Mens Team News - 2008

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Clackmannan Vs Perth & Kinross
Provan Salver 27 April 2008

See below match results for a CHEERY match report !!

Match Result

Match report
Provan salver vs Clackmannan at Schawpark, Alloa
27 April 2008

Although the squad was somewhat depleted due to the clash with the Edward Trophy at Glasgow Gailes, I was confident that the team I picked was capable of bringing me my first win as captain.  Admittedly I was forced to pick myself but having shot 69 last week in the Pro Am at Gleneagles, I was optimistic that I’d be able to pick up a point.  This changed slightly after we arrived as I realised I hadn’t played the course before!  As I explained what I remembered Alloa to be like I soon found out I was thinking of Braehead!

Anyway, Malcolm Davidson lead the line and being 3 up after 5, seemed to be getting things off to a good start and the following matches 2, 3 and 4 were all up early on.  Nicky Barr, in match 2, was -3 for the first 5 holes and only 1 up to the stuffy ex Internationalist, Steve Horne.  Meanwhile Mark Rose was also throwing some birdies at his opponent, Jamie Aitken, but despite being -3 at the turn was only 2 up.  In match 4, Eric Lindsay, who was sporting a lovely new pair of lavender coloured footjoys, found himself all square at the turn despite being 1 up on three occasions in the front nine to the exotically named, Andre Scotland.  The last 4 matches were not going as well for P & K with Danny Young 4 down after 12 to the inform John Maxwell.  Despite plenty of par figures on his card it wasn’t good enough!  Steve Carruthers was also finding getting birdies tricky on the bumpy Schawpark greens and playing against a +4 man in Darren Hulston, birdies, were indeed, a requirement.  Playing at No. 7 and also looking for his first win was Dan Harrison.  An up and down day saw him record everything from eagle to triple bogie in the opening 9 holes and Dan was soon back peddling against a steady Mike Rust.  I was playing the anchor match against local man Ian Ross and despite never being more than one down, I never seemed to be able to get my nose in front as we swapped birdies at alternate holes and compile a very impressive better ball card!!

Back at the top of the order Malcolm won the twelfth to go 3 up but after loosing 15 and 16 steadied the ship with a closing birdie at 17 to record P & K’s first point on the board.  Nicky and Steve halved 11 in birdies but a further birdie at 13 put the 2006 match play champion 2 up and in the driving seat.  Hitting his second shot in to 10 feet at 17 was enough for Horne, the former Euro Pro tour player, who conceded the putt and the game for point No. 2.  Mark Rose birdied 10 and 11 to go 4 up and despite his opponent holing from off the green at 15, held on to record point number 3.  In match 4 Eric had a purple patch (which clashed with his lavender shoes) birdying 11, 12 and 14 to go three up and winning 16 with a solid par to win 4 and 2 and make it a no lose match for P & K.  All that was required for a win was a half point. . . . but where was that going to come from?  Most surprisingly it was Danny Young who fought back with a solid last 6 holes to earn a great halved match with John Maxwell and a win for Perth and Kinross.  Steve Carruthers lost on the last green with his birdie putt going agonisingly close but so near yet so far.  Dan Harrison’s luck deserted him completely and he lost out 5 and 4.  Oblivious to the fact that we had actually won the game overall, I stuttered nervously down the tricky closing holes actually thinking my match might make the difference between drawing and winning.  Halving 17 in yet another pair of birdies I stood on the last tee one down and watched my opponent fire a majestic 4 iron to 4 feet.  For the record I did hit the green but my effort from 20 feet just bruised the right lip of the hole and a conceded birdie meant a 2 hole loss.  Ian and I were too modest to count up how many under par we were collectively!!

So, my first win as captain and very sweet it was too, away from home and against a team who had calculated that a big win against us might have them winning the Provan Salver and pip Fife!

                                                            
Provan Salver

Perth & Kinross Vs Angus at Craigie Hill l
on Sunday 6 April 2008

Match Result

 Match report
Provan Salver vs Angus at Craigie Hill
6 April 2008

Match 2 in the Provan Salver was a must win against Angus at Craigie Hill.  A strong side, including 2 Hill members, Malcolm Davidson and Nicky Barr, were given the task of getting Perth and Kinross back into the competition.  I decided to pick myself for the game despite having 2 new wedges and a set of, as yet untested in competition, irons in the bag.  I’d like to use that and that the county secretary text me at 3.45am to tell me how good his holiday was going, as an excuse but alas, I couldn’t.  I got stuffed, enough said!

Anyway, despite the forecast snow showers arriving during the night and the big county waking up to varying depths of snow, the match was declared ON, with Perth only having a slight dusting.  Malcolm Davidson lead the line with a solid 4 & 3 win over Stewart Smith but Daniel Harrison and Nicky Barr never really got firing on all cylinders and both lost 2 & 1 to their opponents, Ross Coull and Campbell Donaldson respectively.

