FINAL
Mark Napier the 2019 Turnhouse Club Champion achieved a notable double by winning the Lothians Golf Association Men's Championship at an overcast Broomieknowe Golf Club yesterday defeating Stuart McLaren (Bruntsfield Links G.S.) at the 19th with a birdie 3.
In a closely fought match Mark went ahead with a birdie 3 at the 3rd, only to be pegged back to all square at the next. Mark went ahead again at the 7th where the hole was conceded and again the advantage only lasted one hole. Mark birdie the 9th to turn 1 up.
A four was good enough at the 10th to go 2 up but Stuart won the 11th and 13th with pars to bring the match back to all square with 5 holes to play.
Stuart holed a monster putt at the short 15th for a 2 to go one up in the match for the first time and with the 16th halved in pars, stood on the 17th tee 1 up with 2 to play. Mark birdied the 17th from 3 feet to square the match and with the 18th halved in birdies, the match went to extra holes.
Mark birdied the 19th from 3 feet to take the title back to Turnhouse GC for the first time since 2004 when Steven Armstrong won the title at Mortonhall.
Semi Finals
The Semi-Finals got underway with some damp overhead conditions, however this didn't hamper the quality of play.
In the closely contested first match, local player Jamie McIntosh came up short in his attempt to beat Turnhouse Champion, Mark Napier and the match ended at the 17th hole with Mark taking the spoils 2&1. In the second match, Bruntsfield Links, Stuart McLaren continued his rich vein of form and was well in control of his match against Scott McCandless of Bathgate and managed to close out the match 5&4
Quarter Finals
On a breezy and overcast night the quarter finals of the Lothians Championship Match play got underway with the current Broomieknowe Champion, Jamie McIntosh playing David Miller (Duddingston). In a match full of birdies Jamie won by 3&2 being approximately 4 under par for the holes played.
The second match out between Mark Napier (Turnhouse) and Benn McLeod (Musselburgh) was evenly matched until Mark went 2 up after 14 holes and closed out the game with a birdie on the 17th, winning 2&1.
In the 3rd game, home player Sean Macgarvey came up against a very much in form Stuart McLaren (Bruntsfield Links G.S.) who birdied the 3rd and 5th and eagled the 8th to be 4 up at the turn and steady golf on the back nine saw him win by 4&3. Stuart will face Scott McCandless (Bathgate) in Saturday's second semi final after Scott defeated Richard Gill (Tantallon) by 2&1 with steady golf for the holes played.
The Semi Finals tee off at 8.30am on Saturday morning with the Final scheduled for 1.00pm
Round One
In the first match out tonight, David Miller won the first 2 holes but then found himself 4 down with 5 to play squaring the tie at the 18th after winning 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th, eventually winning the tie on the 2nd extra hole. He will play Jamie McIntosh on Thursday night who beat Harry Carruthers 3&2.
Mark Napier was too steady for local member Alan Sim winning 3&2 and will now play Benn McLeod who received a W/O against Simon Junk.
Sean McGarvey was 1 down standing on the 18th tee but birdied the last with a 4 foot putt and also birdied the 19th against Keith Reilly and will now play Stuart McLaren on Thursday night who beat Sean Marc on the last green after being 3 down playing 14th. Stuart finished 3 under par for the last 5 holes.
Scott McCandless was too steady for Craig Cruickshank winning 6&5 and will now play Richard Gill in the last eight who beat Ally Dick, leading qualifier from Sunday, by 1 hole. Richard birdied the last hole after driving the green as Allyn failed to get up and down from the greenside bunker.