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Machrie Open 2009
Added: Monday June 1st
We had high hopes for this year`s Machrie Open, as a perfect blend of weather in the weeks leading up to the event had ensured the course would provide a good test of golf. The sun even came out for the practise day on the Friday, but an unfortunate return to tournament normality saw the wind rise and the heavens open for the first round on Saturday (23rd). Ian MacCuaig showed no signs of letting the conditions get to him, however, returning a fine 73 to lead the scratch by 2 from Ian Middleton and 3 from debutante Mark Guy. Playing off a handicap of 7, Ian was also leading the way in the handicap section, although a good round from David Johnston kept him relatively within touch. As is common when the wind and rain take control at the already attritionally difficult Islay links, many competitors found it completely beyond them even to return a score, but you can always rely on wily campaigners like Norman McDonald and Gordon MacMillan to get round the course without playing themselves out of things, and it was no surprise to see the two of them and several other stalwarts sneak in with scores in the high 70`s.
It was well set up, then, for an interesting day`s golf on the Sunday, and this was helped by the weather conditions returning to something a bit more acceptable for golf. Ian MacCuaig was out in the first group, but unfortunately was a bit less consistent than he had been on day one and was unable to set a tough target for those following behind. Ian Middleton was the next contender home, but again his score of 77 was slightly higher than he might have hoped. This had given Norman McDonald and Gordon MacMillan hope that a good result on day two might just leapfrog them into the lead, but sadly Kimble- although managing a fine Sunday 74- missed out by one shot with Gordon (after a 75) finishing one further back. Only John Kidd and Mark Guy (playing together at the end of the field) had a realistic chance of putting an imprint on the leaderboard, but neither could manage and so it was Ian Middleton went home with the spoils and our congratulations. It is a while since Ian`s name appeared 'freshly painted' on one of the boards in the Machrie bar, but his efforts last weekend showed he is still a major force to be reckoned with when his putter works for him.
Sam Johnston was the victor in the handicap section (with 146), coming through on the rails to pip Ian MacCuaig by a single shot. Several players finished on 148, with John O`Neill from Wishaw claiming third ahead of Alan McGhee by virtue of his better second round.
It was generally agreed that this year`s Open had been a resounding success, despite the weather. Much of this as always has to do with the genial atmosphere created by Islay members and the assembled visitors themselves, but it would be remiss of me not to mention and thank Alistair MacMillan and Ron Goudie for their fantastic contributions to the organisation of the event, without which things would not have gone nearly so smoothly.
Greenkeepers Clean Up During Cross Week
Added: Thursday August 28th
This year`s Kildalton Cross week (2nd to 8th August) began not with the Club Championship -as in previous years- but with a fun am/am competition that was enjoyed by families and friends alike. The weather and therefore the scoring were both good, and the Maxwell/ Morrison team went home with the excellent prizes donated by sponsors Western Ferries. The combination of Andrew Morrison`s prodigious hitting and young Andrew Maxwell`s steadily improving play was too much for the rest of the field to cope with- their 94 point score was frankly ridiculous! The barbeque that followed this competition was enjoyed by all, and it was nice to be able to ease ourselves into the week in such a relaxing way, rather than by playing two attritional rounds of strokeplay in one day as has previously been the case.
The traditional Visitors vs Locals match on Sunday was played as always in good spirits, with around 50 competitors taking part in very pleasant weather. John Campbell had arranged some very good games, and the banter was excellent. I can`t quite work out why, though, he felt he wanted to pair himself with Sam Johnston against Paul Samphire and Andrew Morrison, the three longest drivers in the club- he must have a masochistic streak I haven`t noticed before! I apologise for not actually knowing what the result of this match was, but I assume it was a draw- it always is.
After all the hilarity of the first two days, it was down to business on Monday- Cross qualifying. Gulp. Two words that when uttered together in the same sentence can produce sweats and nervous twitches in any Islay golfer. Mercifully the weather was friendly for a change- light winds, no rain, and no midges made a welcome change from the testing conditions competitors have had to put up with in recent years. Still the nerves conspired to ruin many a scorecard, although Lorne Kennedy seemed oblivious to any internal pressure as he returned a best of the day nett 66. Kimble had warned me that this would happen- he had been drawn with Lorne on the Sunday and had waxed lyrical about the quality of his driving and putting. Even though the pair of us have always got on extremely well, I immediately made a silent wish to avoid him should I play well enough to qualify for the matchplay! Competitors clamoured round the sheet Keith MacDonald produced at the end of the day in an attempt to work out what they would need to score on day 2 to secure qualification, but in reality everybody knows this is a pointless exercise. After all, you still have to go out on Tuesday and hit the shots.
