Howie Roars to Championship Title
/
Just two weeks on from etching his name in this history books with a record-breaking 59, Peebles golfer Darren Howie added to his growing list of honours by lifting the Club Championship title on Sunday.
The Scotland international defeated defending champion Jamie Morris 4 & 3 in an enthralling final to lift the trophy for the first time, ending Morris’s hopes of a twelfth title and a hattrick of consecutive championship wins.
After a delayed season, it was one of the most eagerly anticipated championships in years, with no fewer than three Scotland internationals in the last-16, joined by the club’s finest talents. First to fall however was Allan Turnbull as he exited in the first round to Colin Fraser, but Howie eased through with wins over Mark Hosker and Kris Hopkirk to set up a semi-final clash with Scotland team-mate Stephen Roger. It was Howie who had the upper hand in the battle of the Scotland players and it was a comfortable win in the end, with Morris edging out youngster Fearghas Lowther in the other semi-final.
The stage was set on Sunday morning with the opening exchanges shared in a nip and tuck contest, and it was Howie who held a slender one-hole lead going into the afternoon round of the 36-hole final. A delightful chip-in birdie two at the 20th hole put him in command, but he went out of bounds two holes later as Morris clawed his lead back to one. Another Howie birdie followed at the 27th hole to move to two up going into the final stretch as the burners were turned on, and he closed out the match in some style with classy birdies on the 13th, 14th and 15th holes of the second round, rolling in a 12-footer to clinch victory.
The Ladies Championship was a repeat of the previous year and there was no stopping Sheila Cuthbertson as she stormed to her 23rd title win, beating Denise Richards with some impressive golf to stretch her record-breaking run.
A new name went on the Junior Championship trophy as emerging talent Frankie Masson beat Reuben Sterricks in a high calibre final. Masson, whose handicap is down to just five, had a tough run to the final, beating last year’s finalists Michael Smith and Kerr Sutherland on the way, but proved too strong for Sterricks with a string of birdies.
One of the club’s other promising youngsters took the Gents B Championship title as Callum Waldie defeated Richard Latto in the final to join his father Steven’s name on the trophy, while Vic Roberts overcame the challenge of Ian Connor to win the Gents C Championship. The closest final came in the Ladies B Championship, with Sue Brown edging out Martha Shortreed at the first extra hole.
The Major events come thick and fast in this truncated golfing season with this Saturday (8 August) seeing the Cullen Kilshaw sponsored Thorburn Cup taking place. Good luck to all competitors.