Draw - Stableford. White tees. Queen’s. Sat 26th Sept.
Just Another Saturday on the Queen’s: The Stableford Draw Revealed
After the high-stakes mathematical torture of the Strokeplay Championship, the relentless wind-battered drama of the Autumn Meeting, and the seasonal silverware finding its forever homes, one could be forgiven for thinking the Dun Whinny membership might be due a quiet, contemplative weekend.
Perish the thought. This Saturday, 26th September, the gladiators assemble once more on the Queen’s Course from the white tees for what is ostensibly described on the noticeboard as "just" an ordinary Saturday Stableford.
Experienced members know there is no such thing. The word just in golf is doing an awful lot of heavy lifting here. It means thirty competitors will stride onto the 1st tee armed with boundless optimism, only to find themselves three holes later standing in deep heather, trying to recall which pocket holds their spare ball, and muttering dark oaths about James Braid’s fairway contours.
Group-by-Group Correspondent's Analysis
8:00 AM — The Early Bellwethers: Leading the field out, this correspondent (Tariq Ali) has the distinct privilege of playing alongside Jon Cooper and Past Club Champion David Logie. Fresh off a weekend of carding cricket scores interspersed with accidental 65-foot birdie bombs, my sole tactical ambition is to ensure Cooper and Logie are not required to search for too many errant Titleists before the morning coffee has kicked in.
8:10 AM — The Rebound Trio: Thomas McCulloch and Andy Lothian flank recent Captain’s Prize victor Michael Collier. Collier will be eager to banish the ghost of last week’s infamous 15th-hole ricochet off McCulloch’s trolley. One expects McCulloch to park his wheels strictly behind the tee markers this time around.
8:20 AM — Spin Doctors and Low-Sun Survivors: Eric Lambert, Rob Crockart, and Scott Williamson. Should the morning light dazzle off the tee, we trust Lambert and Williamson will actually watch Mr Crockart’s ball this week, sparing him another unassisted provisional and an unsolicited 8 on the card.
8:30 AM — The Redemption Arc: Kevin Dickson and Michael Page accompany the irrepressible Billy Z McNeill. Having systematically reduced his score on the King’s 8th from a ten to a seven over the fortnight, Billy Z now brings his unique brand of theatre to the Queen’s. If his putter behaves, 38 points is never out of the question.
8:40 AM — Pure Power and Ball-Spotting Alert: Rob Simpson and newly minted Autumn Gross joint-medalist Mark Higham line up alongside Bill Sexton. Higham’s ball-striking is currently operating at an elite altitude, while Sexton will hopefully have replenished his stock of Fulham FC logo balls for the Queen’s gorse.
8:50 AM — The Dual Champion’s Parade: Fresh from scooping both the scratch Duncrub Trophy and handicap Championship Cup, Ken Marshall takes the stage flanked by Paul Kelly and Past Captain Frank Johnson. Ken will have had five full days to calculate his optimal Stableford trajectory, though Kelly and Johnson will provide stout, no-nonsense company to keep him grounded.
9:00 AM — The Melodic Trio: Aidan O'Carroll, Jonathan Fletcher, and Patrick Elsmie. If Aidan encounters even half as many bunkers as he did on the King’s last Saturday, expect the Strathallan hills to echo with hearty singing from start to finish. Fletcher, ever steady, will quietly compile his points in the background.
9:10 AM — The Engine Room: Stuart Wallace, David Abercrombie, and David Bruce. Wallace came within four feet of an eagle on the 15th a fortnight ago; the Queen’s short par fours are very much in his crosshairs.
9:20 AM — The Vice Captain’s Patrol: Crawford Gray, Vice Captain Michael Cantlay, and Tony Stewart. Gray will hopefully have consulted his razor ahead of time to avoid further laments about sandpaper cheeks, while Cantlay’s tidy iron game should feast on the Queen’s greens.
9:30 AM — The Anchor Leg: Scott Jack, Sandy Grant, and Ian Fisher bring up the rear. Anchoring the draw is always a test of patience, but this group possesses enough firepower and match-play grit to post the day's winning number long after the clubhouse has settled into its pints.
Taz
Plenty spaces available for any late entries.
Summer Foursomes: Champions Crowned & Silverware Swapped
Away from the weekend draw, the final chapter of the Summer Foursomes has officially concluded, producing a seismic changing of the guard.
Huge and hearty congratulations go to Allister Wallace and Daley Smith, who produced a masterclass in alternate-shot grit and teamwork to claim the coveted Summer Foursomes title. Managing to share a ball across eighteen holes without descending into matrimonial dispute is an art form; to emerge victorious at the end of a grueling knockout campaign is truly magnificent.
Spare a warm thought, however, for our gallant defending champions, Ken Marshall and Colin Campbell. Having carried the mantle with distinction, their spirited defence finally ran out of road against the new titleholders. Commiserations to Ken and Colin—though given Ken's recent haul of seasonal silverware, his mantelpiece will hardly look bare!