Mark Rose levelled up the games with a convincing 4 & 3 win over Ross Bell and with Stuart McKendrick up next and fresh from his win last week, things looked ok.  However Stuart never got to grips with the wet greens and lost out 4 & 3 to big Martin Brown who, unlike Stuart, found the greens suited to his broom handled putter.  For the second week in a row Stuart Graham notched another impressive win against US college kid Josh Clark who, despite hailing from Montrose, was complaining bitterly about the cold wind.  Seems that US college golf softens hardy Scots lads with all that sunshine??

I lost to Maurice Lindsay with the highlight being my birdie 2 at the tough par 3 twelfth hole and witnessed by President Fraser!!  This left the match sitting at 3 to P & K and 4 to Angus with Davie Simpson and Jim Watt still battling away and all square playing 16.  We needed a win from David to tie the match and save some pride.  Still all square at 18 and David’s approach shot to the final green landed just beyond the flag and left him a makeable 16 footer.  His opponent pulled his approach and, helped by the wind, it missed the green big and left.  Because of the bitterly cold winds all the other players and myself, were watching from the warmth of the clubhouse and could hardly believe our eyes when Mr Watt canned his third shot.  Electing to use his putter from the best part of 4 yards from the putting surface and over a large hump followed by another 40 feet of green to the hole.  A shell shocked Davie Simpson made a very brave attempt to hole his birdie putt for the half but missed, burning the right lip of the hole.

So, the McLevy captaincy gets off to a double losing start?  Not what I’d have hoped for and definitely NOT how I intend to carry on although dropping myself for the next game is the first team alteration I’ll be making!

Next game is away to Clackmannan at Schawpark in Alloa on 27th April where, although we have nothing to play for, I’d like to salvage some pride for the Big County.

                                                                         
Perth & Kinross Vs Fife
Provan Salver 30 March 2008

Match Result

MATCH REPORT
PROVAN SALVER VS FIFE AT DRUMOIG
30 MARCH 2008

This was my first game as Captain and I managed to resist the temptation to pick myself.  I wanted to blood 3 young lads to see how they handled themselves in the men’s competitions.  Roddy Forgie, Angus Tester and Daniel Harrison all made their senior debut amongst some seasoned campaigners such as George Stubbs and Steve Carruthers.

The hosts were good enough to book the course immediately behind a party of 20 visitors all playing in four balls and they were preceded by a ladies party (enough said!).  A joint decision was made to play the match in four balls but still as singles to prevent the guys waiting on every shot, as they would have undoubtedly have to do playing in 2 balls!  I was reasonable hopeful at this point as I’d chatted to a couple of the Fife players and very few had played Drumoig, let alone knew it well.

Now, being a player you only have to worry about your own opening shot, as Captain I was nervous for all my players as they teed off the opening hole.  I was, therefore, suitably chuffed when all my players found the fairway, or at worst, semi rough!  Once all were on the course I set about trying to spread myself around the course to see as much golf and give as much encouragement as I could, a la Seve, Valderrama Ryder Cup, 1997 but without the buggy!

The opening holes were fairly level but, rather ominously, not one P & K man was up after 5 holes.  I made encouraging noises which seemed to have more effect on the younger players as they settled into their games while George and Phil began haemorrhaging holes around the turn.  Danny Harrison was 2 ahead of the Fife playing Captain, Scott Michie, but Scott birdied 10 and 11 to get Danny all square again.  By hole 12 Phil had been shut out 7 and 6 by an inform Gary Sharp while George went dormie down against Brian Young, who, according to George, only had to play par golf due to the run of bogies on George’s card.  Meanwhile all the other matches were very close and, notably, Stuart McKendrick was 2 up against Brian Soutar, winner of the Standard Life Gold Medal last year.

George was only able to halve the next hole so Fife now had 2 points on the board and we were only up in 2 other matches, Stuart McKendrick as I mentioned and Stuart Graham.  Steve Carruthers was having a battle, both against his opponent and the 14 ‘strangers’ in his golf bag.  Despite that he struggled on, never letting his opponent get more than a hole ahead.  Stuart McKendrick managed to get the first P & K point on the board with an excellent 3 and 2 win over Brian Soutar while Angus Tester turned his game around magnificently with an excellent 2 and 1 win over David Imrie.  As the thought of 2 matches all and everything to play for washed over me Danny Harrison and Roddy Forgie were each edged out by their stuffy and very experienced opponents, Scott Michie and Grant McNab respectively.  Stuart Graham got his putter working again just at the right time to keep his nose in front of Michael Main to close out his game 2 and 1.  This despite Main hitting his second shot close enough at the par 5 fifteenth for a ‘gimmie’ eagle.  This left Steve Carruthers with a very slim chance of salvaging the half match by turning around his 1 hole deficit with wins at 17 and 18.  Unfortunately, Steve’s opponent, Colin Steffen, who lines up with the countries best in next weekends Champion of Champions at Leven, gave nothing away and secured the winning point for Fife on the last green with a solid par 3.

So, Fife 5 Perth and Kinross 3 was the final result of a game played in the usual friendly manner between both sets of players but with no lack of competitive spirit from all involved.  Next up it’s Angus who we entertain at Craigie Hill next Sunday (6th April).