On a dry, cloudy day with a cold strong south west wind 19 boys and one girl competed in the South Junior Jamboree at Southerness Golf Club on Friday 23 October. The course was in immaculate condition with true fast greens and in conjunction with the weather conditions a daunting challenge for the final competition of the year.
Twelve year old Ellie Harkness from Lochmaben had a marvellous round on her first visit to Southerness. With all the boys, and many parents and friends, looking on she showed no nerves and hit a super tee shot down the middle of the fairway at the first and never looked back. She played very steadily and the lovely smile on her face as she left the first tee stayed with her for all the eighteen holes. A score of 114 – 35 = 79 was a wonderful performance in the conditions and rightly won her the Girls Handicap Section. Her proudest boast was that she took 18 extra balls in her bag, never lost one, and brought all 18 back! Not many of the boys could equal that.
In the Boys Scratch Section, Callan Harkness, big brother of Ellie, set the early standard with a very consistent round of 76. Out in 5 over par 40, with an unfortunate double bogey at the ninth, he recovered well with two birdies at 10 and 18, to come home in 36. Rowan Marchbank (D&G) made a brave attempt to catch Callan, playing the first nine in 3 over par (38) with two birdies at 5 and 8 but could not sustain his challenge and came home in 40 to finish with 78. In third place was Cameron Gray (Kirkcudbright), home from school in Edinburgh for the holidays. He continued his fine form at the end of the summer and signed for an 80, mainly due to leaking 6 shots in the last four holes.
The Boys Handicap Section was also very keenly contested. Mitchell Cowie (D&C) had a very consistent round with nothing greater than a 5 on his card. This was very impressive with most boys visiting the heather and losing shots at many holes. Out in 39 and home in 40 gave him a total of 79 – 5 = 74. Daniel Irving (D&C) got off to a difficult start, dropping 8 shots in the first four holes, but found his rhythm in the strong wind from the fifth and played well to finish with 88 – 13 = 75. A very good effort and a prospect for the future. Alex Long (New Galloway), playing his last competition as a South Junior, finished with 82 – 6 = 76. He gained third place by virtue of his better inward half from Lewis Cheetham (Lochmaben) 87 – 11 = 76. Alex played the back nine in 5 over par 39 with one birdie and only one blemish of a triple bogey at the sixteenth.
All the competitors thoroughly enjoyed their day at the coast and although they did not get a suntan they went home with many happy memories.
Results:
GIRLS HANDICAP
79 Ellie Harkness (Lochmaben)
BOYS SCRATCH
76 Callan Harkness (Lochmaben)
78 Rowan Marchbank (D&G)
80 Cameron Gray (Kirkcudbright)
BOYS HANDICAP
74 Mitchell Cowie (D&C)
75 Daniel Irving (D&C)
76 Alex Long (New Galloway)
SPECIAL PRIZES
NEAREST THE HOLE
4th Hole Lewis Cheetham (Lochmaben)
7th Hole Callan Harkness (Lochmaben)
10th Hole Callan Harkness (lochmaben)
15th Hole Andrew Kennedy (D&G)
17th Hole Rowan Marchbank (D&G)
LONGEST DRIVE AT 16 Jamie Allison (D&G)
HOME IN TWO AT PAR 5’s
5th Hole Nathan Watson (Kirkcudbright)
18th Hole Corey Brown (D&C)
The photograph shows the three main prize winners: Mitchell Cowie, Ellie Harkness and Callan Harkness.