RENFREWSHIRE GOLF UNION

 

 Gerry Donnachie wins Renfrewshire seniors' title at Kilmacolm

Renfrewshire Golf Union News Release

On a beautiful sunny day once again the Renfrewshire Golf Union played their Seniors Championship on Wednesday, May 16 at the picturesque Kilmacolm Golf Club where the course was set up well by the greenkeeping staff for this major county event.

The event was well supported by a good number of the 24 clubs in the County with 104 players listed and 97 eventually starting.

Round of the day came from one of the late finishers, Gerry Donnachie (Greenock Golf Club), with a net score of 63 playing off 7, which matched the best gross asore of the day, 70 by Brian Adam (Paisley) and Stuart Millar ( Cochrane Castle).

Donnachie's 63 was enough to see him crowned 2018 Renfreshire Seniors Champion.

With this score he won Division 1 by three shots from his nearest challenger.

Gerry is pictured above  right receiving the trophy from Renfrewshire Golf Union official David Manderson.

In Division 2, Greenock Golf Club were again successful with another late finisher, Jim McNeill, claiming the spoils with a round of 79 less 13 for 66, winning this section  by one shot.

The rain earlier in the week had the course in great condition and the fairways, now off preferred lies were tight but fair and the greens were a joy to putt on.

This is the third year that the RGU have successfully played this competition at “The Mini Gleneagles” in Renfrewshire and like the Masters in Augusta we hope we have found a permanent home for the event.

The Renfrewshire Golf Union would like to thank Kilmacolm Golf Club for the use of their facilities to host this event, and to congratulate them on the condition of the course and the in-house facilities provided.

SCORES

Division 1

Gerry Donnachie – Greenock 70 – 7 - 63 (overall winner)

Danny McNair – Cochrane Castle – 78 – 12 – 66 (b.i.h.)

Bill Millan – Old Course Ranfurly – 77 – 11 - 66

Stuart Armitage – Old Course Ranfurly – 79 – 12 - 67

Division 2

Jim McNeill – Greenock – 79 – 13 - 66

Robert Loftus – Old Course Ranfurly – 82 – 15 - 67

Alan Gray – Whitecraigs – 84 – 16 - 68

George Martin  - Old Course Ranfurly – 88 – 19 – 69

 

Earlier in the week, on Sunday 13^th May, the first round of the Renfrewshire Golf Union Boys Match Play Championship for the Freedman Trophy also took place the Kilmacolm Golf Club, once again in splendid weather.

The first round results were:

Cameron Percy (Caldwell) bt Euan McNeill (Lochwinnoch) 3 and 2

John Jack jnr (Gourock) bt Harry Kellock (Kilmacolm) 2 holes

Aaron McCue (Greenock Whinhill) bt Evan Cole (Elderslie) 5 and 4

Roddy McAuley (Fereneze) bt Patrick McCartney (Greenock) 2 holes

Due to various issues the semi-final and final will again be played at Kilmacolm on Sunday, August 5.

 

Graham McGee

Press Officer

Renfrewshire Golf Union

kgmcgee@hotmail.com

 

 

 

CRAIBSTONE TOPPLE HAZLEHEAD IN

MAITLAND SHIELD QUARTER-FINALS

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Title-holders Hazlehead were toppled by Craibstone in the quarter-finals of the Maitland Shield at Deeside Golf Club this evening (WED).

Shock troopers Craibstone, who squeezed past Hazlehead by a single hole, have never won the City of Aberdeen men's double foursomes. Now they play the strong-going Newmachar line-up - winners by seven holes over Banchory - for a place in Friday's final.

Bon Accord, who lost to Hazlehead in last year's final, are still in there with a shout of going one better this time round. Their quartet of Matthew Greig, Chris Somers, Barrie Edmond and Alan Strath, scored a very good three-hole win over Murcar Links, Maitland Shield winners five times over the past 10 years.

Greig and Somers finished one up on Bryan Innes and Anthony Bews while Edmond and Strath were two holes up on Corin Stewart and Kenny Gunnyeon.

Now Bon Accord meet Royal Aberdeen in the semi-finals. The Balgownie men were given a walk-over in the quarter-finals by Nigg Bay, three of whose team were sent to work at short notice at Braemar.
What a pity for the Balnagask club following Nigg Bay's 13-hole win over Stonehaven in the first round, which suggested they were a force to be reckoned with in this year's tournament.

