Result - The Hally Prize. King’s. White tees. Stableford. Sat 4th July.
The final competitive outing on the King's Course before it closes in preparation for the Seniors Open produced a worthy champion as Scott Jack claimed the prestigious Hally Prize with a magnificent 43 Stableford points.
Played from the white tees, the King's once again proved why it commands so much respect. Under cloudy skies, light drizzle and a blustery wind that seemed determined to interfere with every club selection, scoring was anything but straightforward. The recent rain had left the course playing long, and competitors quickly discovered that pars were to be treasured and birdies celebrated.
Against that backdrop, Scott Jack's round stood head and shoulders above the rest. His 43 points was an outstanding effort in demanding conditions, but it was the manner in which he finished that was particularly impressive. A remarkable 25 points over the back nine transformed an already excellent card into a championship-winning performance. It was a superb display of controlled, confident golf and a thoroughly deserved victory in one of Dun Whinny's longest-standing competitions.
Congratulations also go to Mark Higham, whose excellent 39 points looked every inch a winning score for much of the afternoon. Fresh from reaching the Club Championship Final, Mark continues to enjoy an outstanding season and once again demonstrated why he is one of the club's most consistent performers.
Third place went to Colin Campbell on 35 points, another excellent return that continues his remarkable run of form this season. Campbell seems incapable of producing a poor score at the moment and remains firmly among the favourites for September's conclusion of the Strokeplay Championship.
There was then a tightly packed chasing group on 34 points, including Paul Kelly, Rob Crockart, Patrick Elsmie, Mike Collier, David McLeod and Frank Johnson. On another day, any one of those totals might have challenged for the trophy, but Scott Jack had other ideas.
Your golf correspondent had the pleasure of playing alongside current Club Champion David Logie and fellow 72-hole endurance enthusiast Rob Simpson. Expectations were naturally high. Surely there would be towering drives, laser-like irons and golfing artistry to admire.
There certainly was artistry—although perhaps not always of the conventional variety.
Mr Logie demonstrated that even club champions occasionally discover parts of the King's previously unknown to the membership. On the 4th hole he somehow found himself playing from a path hidden behind the bushes on the right-hand side. Yes, there really is a path there. Even after producing one of those wonderfully inventive recovery shots that only elite golfers seem capable of imagining, the hole still ended in a triple bogey. Proof, if any were needed, that the King's is an equal-opportunities punisher.
Meanwhile, Rob Simpson provided one of the day's more memorable moments on the 7th. His opening drive struck a tree with such enthusiasm that the ball rebounded behind the tee markers. It is not often you see a golfer's second shot finish further from the hole than his first, but Rob managed it with admirable efficiency. Thankfully, he accepted the applause with good humour.
As for your correspondent, there was genuine cause for optimism after producing a drive on the 9th that comfortably outdistanced Mr Logie's. Sadly, any thoughts that the balance of golfing power had shifted were short-lived. The 10th quickly restored order with yet another snowman, confirming once again that despite the calendar insisting it is July, winter continues to appear on this correspondent's scorecard with alarming regularity.
Nevertheless, the golfing gods briefly smiled. At the end of the round your correspondent sat proudly at the top of the clubhouse leaderboard. Congratulations flowed freely from distinguished members including Michael Page, Frank Johnson, Paul Lewis, David "Highlander" McLeod and Douglas Hamilton. It was a thoroughly enjoyable few minutes.
Then golf remembered how leaderboards are supposed to work.
First came Mark Higham with an excellent 39 points, a score that looked increasingly likely to secure the Hally Prize. One imagines he may even have started composing a modest acceptance speech.
Then through the clubhouse doors walked Scott Jack.
His astonishing 43 points, highlighted by that sensational 25-point inward half, swept aside the field and brought the day's competition to a fitting conclusion. It was a performance worthy of adding his name to one of Dun Whinny Golf Club's most historic trophies.
The Hally Prize, first contested in 1960 thanks to the generosity of J.A. Hally, remains one of the club's most treasured competitions. It is particularly fitting that the final competitive round on the King's before its summer closure produced such a deserving winner.
Congratulations once again to Scott Jack, the 2026 Hally Prize Champion.
Attention now turns to another busy week of golf. On Wednesday, competitors return to the Queen's Course for the second and deciding round of the President's Platter, before next Saturday sees members swap individual glory for teamwork in the Charity Four Ball Better Ball over the PGA Centenary from the yellow tees.
Until then, let's hope the weather improves, the King's enjoys its well-earned rest before the Seniors Open, and your correspondent can finally persuade those snowmen to stay in hibernation until December.
Taz
