TEENAGER Follows In Father’s Footsteps To Win Gourock Golf Club’s Gents’ Championship

24 September, 2021 | Sport

John Jack Jnr, right, with the 2021 Ladies’ Champion Maureen Kemp and the 2021 Junior Champion Callum Watters

FIFTY-two of the best players from Gourock Golf Club competed over 36 holes in the Gents’ Championship tournament.

The standard of play was very high with the course in excellent condition as it has been throughout the whole of the 2021 season.

In third place was relatively new member Stephen O’Kane who shot two rounds of 73 for an aggregate score of 146. Over the two rounds Stephen racked up no fewer than eight birdies but was let down by a double bogey seven at the long par five 13th hole in the afternoon round.

Defending champion Steven Higgins came into the tournament as the odds-on favourite to retain his title but he was well aware that a number of low handicap players were determined to spoil the script.

Steven scored a two under par 71 in the morning round to lead the field by one shot with most of the viewing gallery expecting that to be a platform he would build upon in the afternoon to retain the trophy. However Steven fell back slightly in the second round and recorded a one over par 74 for an aggregate total of 145.

Seventeen-year-old John Jack Jnr, who had won the club’s Junior Championship three times and has competed impressively both regionally and nationally in recent years, trailed Steven by one shot after the morning exchanges but held his nerve in the afternoon round to record a two under par 71 and a resultant aggregate of 143 to take the Championship and the Darroch Medal by two strokes from Steven.

John’s 36 holes showed a tremendous level of consistency –- five birdies, 29 pars and only two bogeys. The members of Gourock Golf Club have watched as John has honed his game over the years and were delighted that one so young was crowned club champion in 2021.

In so doing John Jnr followed in the footsteps of his father John who himself won the club championship in 2009.

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