Craibstone's heroes were John Borthwick, Craig Wilkinson, Ian Still and Andrew Ashley. Borthwick and Wilkinson had a square match with Hazlehead's Greg Kennedy and Jack Pirie.

The decisive one-hole victory for Craibstone came from Still and Ashley over Richard Hyland and Grant Cheyne.

Banchory, who KO'd hosts Deeside in the first round, lost out to Newmachar's Chris Lamb, John Ross, Calvin Cheyne and Jamie Wilson. Lamb and Ross finished three up on Fergus Milne - a substitute for Adam Lindsay - and Roy Black while Cheyne and Wilson were four holes to the good against Craig Lindsay and David Brand.
WEDNESDAY EVENING RESULTS

MAITLAND SHIELD FOURSOMES

@Deeside Golf Club

QUARTER-FINALS

BON ACCORD bt Murcar Links by 3 holes
M Greig and C Somers 1, A Bews and B Innes 0.
B Edmond and A Strath 2, C Stewart and K Gunnyeon 0

ROYAL ABERDEEN w.o. Nigg Bay scr.
+Three of Nigg Bay team unavailable, having been sent to work at Braemar at short notice.

NEWMACHAR bt Banchory by 7 holes
C Lamb and J Ross 3, F Milne and R Black 0.
C Cheyne and J Wilson 4, C Lindsay and D Brand 0

CRAIBSTONE bt Hazlehead by 1 hole
J Borthwick and Craig Wilkinson 0, Greg Kennedy and Jack Pirie 0.
Ian Still and Andrew Ashley 1, Richard Hyland and Grant Cheyne 0

THURSDAY EVENING SEMI-FINALS
4.47 Bon Accord v Royal Aberdeen.
5.01 Newmachar v Craibstone
ends
+Tournament sponsored by Molly's Bistro and Malone's Irish Bar, both on the Douglas Hotel premises at Market Street, Aberdeen.

MURCAR LINKS. Standing: Corin Stewart and Kenny Gunnyeon. Sitting: Bryan Innes and Anthony Bews. Pictures by Simon Cruickshank.

NEWMACHAR. Standing: Chris Lamb and John Ross. Sitting (with eyes closed, unfortunately): Calvin Cheyne and Jamie Wilson.

MAITLAND SHIELD WINNERS SINCE 1999

2017 HAZLEHEAD

2016 MURCAR LINKS

2015 NEWMACHAR

2014 MURCAR LINKS

2013 BON ACCORD

2012 MURCAR LINKS

2011 BON ACCORD

2010 MURCAR LINKS

2009 CALEDONIAN

2008 MURCAR LINKS

2007 BON ACCORD

2006 NEWMACHAR

2005 CALEDONIAN

2004 ROYAL ABERDEEN

2003 ROYAL ABERDEEN

2002 CALEDONIAN

2001 HAZLEHEAD

2000 MURCAR LINKS

1999 NIGG BAY

Giant-killers Duff House Royal 2 KO'd by Cruden Bay in Senior Northern Counties Cup at Elgin

 

Defending champions Murcar Links beat Nairn Dunbar 2 by four holes to reach the quarter-finals of the Senior Northern Counties Cup men's double foursomes tournament in glorious weather and a course in great condition at Elgin Golf Club today.

Duff House Royal 2 had a great victory against Royal Dornoch 1 by 2 holes in the morning but could not sustain the good form and were beaten by Cruden Bay in the afternoon.

 SENIOR NORTHERN COUNTIES CUP
Elgin Golf Club

FIRST ROUND

Nairn Dunbar 1 bt Elgin 2 by 11 holes
H Clunas, C Duffy 9, L Stewart, J Morrison 0; I Duncan, D Bunker 2, I Hamilton, G Paterson 0.

Duff House Royal 2 bt Royal Dornoch 1 by 2 holes

A Smith, A Cruickshank 2, D Pearson, D MacDougall 0; G Kelly, A Alexander 0, J Seater, K Fraser 0.

Cruden Bay bt Forres by 4 holes

J Cooper, G Reid 3, N Parsons, K Farquhar 0; S Hutcheon, D Milne 1, D Thorne, A More 0.

 SECOND ROUND

 

Murcar Links bt Nairn Dunbar 2 by 4 holes

A Fiddes, M Lornie 2, K Campbell, D Lamb 0; B Holbrook, B Smith 2, G Robbins, B Ford 0.

Deeside bt Brora by 4 holes

K Ingram, A Ross 0, C Tulloch, N Elliott 0; D Rennie, T McAllister 4, T Gill, A Sutherland 0.