The weather on Tuesday was fairly similar to day 1, and now the nerves were really getting frayed. Horror stories were being told about how good rounds came to grief as competitors chased unattainable scores instead of playing the sensible golf that would have ensured qualification. In the end the cut fell on 153, with the following players grabbing a coveted place in the matchplay draw:
Ian MacDonald - Ian Middleton - John Kidd - Dougie Adams - John MacIntyre jnr. - Keith MacDonald - Lorne Kennedy - Myself - Alistair Livingston - Gregor Govan - Brian O`Neill - Gordon MacMillan - Nigel Carmichael - Neil Carmichael - Willie Binnie - Paul Samphire - Hunter Jackson - Kenny Swan - Gordon Sim - Sandy Reid - Brian McAuley - Donnie Holyoake - Jim Rozga - Max McGill - John Gordon - Neil Gordon - Richard Kidd - Nigel Roberston - John Ferguson - Ross Currie - Derek Gray - Paul Hammonds
Wednesday dawned, and all involved were delighted to see that the forecasted rain had simply not materialised. With the shackles of strokeplay removed, it was, as Donnie Holyoake always says, time to go out and enjoy playing golf. Proof that Donnie lives by his mantra was evident as he eased himself past Brian McAuley and into the next round, where he would meet the defending champion, Jim Rozga. Jim was showing no signs of being hampered by the blow of having his handicap reduced by three whole strokes- two taken off him by the organisers for having the audacity of winning last year (Cross tradition), and one for being daft enough to get himself cut from 10 to 9 in the qualifying. His excellent play with that new Ping driver saw him oust the only Holyoake left in the competition, and guaranteed his Thursday tee-time. Elsewhere out on the course, Ian MacDonald managed to get the scalp of Ian Middleton- only to then lose out to Dougie Adams in extra holes, while first time qualifier Gregor Govan managed to beat both Alistair Livingston and Gordon MacMillan. John Gordon beat his son Neil in cold and clinical fashion, before scraping past an on form Richard Kidd. I started my campaign against- you`ve gueseed it- Lorne Kennedy! We were both still working in Crieff the last time we played golf together, and Lorne`s game really has come on vastly since then. I had to call on all my Machrie experience to win at the last, before stepping out against my favourite nemesis Keith MacDonald in the afternoon. Now I reckon I`ve played Keith about 8 times in matchplay competitions in the last three years, and I can only remember one game that didn`t go all the way to, or past, the last green (he beat me at 17 on that occasion). This game was an epic- I was 3 down after 5, then I was 3 up after 13, then 1 up after 15, then back to 2 at the next, before finally losing the last two holes to Keith`s tremendous 3,4 finish. Down the extra holes we went, both parring the 1st, both producing excellent birdies at the 2nd, both holing great par putts at the 3rd, before I finally emerged victorious at the 22nd.
I was expecting a drenching on Thursday, as the forecast again promised heavy morning rain. It was a pleasant surprise, then, to be out cutting green surrounds in early morning sunshine, and this set me up in a good mood for a friendly game against outgoing captain Dougie Adams. This match could at best be described as scrappy- we both hit some very good shots, but to be truthful we also both played some real rubbish. I finally came through at the 17th. Gregor Govan finally met his match against a determined Nigel Carmichael, while the ever-steady Gordon Sim ended the unbeaten run of Jim Rozga. The draw`s bottom game saw John Gordon, who ominously had his favourite caddy on the bag now, triumph against Ross Currie. The semi finals both went all the way to the 18th, with me edging out Nigel in a hard-fought contest that featured some really good putting from both sides. News from behind suggested that Gordon Sim was well on his way to beating John Gordon, but an epic comeback from John saw him squeeze into the final by the narrowest of margins. The Plate had, by this time, reached semi-final stage, with vice captain Stewart Litster through against Russell Macdonald to meet Ian Cannon, who had beaten Alister Blair. On the other side of the draw, David Titchmarsh beat David Middleton and lined up to play an excited Vaughan Ralph, who had coolly dispatched last year`s finalist Sandy McNeil and then George Campbell before knocking out Ernie Posey. Peter Gordon narrowly defeated Ian Farrell to make it through to the semi-finals of the junior Cross, where he would face defending champion Sam Johnston- the winner of this game would play the victor in the battle of the MacDonalds between cousins Kirsty and Robbie.
Early Friday morning was absolutely glorious- one of those fresh Machrie dawns that make me laugh that I actually get paid to be out there cutting greens. A nine mile walk preceded a large breakfast and a short hike to the 1st tee to shake the hand of my final opponent, four time Cross winner John Gordon. We gifted each other the first couple of holes, before we settled into a steady rhythm, both playing some pretty good golf and holing our share of putts. I managed to win a couple of holes around the turn that eased me into a 3 hole lead which I maintained into luchtime despite 3 putting from just off the back of the 15th, and then losing my tee shot at 17. Ian Cannon and David Titchmarsh won their way through to the Plate final, while Sam Johnston played brilliantly to win his match with Pete Gordon, setting himself up to play Robbie MacDonald in the final. Robbie nearly got beaten by a girl, but held his nerve to defeat Kirsty at the 20th. Scott Grier won his match against John Mason to make the final of the Senior Cross, where he was set to face Ian Patrick.
