Last Saturday saw Michael Brodie and Alex Simpson both easily make it in the top 8 places in the 1st Gents Club Championship qualifier and with tomorrow's 2nd round to go I expect both to qualify. Wednesday's final Junior Club Championship qualifier saw Michael and Alex again top the leader board with gross 68 & 73. Monday the 23rd sees the semi finals of the handicap championship with number 1 seed Conor Hughes playing captain Callum Ewan and Amy Mitchell taking on Marcus Ryan. The scratch semi finals date which will be arranged for the following week will see number 1 seed Michael take on Tod Bannerman and old adversaries Alex take on Kirsty Brodie.
Thursday night and Marcus had asked me to help him with his short game and we spent a couple of hours around the greens playing different types of shots from all types of lies and I am sure we will soon see the results. Friday I took Owen Voice and Frankie Kennedy out for their 1st Certificate and Owen to celebrate his 10th birthday gained it with a 6ft putt and Frankie will have another go soon. This morning it was Molly Castle's turn to gain her 2nd Certificate and just missed out but I am convinced we have another star in the making - a very natural swing and great co-ordination. Frank Moran and myself then joined Alex and Kirsty before I set of on Bells Trophy duty. Kirsty got off to the perfect start - birdie, par, birdie, birdie 3 under after 4. Alex doubled the 1st but with birdies on 4 and 5 was back to level. After both bogeying 6 I left them with birdie putts on 7 and told them to let me know how they finished. I arrived at Auchterarder and passed on Alex and Kirsty's best wishes to the team before they teed off against a strong home side. Tod led the team out and although getting 6 shots his opponent played well and he lost 5&3. Conor was always ahead and played really well and won his match 3&2. Amy Mitchell was up against her county team mate Shannon Pook and had an excellent 4&3 win. The result of the tie depended on the other two matches and with Marcus 3 down with 4 to play and Callum 2 down after 12 things were not looking good. By 14 Callum had pulled it all square and Marcus eagled 15 to be 3 down. Marcus won 16 and had a stroke on 17. Meanwhile Callum had gone 1 up on 16 but was giving a stroke on 17 and still looked our best bet for the win but when I saw him tee up a provisional ball I thought our chances had disappeared. Callum's 1st ball was ok and Marcus had won 17 to go all square and things were starting to look up. Callum lost 17 to go back to all square at the same time as Marcus holed out for a winning par on 18 to take us to the semi finals. I am so proud of all our players and it was great to see them all at the last green to celebrate a tremendous away victory and us reaching the semi final. Marcus deservedley won player of the day and I think my coaching session was the key. Alex called me to ask how the team had done and to let me know that Kirsty had played her personal best round at Strathmore with a 72. The spirit and the enthusiasm we have within the section is infectious and every success leads on to another. ps Gareth has still to beat me in a putting challenge.
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