Elgin 1 bt Nairn Dunbar 1 by 2 holes

B Milne, A McGregor 3, H Clunas, C Duffy 0; B Inch, J Porter 0, I Duncan, D Bunker 1.

Cruden Bay bt Duff House Royal 2 by 10 holes

J Cooper, G Reid 4, A Smith, A Cruickshank 0; S Hutcheon, D Milne 6, G Kelly, A Alexander 0.

Royal Aberdeen bt Boat of Garten by 2 holes

J Christie, J Johnston 2, J Grant, P Downs 0; N Forster, A Laird 0, G Bell, G Hay 0.

Duff House Royal 1 bt Eriskay Whisky Galore by 14 holes

I Angus, M Jenkins 6, E Morrison, E Donaldson 0; J Kennedy, D Clark 8, W Rusk, P Bannerman 0.

Nairn bt Royal Dornoch 2  by 12 holes

R Smith, P Saggers 7, P Lee, R Murray 0; W Morris, P Tomisson 5, H MacKay, I McAuley 0.

Inverness bt Moray by 7 holes

L Chanceller, P Sinclair 0, M MacLeman, W MacLeman 0; B Boardman, J MacAuley 7. J McPherson, J Young 0.

Anglo Callan leading Scot after Round 1 of

Senior PGA Championship

Anglo-Scot Calum Callan (Cottesmore) was the leading Scot in a share of ninth place at the end of the first round of the Silversea Senior PGA professional championship over 54 holes at Foxhills today.
Callan shot a one-over-par 73, five shots behind the English leader, Mark Ridley (South Moor).

FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 72
68 M Ridley (South Moor)
69 J Gould (Eng)
70 R Ellis (Newark)

SCOTS' SCORES
73 C Callan (Cottesmore) (T9)
74 S McAllister (S McAllister Ltd), S Savage (Dalmuir) (T13)
75 G Harvey (Kinross) (T22)
77 M White (unatt), A Saddington (The Dutch), S Hunter (Royal Winchester), G Laing (North Wilts) (T37).
78  A Crerar (Panmure) 
79 R Arnott (Bishopbriggs), A MacKenzie (Saunton 
80 K Hutton (Downfield).
81 P Helsby (Made in Scotland) .
82 A J Webster (Edzell), G Goldie (Chingford), D Williamson (Kirkhill), R Hunter (Maiden) 
83 L Mann (Carnoustie GL) 

Leading 50 and ties after Round 2 qualify for final round

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE

 

Doug Ford, two-time major winner and World Golf Hall of Famer, dies at 95

Doug Ford, who won 19 times on the US PGA Tour, including the 1955 PGA and 1957 Masters, died on Monday at age 95

From 1952 to 1963, Doug Ford was one of the most prolific winners in professional golf. In that 12-year span, the Connecticut native who grew up in Manhattan won 19 PGA Tour titles, including two major championships—the 1955 PGA Championship and the 1957 Masters—bona fides that also would earn him a spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

On Tuesday, the PGA Tour announced that Ford, the oldest surviving Masters champion, had died the previous evening in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., at age 95.

“We cherish the rich history of our PGA Tour, of which Doug Ford was an integral part,” said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan in a statement.
“In an era when giants of the game were building the PGA Tour, Doug achieved remarkable success and never lost his unmatched love of the game. All of us owe a debt of gratitude to this great player.”

Born Aug. 6, 1922, in West Hartford, Conn., Ford, the son of a club professional, didn’t become a professional golfer himself until 1949 at age 26, having first served in the Coast Guard Air Division during World War II. It wasn’t long, however, before Ford was a regular and consistently good performer on the tour.

Ford’s first win came at the 1952 Jacksonville Open, and was notable in that he was supposed to face Sam Snead in an 18-hole playoff after the pair finished tied in regulation. However, Snead forfeited out of concern that he might have gotten a favorable but possible incorrect ruling during the final round.

By the time he entered the 1955 PGA, a match-play event at the time, at Meadowbrook Country Club outside of Detroit, Ford was already an eight-time tour winner. But his status rose further when he breezed through match play and defeated Cary Middlecoff in the final, 4 and 3. The victory, his third of the season along with 20 top-10 finishes, helped him clinch PGA player-of-the-year honors.

Two years later, Ford added his second major at the Masters when he shot a closing 66 to pass Snead, the 54-hole leader, and win by three strokes. Ford capped the memorable final round by holing out for birdie from a greenside bunker on the 72nd hole.
 The win gave him a lifetime exemption into the event, something he took full advantage of by playing the tournament 49 times, second most in Masters history.

