Gent's Club Championship Review

There was drama aplenty on Sunday as the 2019 Gents Club Championship concluded with Stuart Meildejohn holding off the spirited efforts of Ryan Holmes to secure a 30th Challenge Cup title.

Before a ball was struck on Sunday, Ryan held a one shot lead over Stuart after 36 holes, with Pete Hempseed five strokes back and the third member of the marquee group. Ryan's one stroke lead evaporated with a double bogey at the first, but he showed great resilience to birdie the 3rd hole which restored his single shot advantage.

Bogeys for Ryan at the 4th and 6th holes saw the pendulum swing in Stuart's favour, but Ryan again
Answered the bell with a birdie at the 7th to level the overall scores once more. The 8th hole saw Stuart move into a two-shot lead as Ryan took six following an errant drive. However, by the time Ryan birdied the eleventh hole, the scores were knotted and the two then exchanged birdies at thirteen and fourteen.

The final drama of the morning round saw Stuart almost hole his tee shot at 18 and his tap-in birdie gave him a one stroke lead ahead of the final 18 holes_ Standing on the 5th tee in the afternoon round, Stuart was -1 for the round and three clear. Ryan's par at the 8th cut the deficit to two, but when Stuart parred the 9th, the three shot gap was restored.

When Ryan bogeyed the 11th, the contest looked to be over, but a superb birdie at fourteen once again
cut the difference to three shots, But a bogey at the 16th
gave Stuart a four shot cushion and that was the ultimate margin of victory.

As we have come to expect, Stuart's golf on championship Sunday was excellent, shooting 6B, 67 to be crowned as a worthy champion once again. For Ryan there was the consolation of winning the Angus McNaughton Trophy as Handicap club champion by seven strokes from Gordon McRae and Pete Hempseed.

Gags signed for a superb nett 64 in round four while Pete shot two nett 68's on Sunday. Pete was pipped for 3rd place in the Challenge Cup by a final round scratch 68 by Craig Smith.