The 2025 Millenium Trophy
Sunday 22nd June 2025
It’s important to remember that whilst the club’s elite compete for the Championship, our handicap competition The Millennium is genuinely winnable by the entire membership of the club. And so two outstanding competitors, David Mitchell and Rob Crockart, lined up for this year’s final on the Queens. And guess what …..with exactly the same handicap, they were off bare feet!!
Golf at Gleneagles is hard enough ….but the weather was truly feisty with frequent squally showers and a wind that seemed to be always on the move. And the green-keepers were determined to do their bit. For instance on 2 the white tee was as far back as it could possibly be leaving 136yrds to a front left pin straight into the unpredictable gusty wind. Nice!
Rob got off to a fast start winning the 1st, whilst they shared the honours on 2 and 3. Then Rob built momentum with wins on 4,5 and 6. As we turned into an absolute torrent on 7, David started the fight back with a win. Then David’s birdie on 8 was looking good, only for Rob to sink a slippery downhill putt for a half in birdies. Rob won 9 to go back to 4 but come the 10th green David was in prime position sitting a few inches in front of Rob with a shot in hand. That’s where Rob hit the shot of the match, sinking a 26yard (yes yard) putt, almost the length of the green, for par leaving David to work hard for his. 11 and 12 were tied but Rob birdied 13 and the match was Dormy. David had endured some rotten luck during his round with some terrible lies and a proper fried egg in a bunker on 5. And so it continued as his drive on 14 bounced off the green down the hill to the right. Despite a desperate search it was not to be found and the match was over.
As we dived into a shelter to avoid yet another torrent, David was quick to praise Rob’s play which had been superb. There were no weaknesses to Rob’s game….great drives ….solid approaches …..and absolutely exquisite putting. So congratulations to Rob, a very worthy champion.
Mike (Radar) Cantlay
