GOLF — Club Championships Settled At Gourock
From left, club captain Ian Macnaughton, John Jack Jnr, Steven Higgins, Maureen Woodhead, Colin Erskine and lady captain Morag Cowe
THE various club championships at Gourock Golf Club the have been decided over recent weeks following a busy and successful season.
In the Junior section, John Jack Jnr continued a very impressive streak which has seen him being successful at both county and national level. John won the Junior championship with rounds of 75 and 77 for a combined total of 152 eclipsing second-placed Scott Newman. Ross McKay took the nett prize with scores of 69 + 73 = 142.
John, Scott and Ross are part of a small band of younger players at Gourock GC who have worked hard on their game this year which has seen them win numerous events in Inverclyde, Renfrewshire and beyond.
The Ladies’ championship was won once again by the highly-impressive Maureen Woodhead who defeated the battling Emma Boyd in a final played in the best of spirits with a large number of the ladies’ section forming a healthy spectators’ gallery. Maureen has now amassed 25 Championship titles, a feat that is unlikely to ever be matched. In an emotional speech at the evening presentation, Maureen announced that 2018 would be the last year she competed in this event.
In the Seniors’ championship, once again sponsored by WH Kirkwood, Colin Erskine travelled down from Aberdeenshire to win the two-day event. Colin had gross scores of 78 and 80, with the second round in particular being played in very adverse weather conditions. In holding his game together in round-two, Colin managed to overcome John Jack Snr by one stroke to win his sixth Senior Championship.
In the nett competition Gary McMaster won the Baird Trophy with an impressive nett score of 143 with David Slack Snr coming in second on 146.
The main championship saw a full field compete over 36 holes. Impressive aggregate scores of six over par were returned by both Graham Minton and Matthew Chamberlain only to be bettered by in-form players Robert Clark and Fraser McKillop who both shot combined scores of 150 — four over par.
As it turned out, they were all left trailing by evergreen Steven Higgins who shot very consistent scores of 73 and 72 to be crowned Gents’ champion for the fifth time. Robert Clark won the Melrose Cup as runner-up.
