Simon Mitchell & Brian Davie (aka Statler & Waldorf) shuffle their way over the gully.
Stonehaven’s club championship beckons this week with several contenders contending for contention. The club’s blessed with several low handicappers capable of lifting the trophy, some of them having done so several times before. Father and son Neil & Craig Irvine for example have their names engraved on the trophy a dozen times between them, Kevin Riddell is no stranger to the gold medal and neither is Bruce Ferguson, the current champion.
Four gruelling rounds will be played over the space of six days (Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday & Friday). For many it’s an achievement purely to make the cut for the final two rounds, a combined total of 150 strokes or less usually sufficient. It’s worth it on two levels; a) the glory and b) a free plate of sandwiches served up during the closing ceremony once the champion is crowned.
At last count 18 players boasted handicaps between 0-4 and each will be hoping for something rather more than a cheese & pickle sarnie come Friday 26th June. The following are the players in question, their odds based on handicaps and recent form –
2/1 – K Riddell, C Irvine, A Russon
4/1 – R McAllan, G Adamson, I Brattey
5/1 – B Ferguson, J Barbour, P McWhirter
6/1 – D Mclean, C Brown
7/1 – R Duncan, C Watson, G Broxton, D Barnard, M Wood, A Robertson
8/1 – N Irvine, S Wright
If you’re looking for long shots and rank outsiders, then the following might be worth a punt, but probably best to save your cash –
150/1 – B McGillivary (keeps it straight but gammy knee has him moving like Hopalong Cassidy)
250/1 – S Cameron (can string a couple of good rounds together but no hope of four in a row)
1,000/1 – S Mitchell (barely broke 90 last weekend despite perfect conditions, short game quite preposterous)
Last week’s warm up exercise was the Saturday Sweep, 78 players competing with the top 4 registering nett 64’s, David Bell carrying the day thanks to a better inward nine. 13 players registered reprehensible no-returns including current club champion Bruce Ferguson, not the ideal preparation for a title defence.
I tickled it around for a nonchalant nett 67 that promised much more until I blew up on the final two holes, inexplicably dropping three shots. Not to worry, I notched a sublime birdie 2 on the 15th hole to qualify for a share of the loot given I’d entered the ‘Twos Comp’ which rewards those skilful enough to complete a hole in just two strokes. My rifled 5-iron on the 15th nestled fifteen feet from the pin before I rolled in a putt which didn’t deviate for a single moment from its line of perfection. Poetry in motion some might say, just routine, run of the mill golf for the likes of me however.
Results – Saturday Sweep
- D Bell 64 (6)
- I Macleod 64 (5)
- D Mcrae 64 (11)