Shetland Golf Club

Matchplay round-up

With the end of the golf season at Dale now rapidly approaching the year-long matchplay events have now all been concluded. Neil Henderson and David Nicol were the winners of the Queens Hotel Shield with Colin and Alison Bain winning the mixed doubles. Colin Bain also went on to win the McVitie & Price Cup but lost out to Dougie Shearer who lifted the Bill Farr Cup.

In the mens doubles knockout, Henderson and Nicol claimed a dramatic victory over Stuart Fox and Michael Boxwell in the final to win the Queens Hotel Shield. It looked to be plain sailing for Boxwell and Fox when they raced ahead to an early lead and after 13 holes they were four ahead with just five to play. However, Henderson and Nicol won the 14th and 15th to cut the lead back to two with three holes to play. Boxwell and Fox then got a bit jittery with both finding water on the 16th and the lead was suddenly just one, Henderson then holed a 12 foot putt on the 18th to win the hole and bring the match all square. In the sudden death play-off holes, Fox missed another great opportunity to win on the 2nd but agonisingly left his putt short. It was Henderson who was the only player able to par the 3rd hole and claimed an unlikely victory as darkness was setting in.

In the mixed doubles it was Colin and Alison Bain who lifted the Mixed Greensome trophy after beating Ian Leiper and Margie Pearson in the final. It was a very close match all the way round and finished all square after eighteen holes, however the Bains managed to win the match on the first extra hole.

In the mens match play knockouts Colin Bain achieved the commendable feat of reaching both finals and after his win in the mixed doubles would have been confident of claiming both trophies. In the McVitie & Price Cup he played Bruce Crossan in the final and the match swung several times with Bain going two ahead and then Crossan came back with a run of four consecutive holes and held a narrow one hole lead at the turn. However, Bain’s consistent play meant that he slowly crept ahead in the match and was one up with one to play. A par at the last meant that he would win the match on the 18th.

In the Bill Farr Cup, Bain met Dougie Shearer in the final in what turned out to be a very good match. Shearer played the front nine in 34 to take a three hole lead leaving Bain some work to do if he was to claim his third matchplay trophy of the season. Shearer then won the 11th to go four clear and although Bain then played the next five holes in one under par his charge came too late as Shearer held on with some steady golf. Despite wins for Bain on the 12th, 14th and 16th holes, Shearer’s par on the 17th was enough to claim victory, 3 holes up with 1 to play.