News Archive 2011

SALJGA took a commanding 4-0 lead into the second leg of our annual fixture against Scotscraig which was played on the Jubilee on Sunday.  Murray Watson captained the same team who represented SALJGA at Scotscraig and they made no mistake by winning the second leg 3-1 thereby regaining the trophy with an aggregate score of 7-1.

Murray Watson captained SALJGA to a 4 – 0 lead against Scotscraig in the first leg of our annual match which was played at Scotscraig on Sunday.

SALJGA member Owen McManus shot his first ever hole-in-one the other day which was the third of the year for SALJGA.

A team of golfers from Uppingham School in Rutland made their annual pilgrimage to the ‘Home of Golf’ and challenged SALJGA to a match which was played on the Eden last Wednesday in good conditions.

Alasdair McDougall, our 14 year old 2011 SALJGA Order of Merit winner took full advantage of his opportunity to play in this year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship by finishing third in the team event with his pro Joost Luitens.

This year’s Annual Prizegiving and Barbecue was blessed with excellent weather allowing the award ceremony to be conducted outside.  Moreover, we were very fortunate to have Dennis Walters and his dog Bucky, who were visiting the ‘Home of Golf’ to provide a fitting finish to the day with the ‘Dennis Walters Golf Show’.

Ben Kinsley won an extremely tight Challenge Tour Junior Open after a four-way count-back with Ruairidh Robertson, Alasdair McDougall and Zack Bedford.

Rory Henretty won the Boy’s Mini-tour 1 Junior Open and Jemma Brown won the girl’s event which was played on the Eden Course in excellent weather on Sunday.  Meanwhile, James Picken and Ellie MacCallum were winners of the Mini-tour 2 event.

The 2012 Balgove Junior Open had a maximum field of 27 entries and produced 2 boys winners, George Yarr and Tom Constance whilst Iona Byers and Beth Constance won the girls’ competitions.

Catherine Wilson won the Duffy Salver which was played on the Strathtyrum as a mixed gender competition last month; to win her second tournament of the season.

Sam Rigg won the boys’ Davidson Trophy and Jemma Brown won the girls’ event, both of which were played on the Strathtyrum last month in the SALJGA Mini-tour 1 for handicaps 13 to 24.

Alan Whitelock, who is playing in his first year on the Challenge Tour won the 36 hole Room Medal last week which was played on the Eden Course in dry but breezy conditions.

Alasdair McDougall won the ‘Blue Riband’ event of the SALJGA competition season with an eight stroke victory over the rest of the field after the four rounds of the Challenge Tour Strokeplay Championship which was played last month.

Lewis Hazel and Romy Niven were partnered by the draw for Mini-tour Pairs Competition but managed to develop a successful team and won the event with an impressive 45 Stableford points.

Jonny Regan won this year's Mini-tour Matchplay title by beating Sam Heggie in the final which was played on the Eden Course last week.

Team SALJGA visited Wentworth Club over the weekend and took on their best young golfers in a battle for the Wentworth Challenge Cup over the re-modelled West Course.

The Challenge Tour Matchplay competition was played over four consecutive days last week and Ruairidh Robertson beat Ally McDougall in the final which was contested over the Old Course on Thursday evening.

Owen McManus won his second SALJGA tournament of the year with a 7 stroke victory in the Mini-tour 1 Kirkcaldy Trophy which was played on the Eden Course last week.

SALJGA member Ben Kinsley won the Scottish Boys Under-16 Championship which was played at Forfar last week.  The competition was reduced to three rounds after the first day was abandoned due to flooding.

Catherine Wilson won the Mini-tour 2 Ronaldson Trophy on Friday which represented her first victory in SALJGA competitions.

Rebecca Todd won the girls’ Mini-tour Strokeplay competition and Taylor Jones won the boys’ event which was reduced to a single round due to poor weather.

Conor MacCallum demonstrated the better consistency over 36 holes to claim first prize in the CH Sommerville Medal which was played on the Jubilee Course last week.

