New young star emerges

0 - 0 • Published 1 May 2009 16:00

OVER the years Helensburgh Golf Club has consistently produced a crop of junior golfers who have gone on to great things.

The current junior champion and gents champ is Tommy Sharkey. Last Saturday, the Breingan medal confirmed the emergence of the latest contender when 13-year-old Robert Johnson, then playing off 11 and thus entitled to participate in senior competitions, returned a net 66.

This round was four strokes ahead of the competition scratch score and it could have been better, but for a treble bogey at the 17th and a bogey at the last.

Leading scores: First Division: 66 - Robert Johnson (11); 67 - Stephen Donald (12); 68 - John Fraser (8); 69 - Ian Irving (12), Mick Massey (9). Second Division: 66 - John Ford (13); 68 - Donald Nicolson (20); 69 - Don Griffin (14); 71 - Gordon Mickel (14), Campbell Watt (19), Bill Wills (16). Third Division: 67 - John Waddell (24); 74 - Ian Harrington (23); 75 - Ian Grant (22); 77 - George Cairns (21).

While Bob Johnson was making the headlines, former club champion David McGregor sent a timely reminder from America. A student at Post University, David helped his Eagles college team to win the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference for the fourth consecutive year.

David also took the individual championship for the second season in a row, the only player to shoot both rounds in the 60s. Victory took the Eagles into the regional qualifying tournament next week.

Back home, Helensburgh hosted Dumbarton GC in the opening match of the restructured McIntyre League tournament.

They did so in style with all four pairings contributing to the convincing 14 holes up overall score.

New member Murray Waddell and Sam Gibson led the way with an impressive 8 up victory, followed by Derek McCallum/David Reid (3 up), Chris Thomas/Gary Platt (2 up), and Donald Fraser/Michael McKechnie (1 up).

The senior team played their first home match in defence of their title and gained a vital victory over Hilton Park by a margin of 2½-1½. Wins by the pairings of John Fugler/Alan Robinson and David Russell/Crawford Howat laid the required foundations and the holiing of a testing putt on the 18th by Mike Tait secured a halved match for him and David Gethin.

A total of 36 ladies took part in the April medal. Carolyn Stait posted the top score in the silver division with a net 72 which matched the competition scratch score. She tied with Gemma Canham, but moved to the front by virtue of the better inward half.

Leading scores: Silver: 72 - Carolyn Stait (18), Gemma Canham (15); 73 - Katy Rogers (14); 76 - Brenda McDonald (17). Bronze: 67 - Anne Riding (28); 75 - Vyvian Stevenson (23); 78 - Maureen Morton (28), Linda Hogg (27), Elizabeth Cordner (36).

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