Recap on the Scottish Seniors

All is over at Portpatrick Dunskey Golf Club and the members will thankfully be able to return to normal after the best part of a week when they together with the SLGA, devoted themselves to making the Scottish Senior Ladies Strokeplay and Matchplay Championships the success that it undoubtedly was. They even laid on fantastic weather - after the practice round that is!

Out of all those East Vets who participated in the strokeplay but did not qualify for either of the two matchplay competitions, as already said, there were four remaining who went on to the final two days. Sue Penman, Pamela Williamson, Moira Thomson and Noreen Fenton.

Sue Penman had a great Scottish Seniors. She took Ann Lowe, a three handicapper from Royal Birkdale, to the 20th hole, but unfortunately lost to the Strokeplay winner, Alex Glennie at the seventeenth. Moira went down at the first extra hole in the first round to Heather Anderson, the 2010 Strokeplay Champion. Pamela, the first winner of this matchplay championship, had a slightly easier run against Alison Bartlett of Highland Division, who had had the best scratch in the first qualifying round. Pamela won by 4 and 3. She then was the next victim of Heather Anderson, who beat her 2 and 1. Noreen had a very tight match in a low scoring match against Senior Scottish Internationalist Lorna Bennett from Midlands, who has won the title twice previously. There was a healthy exchange of birdies, but Noreen sneaked the important one at the first extra hole. She then took on May Hughes of Lanark whom she beat by 3 and 2. Noreen met Janice Paterson of Drumpellier in the semifinals and although she went into an early lead of four holes, lost these gradually when Janice started to wield her putter with intent. She (Janice)had a lovely birdie at the difficult seventh and also at the ninth. Although dormie two down at the 17th and finding herself in the left rough, totally unphased, Janice sent a beautiful iron to the heart of the green and had another birdie to bring the deficit down to one but a half was all Noreen needed at the 18th to gain the point.

In the final, Noreen met Heather. They were evenly matched from the beginning reflected by the scoreline where there was never any more than one hole in it either way. Heather started the ball rolling by taking the first with a birdie but lost it at the second to a par when she was bunkered to the rear of the green. All square again. The long third was halved in par but Noreen, trying to be too neat with her tee-shot at the fourth caught the front slope to the green and went no further. Heather went one up - but only for the length of the next hole where Noreen sank a 15 footer for a birdie. All square again.

The next two were halved in par but uncharacteristically, Heather missed a short one at the tricky eighth green for Noreen to take the lead for the first time. Both should have had birdie twos at the 10th hole where both tee shots were no more than three feet from the pin but both failed to take this golden opportunity and halved in a less prestigious three. However Heather did not miss her chance at the alternative Devil's Beeftub - known as the 11th green. She sank a lovely putt for a birdie two. All square.

The next four holes were halved which sounds very boring but the fourteenth was hardly that. Heather sent her drive into the horrible bundai on the right. Noreen was straight up the middle. Heather sensibly took a provisional. Noreen started to count her chickens (too soon). The ball in the rough was magically found and equally magically, Heather got out (just) on to the semi rough and proceeded to send a cracker towards the green. "S'gone over" someone said. Still unwisely counting chickens, Noreen went to her ball to find it was in a divot filled with soft soil and only managed to strike it thirty yards together with a load of grass-seed. One of the chickens had had it's neck thrawn. But then she put it two feet from the pin, looking like a safe four and a hole in the pocket? Heather was certainly off the green in three but got out a wedge and slotted her ball, also for a four. Half - but certainly not a boring half. Still all square.

Pass on the next hole which doesn't look much but has a very cunning green. It was also halved. Two attractive drives up to the top of the hill overlooking the green at the sixteenth. Two wedges into the green, where Noreen slotted hers for a birdie to be one up. Two halves in par at both the seventeenth and eighteenth and Noreen was the 2011 Scottish Senior Champion.