SALJGA coaching was completed on the Balgove at the end of last month with all the participants enjoying a Texas Scramble before being presented with their certificates

Taylor Jones won last week’s Mini-tour 2 Tait Salver with 43 points, beating Romy Niven into second place.

Jon Price introduced himself to the Challenge Tour last Sunday with a storming victory in the CH Matheson Trophy which was played on the Eden.

Matthew McAnaw won his second competition of the year after a count-back to force Lewis Hazel into second place.

The Pink Putters and the Pink Ladies enjoyed a team competition on Sunday over 9 holes of the Strathtyrum in wonderful sunny weather.

The fourth and final Balgove Medal was played on Wednesday 08th June and ended in a tie for first place between Euan Dawson and Jack Headon who both completed the 9-hole Balgove course in 40 shots.

The first Challenge Tour event since April, due to the postponement of last month's McMillan Trophy, was won by Alasdair McDougall by 2 shots from Zack Bedford.

Matthew McAnaw won the boys’ Mini-tour 1 Flanagan Trophy which was played on the Strathtyrum on Sunday afternoon and Rebecca Todd won the girls’ event.

Fraser Donaldson scored what is believed to be the first ever hole-in-one during a SALJGA tournament which spurred him on to victory in the M2 Kelly Trophy which was played on the Strathtyrum on Sunday.

The third Balgove Medal was played on Wednesday 01st June and was played in similarly windy and difficult conditions to the previous competition played 2 weeks earlier.

The Fundamentals coaching programme for S1 children finished on Monday with a Texas Scramble conducted over three holes designed specifically for the event on the Short Game Area of the Golf Practice Centre.

Two weeks ago an under 12s team from SALJGA were hosted by Cupar Golf Club for the first round of a two legged fixture.  After losing the first match on the hilly Cupar course, SALJGA made it ‘honours even’ after winning on the Balgove.

The 10 week volunteer coaching programme conducted on the Balgove reached the half-way stage this week and the children celebrated with a Texas Scramble played on the Balgove Course.

The second Balgove Medal was conducted on Wednesday 18th May and it built upon the success of the one two weeks previously.  The event was oversubscribed and required a draw to select the lucky competitors who had to contend with very difficult conditions.

A team of young golfers from SALJGA visited Cupar Golf Club on Wednesday for a match against Cupar Juniors in a four ball better ball format over the 9-hole Cupar course.

Fifteen girls played in the SALJGA Hot Chocolate Event on Sunday 08th May and although the competition was threatened by rain, most of the competitors managed to stay dry.

The first of a series of Medals played on the Balgove Course on Wednesday 04th May was a fantastic success and was fully subscribed within a couple of days of being open to entries.

The main SALJGA coaching programmes for 2011 are now well underway and have so far have enjoyed excellent spring weather. 

The SALJGA competition season started in earnest last Sunday with the Challenge Tour Wilson Trophy which was won by Alasdair McDougall who won after a count-back from Chloe Goadby and Cameron Campbell.

The Renwick Trophy was played as a 5 club competition on the New Course on Sunday 27th March and was won by Owen McManus by one shot from Chloe Goadby.  The competition was a mixed gender tournament ostensibly for the winter coaching group but Owen, who narrowly missed out on selection to this group, was allowed entry at the last minute due to the low number of entrants.

Team SALJGA’s first match of the season was played on the Strathtyrum on Sunday on a dry but very cold day.  Although the result went the way of St Leonards 3½ to ½ the match was both tight and enjoyable with the first and fourth pairings going down the final hole and the result of the third paring being decided on the seventeenth.

We have now passed the closing date of Feb 25th for SALJGA registration for this year and for the first year ever I have had to initiate a waiting list.  Unfortunately, SALJGA has become a victim of its own success.

Registration forms for membership of SALJGA for 2011 will be arriving through letter boxes in the next few days as the annual registration process begins for the coming season.