Outgoing Newburgh Golf Club captain Jonathan Dobson is delighted to have come out on top after a challenging financial year at the club.
Jonathan overcame a mountain of stress and strain, but still clinched the club championship at the Aberdeenshire links.
Newburgh faced a severe cash crisis at the start of the year, but turned things around after launching a successful fundraising campaign which included receiving an anonymous cash donation of £25,000.
Jonathan, 40, said: “The golf season went well considering the issues we were having at Newburgh. Coupled with the stress of being club captain, the actual golf was a pleasant outlet.
“I have been playing golf since I was two or three.
“It was always to a decent level and played to handicap of seven for many years until I stopped playing rugby. I concentrated on my golf more and came down steadily to four, then scratch and one currently.
“Following two runner-up spots (in the club championship) and a third in the course of three years, I knew It was in there somewhere and just needed to relax and play my game.
“The four rounds were played in some extremely challenging windy conditions.
“I had a six-shot lead after three rounds and held off the spirited challenge of Keith Watson by by four shots.
“There were a a few hairy moments, though – I lost a lost ball on the 14th after a good tee-shot due to the wind and dryness of the course. Luckily we had a good amount of spectators on the course who had seen where it went, otherwise it would have been a long walk back to the tee”
“I’m extremely proud to have won, though, given I was the outgoing captain at a stressful time for the club.
“There are not many players who will have their name on the board as club champion and club captain.
“My goals for this season are to improve my handicap and retain the club championship, which will be a hard task as we have some new very talented golfers in the ranks.
“I also plan to play more away competitions around the north-east and further afield, and I am looking forward to playing in the Champion of Champions.”
Laurie Phillips bids to be first three-time Champion of Champions winner
Laurie Phillips has the chance to improve the best record in the North-East District’s flagship matchplay tournament.
Decommissioning campaign superintendent Laurie, 44, has won the Evening Express Champion of Champions scratch title twice and has also finished runner-up on two occasions.
Laurie will bid to become the first triple winner when the draw is made in March after winning the Cruden Bay club championship for a 10th time last season.
“My (Cruden Bay) win last year was quite a milestone as it came 25 years after my first one in 1997 and meant that I have now won a title in each of the last four decades – 90s, 00s, 10s and 20s,” said Laurie.
“The day was made more memorable last year as my 14-year-old son Saul won the junior handicap championship title.
“My 36-hole final was against Martin Forman – a local scratch player who was playing in his first final.
“I won a stretch of holes from the fifth to the ninth to open up a five-hole lead, this increased to six by the 13th, before a couple of birdies from Martin and a three putt from myself meant it was back to three holes.
“Two closing birdies helped me open up a five-hole lead again and I was round in 66 (-4) off the Blue Tees for the morning round.”
Laurie added: “The afternoon round was a lot less eventful and ,after trading some holes early on, my lead was increased to seven holes, where it remained through to the 12th hole (30th) where the match finished.
“I was able to maintain a handicap of plus-three throughout 2022, despite some indifferent play at times.
“I haven’t really played over the winter, except for a golf trip to Turkey.
“I know that there is work to do on my game ahead of this season, where obviously I hope to play a bit more, retain the club championship at Cruden Bay and give a good account of myself in an attempt to win a hat-trick of Evening Express Champion of Champions titles, having been beaten in the final the last time I played in it.
Laurie won his first Champion of Champions title at Newmachar in 2007 and added a second at Kintore two years later.
He was beaten at the final hole in the 2019 final by Bon Accord’s Barrie Edmond, and also lost the 2005 final to Turriff’s Ewan Forbes at Kemnay.
Chance to play three top north-east courses back to back
Here’s a chance to give yourself something to look forward to in the new season.
Entries are being taken for the 2023 Aberdeen Golf Links Pro-Am from Wednesday-Friday, April 26-28.
The 54-hole Pro-Am takes place at three of the north-east’s finest links – Royal Aberdeen, Trump International and Cruden Bay.
The three rounds will be followed by a dinner hosted by Dougie Donnelly at the Marcliffe Hotel, Aberdeen, with entertainment by Cole Page and String Infusion.
More details at www.aberdeengolflinks.com