A prolific individual player—from 1950 to 1963 he competed in 429 tour events, or roughly 31 a season, Ford also played on four straight U.S. Ryder Cup teams from 1955 to 1961, helping the Americans win three times. He continued his playing career in the 1980s and 1990s as one of the original members of the Senior PGA Tour. The totality of his career was finally recognized when he got into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011 at age 88.

Ford contemporaries admired his short game and his ability to step up under pressure, particularly when his own money was on the line. Ford was a notorious Tuesday practice round player.

“If you want to be a good tournament player, you've got to learn to handle the heat,” Ford said. “The only way to prepare for that is to play for your own dough.”

 

Young and O'Hara leading Scots at end of first EuroPro

Tour round at Frilford Heath

Danny Young (Kingsbarns Pro Academy) from Perth and Paul O'Hara (North Lanarkshire Leisure were the leading Scots in joint fourth place on three-under 69 at the end of the first round of the EuroPro Tour event, the Motocaddy Masters, at Frilford Heath Golf Club, Oxfordshire today.
They are two shots behind the English leader, left hander Chris Gane (Silvermere).
Craig Lawrie (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) is the third best placed Scot overnight with a two-under 70 for a share of 10th place. He birdied the long fourth, seventh, 14th and the long 15th in halves of 35, which included bogeys at the ninth and 13th.

SCROLL DOWN PAST THE SCORES TO READ
A FULLER SUMMARY OF THE DAY'S PLAY

LEADERBOARD
PAR 72
67 C Gane (Silvermere)
68 O Clarke (White Rose), N Kearney (Royal Dublin)
69 D Young (Kingsbarns PA), W Enefer (Eng), P Price (Wales), G Payne (Camberley Heath), J Ruth (China Fleet), P O'Hara (N Lanarkshire Leisure).
70 J Ablett (Lee on Solent), C Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC), H Sheridan-Mills (Walsall), K Lloyd (Wellingborough), S Grehan (Ire), R Prophet (Eng), C Farrelly (Eng), B Casey (Team Ireland), T Gandy (Rowany) (T10)

REST OF SCOTS' SCORES
71 L Allan (Alva) (T20)
73 C O'Neil (Clydebank and Dist) (T46)
74 J McColl (Kingsbarns PA), N Henderson (Renaissance), G Hay (Mearns Castle) (T66)
75 S Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC), R Campbell (Falkirk) (T90)
76 M Stewart (Troon Welbeck) (T103)
77 J Savage (Cawder) (T112)
78 P McKechnie (Braid Hills), L Saltman (Renaissance) (T131)
79 J Henry (Clydebank and Dist) (T141)
80 C Ross (Kirkhill) (T146).
89 A Morrison (Renaissance) (last of 155)


TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

Left hander Gane sets pace with a five-under 67

Chris Gane holds a one-shot advantage after day one of the first HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour event of the season, the Motocaddy Masters at Frilford Heath Golf Club’s Blue Course.

The 43-year-old (Lefthandedgolf at Silvermere) reached the turn at two-under-par, but it was on the closing stretch where he did most of the damage.

Gane, who is a two-time winner on the Challenge Tour, carded birdies at the 15th, 16th and 17th, before making par at the last to finish with an impressive five-under-par score of 67.

Oliver Clarke (White Rose Sport Management) and Niall Kearney (Royal Dublin Golf Club) head the chasing pack on four-under-par.

Clarke, 19, has already tasted a measure of success this season at Frilford, after coming second in the final stages of Qualifying School last month.

The youngster had a blistering finish to the round today, after struggling in his outward half. Clarke started from the 10th tee and bogeys at the 17th and 18th made him one-over-par after nine holes. However, he went on to compile five birdies to record a first round score of 68.

Kearney, who finished 11th in last season’s Order of Merit, was one of only two players to make an eagle on the par five 4th today and he is well positioned to contend for the lead in tomorrow’s second round.

Hot on the heels of Clarke and Kearney are a group of six players bunched together at three-under-par, including 2002 Ryder Cup star Phillip Price.

The Motocaddy Masters continues with the second round on Thursday (May 17), after which a cut to the leading 50 professionals and ties will be made. The final round takes place on Friday (May 18).

Spectator entry is free throughout and live scoring can be found at www.europrotour.com. Highlights of the Motocaddy Masters will air on Sky Sports on Tuesday May 29th.