The afternoon`s proceedings commenced with incoming Captain Charles Holyoake driving into office. He nearly had the honour of being the first Captain ever to lose a ball while doing so, as it took an age for any of the kids to locate his wedge into the right hand rough. His second shot for the adults prize came back much more quickly with Alex McLean producing a sparkling return to form in the event. Good positioning in the fairway and a full stretch grab that would have had the envy of the England cricket team ensured that Korky would be in overall charge of the whisky for the afternoon. John and myself were off next, and I was delighted to produce a better tee shot than I had in the morning round for the benefit of the assembled masses. A birdie at the 2nd and a solid par at 3 saw me go 5 up, before some scrappy shots and a couple of solid pars from John saw him close the gap once more. Kimble settled me down well after this, and the next few holes saw both of us produce some excellent golf. I felt like I had the backing of the whole of Islay by this time, which was a good feeling to have as tiredness was creeping in and I was approaching the stage of the match that every Cross winner seems to struggle with. John gave me an opening when he missed the green at the 10th, but the 3 foot putt that would have taken me into a four hole lead was pulled horribly. I should have won the next hole too, but a duffed pitch after John had missed the green with his second shot meant that the gap was still 3 after 11. John got up and down brilliantly for a half from over the back of the 12th, before winning the 13th with a bogey 6 after I had completely messed up the hole despite two reasonable long shots. A superb drive up the 14th had John in the ascendancy, as I ducked hooked a 2 iron into knee high silage. A couple of bananas, some Lucozade Sport, and some calming words from my excellent caddy had me back on an even keel before I`d even got to the green, though, and even though I lost the hole I was back on the up by the time we reached the 15th tee. A good tee shot from John was followed by an overhit second which found the rough over the back, giving me the impetus to follow up the 4 wood tee shot I had knocked over the hill with a good wedge which just trickled through the green. My simple approach putt seemed to slow up agonisingly quickly, leaving me a nasty 5 footer with a severe swing to win the hole after John failed to get up and down. In she went, though, and, with confidence now booming, I slashed my tee shot up 16 into perfect position. John hit his first really bad drive of the day here, just when he needed a good one, and the ball ended in heavy rough down the left side. By the time we reached the green it was evident that two putts for a par would be enough to secure me the Cross, and delight replaced anxiety as I rolled my approach putt from the edge of the green up to within a couple of feet. Retiring to the bar with Kimble in a state of mental exhaustion, I suddenly noticed how many people had been watching, and how genuinely pleased everybody seemed to be that I`d won. “It`s great to see a local win it”, I was repeatedly told as my hand was enthusiastically shaken. I was just honoured to learn that so many people now consider me to be a local!
Ian Cannon followed me home as a delighted winner of the Plate (I should think he was delighted, look who he beat- Derek Carr, John Campbell, Alister Blair, Stewart Litster and then David Titchmarsh in the final- no wonder they say the Plate is the most difficult competition to win!), and Scott Grier emerged victorious in the Seniors event. There was a lull after that as the junior final went the full distance, and the watching masses who had retired to the bar started to stream back towards the first tee as news filtered through that Sam had clawed back the lead that Robbie had opened up on him. A long putt holed at 18 ensured the game would go into extra time, and both players hit excellent tee shots down the 1st. Robbie`s second finished short in the hills, but a really well played pitch and putt from there gave him a solid par. This left Sam with an awkward 8 footer down and across the slope (to the dodgy pin position he himself had earlier set) to win the match, which he slammed confidently into the back of the hole to successfully defend the title he had won in similarly spectacular fashion the year before. The boy has nerves of steel, and he will be a force to be reckoned with when he hits the big time next season.
The evening dinner that followed the golf on Friday was a relaxed and highly enjoyable affair, with Charles Holyoake doing an excellent job as master of ceremonies, and David Brodie, Diane Brown and myself providing the main speeches. John Gordon showed what an eloquent speaker, and what a complete gentleman, he is with a funny and well constructed speech that I found impossible to follow. To be fair though, with that magnificent trophy glinting in your eye and distracting you while you`re trying to talk, it is quite hard to concentrate.
Many thanks to all the people who helped make this Cross week so enjoyable for me. The committee of the Islay Golf Club, Club Captain Charles Holyoake and his partner Thelma, outgoing Captain Dougie Adams, the tireless Keith MacDonald, Alan Hyslop, Ian Patrick, John Campbell, Diane Brown, Ian Brown and the staff of the Machrie Hotel who provide everything a competing guest could need, the greenkeeping staff who work enthusiastically for the benefit of the Islay Golf Club all year and who pull out all the stops for Cross week (especially when Sam and I skive off halfway through the day to play golf!), Gordon Ross and Western Ferries for sponsoring the am-am, Nigel Robertson for agreeing to compere the quiz at the last minute, Norman MacDonald for caddying so brilliantly in the final, and all the people I played golf with and socialised with. Its been a pleasure writing a Cross report about myself, and I can`t wait for it all to start again in 51 weeks time.