July 21st 2007
MORE WINNERS
First of all an apology to the main prize-winners of the most important week in our golfing calendar. Having dutifully received the pictures from our own ace photographer (and also the man with the most unenviable task during Golf Week, Match & Handicap conveynor, Dave Gilmour), I managed to forward them into thin air, rather than to the man I had entrusted to keep you all informed about goings on at Lady Lever Park whilst I spent a couple of weeks in absentia. Sorry Ali “Ban”, Sorry newly crowned Western Isles Men’s Champion, Neil Rowlands; Ladies Champion, Jan MacLennan; Senior Champion, Iain MacRitchie; defending his Men’s Handicap Trophy winner, Ken MacDonald, and finally Junior Champion, Scott MacAulay.
No prize giving is complete without the recognition of the winners in the local press, and hopefully my error will not have marred the afterglow of their achievements.
From play a fortnight ago, to matters at hand last week. Wednesday (18th) saw Bryan Geddes bounce back from the biggest disappointment of his golfing career to date, losing out in the final of the Western Isles Open the previous Friday; to win the Centenary Medal Qualifier (Stableford) with a superb 42 pts, two ahead of nearest challenger Murdo MacAulay, and three ahead of third placed Jules Folkard.
Thursday saw the juniors contest the Daily Telegraph competition, and the winner on the evening was young Scott Nicolson with a fine nett 63. This is Scott’s first win of the season, and we have amongst this section some of the fiercest competition in the club. The one thing about competition is that it drives performance, and we have seen many of the juniors dramatically reduce their handicaps this season as a consequence.
Saturday’s junior competition (The Enco Shield) saw Stuart Munro capture his third trophy of the season with a fine nett 60. This reduced his handicap to 20, sixteen shots better than at the start of the summer.
Across the board the juniors have been fighting for silverware and improving their standards. Thanks to everyone involved with the junior section, but above all thanks to the juniors themselves by demonstrating how, by hard work, application and competition they have all become better golfers.
The Women’s Quaich on Saturday was won by Mary Joyce, her ninth victory in all competitions this summer. Winning by virtue of having the better inward half, she condemned the unfortunate Anne Galbraith to her second runner-up spot in a matter of weeks by dint of the same rule. Anne is now thinking about the “Red Bull” promise ( on offer last year) of giving her “wings” over the final 5 holes, to help her cross the “finish line” ahead of the pack.
Men’s winner on Saturday in the Leukaemia Research trophy was the evergreen –greenkeeper, Alasdair “Greens” MacLeod. Evergreen in more ways than one ( Yes, his team won the “double” last year ) , Al is one of the most consistent performers on the scene, and following on from a fine golf week, he picked up his first silverware of the season, finishing one shot ahead of Iain “Todd” MacKenzie. His Gross 68 (63) was his lowest round of the season and he will be one of the main contenders in the forthcoming Club Championship.
With the cream of the golfers coming to the fore in Golf week, and with the team who represented the Islands in Rhodes back on home soil, along with current club champion ,Colin MacRitchie ( Goalkeeper for the Western Isles football team who claimed bronze in Greece), the fight over four rounds for the second ”Major” of the season will be eagerly anticipated by everyone in the club.
I may bore you all with more tales of Rhodes at a later date, but as I get back into the “swing” of compiling the notes, I will spare you just now. Many thanks to Ali “Ban” MacLennan for deputising for me for the best part of the last month, and my apologies if this report seems a bit “flat”, a consequence ,I’m afraid , of coming back to “reality” with a bit of a bang.
Alasdair Macleod
Bryan Geddes
Western Isles Open Amateur Champions
(From Left to Right)
Men’s Handicap Champion: Ken Macdonald
Men’s Scratch Champion: Neil Rowlands
Ladie’s Champion: Jan Maclennan
Junior Champion: Scott Macaulay
Senior Champion: Iain Macritchie
(From Left to Right)
Men’s Handicap Champion: Ken Macdonald
Men’s Scratch Champion: Neil Rowlands
Ladie’s Champion: Jan Maclennan
Junior Champion: Scott Macaulay
Senior Champion: Iain Macritchie
Mary Joyce