Scottish Amateur Stroke Play at Royal Dornoch

[David_Tepper]

The Scottish Amateur Stroke Play Championship begins tomorrow (Friday) at Royal Dornoch. There is a field of 144 playing a round on Friday and Saturday and then a cut to the low 40 & ties (I think) playing 36 holes on Sunday.

This is an "open" tournament, accepting entries from non-Scots. There are about 8 Americans in the field (including Andrew Biggadike) and players from France, Germany & Switzerland. There is also a contingent of at least 6 Swedish players, dressed in their team uniforms of light blue shirts and white pants.

The course has not been toughened in any way. The fairways have not been narrowed and the rough does not seem to be any higher than it normally is this time of year.

It had been fairly dry here the prior two weeks, but there was light rain all day Tuesday and a real downpour on Wednesday. Fortunately, the sun came out today and the wind was up, so the course should dry out a bit by the weekend.

I am very curious to see what scores will be posted and what it will take to make the cut.          

[Willie_Dow]

Thanks for the update David, and I'm looking forward to the scores.

[Rich Goodale]

Keep us informed, David, hopefully with some on-the-course comments.

Based on my game there last weekend, and the weather since then, I think we could see some low scoring, due to the relatively slow, relatively receptive greens, the fairly benign rough and the quality of the field.  But if the wind blows........

[David_Tepper]

I am fairly certain the scores will be posted daily on the Scottish Golf Union website - www.scottishgolfunion.org

Scroll down till you see 'Bidwells Scottish Amateur Open Stroke Play' under Current/Next Championships.

Lloyd Saltman, low amateur at last summer British Open, is in the field. I cannot recall if Scot Richie Ramsey, winner of the US Am last summer, is playing.  

[Bill Shamleffer]

Lloyd Saltman, low amateur at last summer British Open, is in the field. I cannot recall if Scot Richie Ramsey, winner of the US Am last summer, is playing.  

I just saw Ramsey on the internet playing at Muirfield.  I guess he came over early for the U.S. Open and got an invite to Jack's place.

[Brian_Ewen]

Yes , Richie played at Colonial last week also.

[Rich Goodale]

David

Following scores on a website is worse that watching grass grow (and sadder too).

We want the stories, from eagles to train wrecks, from the jaws of defeat to the thrill of victory, from the sublime to the sublime, please (Dornoch does not do the ridiculous) .

OS--I was told last Saturday that the big hitters would be playing the 4th by driving down the 12th fairway (getting a flat lie and a marginally better angle into the green).  Is this happening?

Thanks

Rich

[Brent Hutto]

If anyone wants to watch grass grow, here's a link to the results in almost-real-time.

http://tinyurl.com/yq3o57

Of the morning groups the leader is a -4 (Gary Boyd) and there are 12 of 65 players at par or better. Average score is in the neighborhood of +5 to +6.

[Phil Benedict]

David



OS--I was told last Saturday that the big hitters would be playing the 4th by driving down the 12th fairway (getting a flat lie and a marginally better angle into the green).  Is this happening?

Thanks

Rich

Maybe they should invoke the Hinkle Tree solution if this is the case.

[Rich Goodale]

Good point Phil.  Dornoch is sorely lacking in trees.

[David_Tepper]

Gentlemen -

I have just gotten in from an afternoon out on the course. Let me provide the following observations/comments:

1) Bellhaven's Best is officially the official beer of the Scottish Golf Union!  
2) I thought the pin positions were rather accomodating. On most holes the pins were closer to the center of the green than to the edges. The only exception was #14, Foxy, where the pin was as far left as I have ever seen it. I am guessing the pin positions might be tougher over the weekend.
3) The weather was clear & sunny. However, for the first time in the almost 3 weeks I have been here, the wind was out of the north/east, rather than the south/west. It was a strong wind and a cold wind. The flags by the first tee were not totally at 90 degrees, by they were whipping out.
4) Because of this, the front 9 was playing into the wind and playing VERY tough. #2 was a 2- or 3-iron and I am guessing the stroke average on that hole was closer to 4 than 3. Par-4 #7 was virtually impossible to reach in 2. I am certain the par-5 9th & 12th holes (playing downwind) had lower scoring averages today than #7. (Rich G. - I doubt anyone was thinking of trying to reach the 12th fairway off the 4th tee today. DT)
5) It looks like there will be 15 or so scores under par-70. Most of those were shot early in the day, when the wind was not as strong.  
6) Lloyd Saltman shot 73. Jimmy Gunn, current RDGC club champion and current Carnegie Shield champ, shot 73.
7) Andrew Biggadike had a tough outward nine. He was undone by a 6 on #2. However, he played the last 11 holes in one-under par for a 76. His highlight shot of the day was a 6-iron into #6 that hit the flagstick on one bounce.
The "phenom" to keep your eyes on in the coming years is a 14-year old named Oscar Sharpe. I believe he is the youngest player in the field. After watching him for 30 seconds, I had flashes of Seve & Sergio. He has that certain flair.  

