch match-play stages. He lost in the semi-finals to Steve Jamieson.

Stuart Wemyss, making his debut in the event, staged a remarkable victory at the 20th, having been six down to Michael Boyd after eighth holes. Wemyss, who received six strokes, squared the match at the 18th

Results:

ABERDEEN LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP - Final: Stuart Whyte (Caledonian) bt Steve Jamieson (Nigg Bay) 2 and 1.

HANDICAP SHIELD - Final: Dave Forbes (Caledonian) (7) bt Stuart Slessor (Northern) (4) 6 and 5.

MURRAY CUP - Final: Stuart Wemyss (Caledonian) (20) bt Michael Boyd (Bon Accord) (14) at 20th.

ROYAL ABERDEEN MEDAL WINNER - Barry Reid (Caledonian). Leading scratch qualifier

SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
leading totals: par 142 (2x71)

139 Stewart Finnie (Caledonian) 71 68 (winner by 3 strokes).
142 Graham V Somers 72 70.
143 Steve Forsyth 70 73.
144 George H Paterson 70 74.
146 David Mullen 71 75.
148 Ron Watson 73 75.
149 Graham McBeath 75 74.
151 Scott Spiers 79 72.
152 Roy Pirie 74 78.
153 George Reid 76 77, R A Fraser 75 78.
158 James Muir 82 76.
159 Benny Lumsden 80 79.
160 Walter Rae 89 72.
161 Dave Fowler 81 80, Jim Skinner 80 81, Norman Stewart 78 83.
162 Thomas Brebner 82 80.
163 Albert Forbes 80 83.
164 John Murphy 85 79, Ian McDougall 78 86.
165 Gordon Fiddes 82 82, Ricky Dunn 79 86.
166 Alan Hunter 85 81.
168 Willie Ross 80 88.
169 George Henderson 83 86

HISTORICAL NOTE:
The Aberdeen Links championship was played for the first time in 1904 - the year after Aberdeen Football Club was formed. First winner of the Aberdeen links title was Willie McFarlane who later turned pro and, with many other Scottish pros of the time, emigrated to America where he won the 1925 United States Open.
In the pre-television entertainment days, the Aberdeen Links championship final was watched by three-figure galleries.