On a sunny but blustery day on Thursday 27 July three 6 man teams of Junior golfers representing Dumfriesshire, Kirkcudbrightshire and Wigtownshire played in their annual match over Kirkcudbright Golf Course. The course was in immaculate condition and very well presented for this friendly but intense confrontation between the respective Counties.
Wigtownshire arrived with a very young team with many playing their first representative match and found the prospect of playing against the older boys from Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire rather daunting. They all played well on a course they were playing for the first time and never gave up. The best individual score was 91 from Harry Hay (Portpatrick) followed by a 95 from Kaleb Johnston (Portpatrick) The team total of four best scores was 392
The defending champions, Dumfriesshire, fared better with five scores in the 70’s. Leading the way was Thomas Robinson (D&G) with a very steady round of 73, four bogeys in the outward nine but back in level par into the wind. Mitchell Cowie (D&C) was also four over par going out but came back in one over par for 74 and Jamie Marchbank (D&G) was looking at a good score after playing the first nine in one over par with a birdie at the 8th but two double bogeys on the back nine ruined his card. He had to settle for a 75. The team total of four best scores was 300.
The Kirkcudbrightshire team, with all boys members of Kirkcudbright GC, were totally focussed and quietly confident as they set out to play a course they all knew so well. The lowest three scores returned were all under the par of 69. Angus Bendall (Castle Douglas) had a marvellous round, out in one over par and back in two under for a total of 68. This was then beaten by two of his team mates. Cameron Gray (Kirkcudbright) was two under par for the first nine which included an eagle at the eighth and he managed to hold it all together to return in level par for a super score of 67 which was equalled by Iain Rae (Dalbeattie). He started with two bogies followed by two birdies and an eagle at the downwind eighth to be out in two under par. Level par for the back nine and he had equalled Cameron’s score. The team total of 274 was easily the best of the day and sufficient to reclaim the Fraser Shield for Kirkcudbrightshire for 2017
Individual Scores
Wigtownshire 392
Ross Plant (Stranraer) 104
Harry Hay (Portpatrick) 91
Logan Hare (Portpatrick) 109
David Hastings (Portpatrick) 102
Finlay Hare (Portpatrick) 105
Kaleb Johnston (Portpatrick) 95
Dumfriesshire 300
Finlay Copeland (D&G) 78
Mitchell Cowie (D&C) 74
Jamie Marchbank (D&G) 75
Taylor Kerr (Sanquhar) 78
Corey Brown (D&C) 82
Thomas Robinson (D&G) 73
Kirkcudbrightshire 274
Angus Bendall (Castle Douglas) 68
William Squires (Kirkcudbright) 72
Nathan Watson (Kirkcudbright) 74
Iain Rae (Dalbeattie) 67
Cameron Gray (Kirkcudbright) 67
Callum McMillan (Kirkcudbright) 79
The CSS was 69
The photograph shows the successful Kirkcubrightshire team with Brian Haining (Junior Convenor) and Stephen Kingston (SoSGA President)