All for now.

DT      

[Mike Benham]

1) Bellhaven's Best is officially the official beer of the Scottish Golf Union!  

Please bring home a keg ... thanks in advance !

[Rich Goodale]

Thanks, David

Keep up the good work and keep us posted!

Rich

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

The Yanks are having a tough go of it. It seems Sir Rihc must have entertained the lads Thursday evening and again last night. lol

[Rich Goodale]

Tiger

I would have led them astray if I had been there, but I wasn't.  It's all their own fault.  Of course, Oor Andrew (Biggadike) looks like he might just make the cut.

I must admit that all the scores in the 60's makes me realise how much better these guys are than ye and me.  I'm guessing they'll put the pins in some naughty places tomorrow.

[David_Tepper]

Andrew Biggadike did make the cut, thanks to a 69 today (total of 145). Since only 40 & ties, in a field of 144, made the cut, that is no small achievement.

I only saw about 90 minutes of play this morning. I thought it was a bit warmer and less windy today. It looks like there were fewer sub-par rounds today than Friday, which is surprising to me. The pins may have been in marginally more challenging spots.

I will try to provide a more comprehensive report on Sunday's 36-hole extravaganza. We are getting some rain in Dornoch this evening.

[Brian_Ewen]

No Fog David ? .

Here in Stonehaven we have had three consecutive days of the bluidy stuff .

[David_Tepper]

Brian -

I have been in Dornoch for 3 weeks now and have not seen any fog at all.

It appears I was wrong about the conditions at Dornoch yesterday afternoon. I was playing at Golspie yesterday afternoon and the conditions there were most pleasant.

I assumed it would be the same at Dornoch, less than 7 miles away as the crow flies. That was not the case, as I am told it stayed cold and windy at Dornoch all day.

It is raining here this morning.

DT  

[David_Tepper]

It has rained steadily all morning. The rain has not been especially heavy. There is not much wind, but it is starting to get a bit cold. I don't really envy the field heading out for their 2nd round of the day.

Andrew Biggadike shot 70 this morning, which should move him up the leaderboard a bit. There were a couple of 69's shot earlier in the morning.  

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Rihc, I agree the lads make ye and me look like the patrons we are now. I am so impressed with the scoring with the wind up coupled with a bit of rain, no matter where the pins are. I was talking up the event at lunch yesterday and one of our local college golfers told me that many of the best US Ams are at the NCAA Championships this week. Your Stanford team dusted the field by the by.

[Rich Goodale]

Tiger

Good to hear about them Cardinal.  Looks like we won't need Michelle next year on the golf team.  Can she play free safety or point guard?

The cream is separating at Dornoch.  Regardless of precipitation, with little rough and soft and slow but true greens, really good players will kill that track.  I am too modest to tell what I shot there under similar conditions in (match play) competition a week ago.......

Ricardo

[Willie_Dow]

Rich - It still goes an extra mile to forget that this is a stroke play tourney against one another, not just an opportunity to be critical of the layout.  Somehow we seem to forget this when we change courses like Augusta National.

Long live Royal Dornoch as she is !

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Long live her indeed. I am pleased she keeps select areas neatly trimmed.

[Rich Goodale]

Bill

Who if anybody has been critical of the layout?  Surely not moi?  Dornoch is as good as it gets.

Cheers

Rich

[Rich Goodale]

Tiger

What are you referring to in your edit vis a vis "areas neatly trimmed?"  We're talking about a golf course, baby, not some babe......

Farnie