Result - Gordon Lockhart 36 Hole “Iron Man” Challenge. Saturday Aug 8th. King’s & Queen’s.
Gordon Lockhart Trophy: MacKenzie Masters the Two-Course Test
Dun Whinny Golf Club provided a stern examination for competitors in yesterday’s Gordon Lockhart Trophy, with the field tackling King’s in the morning before moving on to Queen’s in the afternoon.
The morning round on King’s was played in distinctly windy conditions, with the rough proving treacherous for anyone who strayed from the fairways. The pin positions on both courses appeared to have been selected in the spirit of a greenkeepers’ revenge—many tucked perilously close to the edges of the greens and offering little margin for error.
Against that backdrop, Dr Tom MacKenzie produced the outstanding round of the day, returning a superb net 69 on King’s. He followed it with a solid net 76 on Queen’s, giving him a winning aggregate of 145 and securing the Gordon Lockhart Trophy.
Congratulations to Dr Tom MacKenzie, whose combination of precision, patience and sound course management saw him through a demanding double-header.
Top five competitors completing both rounds
Position Competitor King’s Queen’s Aggregate
1 Dr Tom MacKenzie 69 76 145
2 David Logie 71 76 147
3 Ross MacNish 78 74 152
=4 Colin Campbell 77 76 153
=4 Ken Marshall 78 75 153
Logie was MacKenzie’s closest challenger, beginning with an excellent 71 on King’s and remaining firmly in contention with 76 on Queen’s. MacNish delivered the best afternoon round among the leading five, improving to 74 on Queen’s to finish third overall.
Campbell and Marshall shared fourth place on 153. Campbell was particularly consistent, recording 77 and 76, while Marshall’s steady 78 on King’s and 75 on Queen’s earned him the same aggregate.
The shot of the day
The highlight of the two rounds came on the 11th at King’s, where Mr Bill Sexton produced a moment of genuine drama. Back from visiting family in the jungles of Uganda, Bill decided that a change of ball was required and duly brought out a pink one.
The decision very nearly paid spectacular dividends. His tee shot struck the flagstick, leaving him a straightforward opportunity for birdie—which he duly converted. It was a memorable piece of golf, even if the day ultimately ended without a completed King’s card for Bill.
As for this correspondent, the less said about the water found on the 13th at Queen’s the better. With the wind, unforgiving rough and fiendishly positioned pins combining to make life difficult, simply completing both rounds was an achievement in itself.
In the end, however, it was Dr Tom MacKenzie who navigated the challenge best of all, emerging as a thoroughly deserving winner of the Gordon Lockhart Trophy.
Next week is the Blue Tee Scramble over the PGA. Entry via the app.
Taz.
