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Golf: Inverurie top dog Calum Morrison targets Evening Express Champion of Champions, as Aberdeen legend John Hewitt confirms entry after health scare

By Alan Brown

March 7 2023, 11:45 am

Calum Morrison of Inverurie Golf Club. Image: Alan Brown

Calum Morrison is aiming to build on his most successful season at Inverurie after completing a memorable double at the Aberdeenshire golf club.

“The year 2022 was a brilliant season for me and one I will remember forever,” said Calum, 26. a piping designer in the oil and gas industry.

“I won the Inverurie Club Championship for the first time then clinched the knock-out scratch tournament a couple of weeks later.

Big goal for years

“I have been a Inverurie member since I was nine and winning the club championship has been a big goal of mine for years.

“I led after the first two rounds and held a five-shot lead over Michael Kelman.

“Playing together in the final pairing, we both scored 70 (+1) in the morning third round.

“I had felt relaxed in the morning, but after I went home for my lunch my mind started to race a wee bit and I was itching to get back out on the course.

“Fortunately, when we played the final round, I was in control of my game, played steady and just tried to keep mistakes to a minimum. Quite quickly I felt relaxed and was having fun.

“I was level par as I prepared to play the 16th, which can be a card-wrecker.

“It requires a solid straight drive to avoid the trees either side of the fairway. I hit a solid drive away up the fairway and then hit one of the best shots of my life, hitting my 2nd shot to within a foot of the hole.

“Birdies at the 16th don’t come around often, but to do it in the final round of the club championship was pretty cool.

Good way to improve

“I eventually won by five shots from Greg Ingram after rounds of 72, 68, 70 and 70 (280), and lifted the knock-out scratch tournament after beating Richard Davidson in the final.

“I play a lot of open competitions and prioritised the North-east District Order of Merit events in the season-long ‘Race to Murcar’.

“It’s a good way to improve my game by testing myself on different courses and it gives me a chance to play with some of the best players in the north-east.

“I picked up 43 points in this year’s OOM and finished 10th, so I qualified for the final day at Murcar where I played with North-east District player Clark Brechin (Portlethen) and Scottish Boys’ Champion Fraser Laird (Kemnay).

“In August, I achieved a plus-handicap for the first time and maintained some good form until the end of the season to finishing with a handicap of +0.6.

“Finishing the season as a plus-handicapper was a great way to end a memorable year.

“But now I’m looking to kick on this year. I’m looking forward to the new season and making my debut in the Evening Express Champion of Champions.”

High standard of entrants for 2023 event

This year’s Evening Express Champion of Champions fields are shaping up to be one of the highest standards in recent seasons.

Seventeen of the early entries in the men’s scratch tournament have a handicap of one or better.

Last year’s champion Tyler Ogston, of Nigg Bay, plays off plus-three, while former professional Gavin Still, who lost in the semi-finals last year to eventual runner-up Callum Coutts, has the lowest handicap of plus-four.

Reigning Gents’ Scratch champion Tyler Ogston, of Nigg Bay, Image: Jasperimage

Two-time winner Barrie Edmond, a plus-two handicapper from Bon Accord, will again try to become the first to secure a hat-trick of titles.

The ladies scratch competition is also likely to be a keenly fought affair with defending champion Sarah Ritchie, from Portlethen, facing strong early opposition which includes Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies) and Carol Wilson (Murcar Links).

Eight Champion of Champions competitions will culminate on finals day at Banchory on Sunday, September 17.

Property, legal and financial law firm Aberdein Considine are again the sponsors providing £2,400 vouchers.

Club champions from the following categories below should contact their secretaries now to make sure their entry is returned to North-east District secretary George Young before the closing date on Friday, March 17.

EVENING EXPRESS CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS ENTRIES SO FAR

(SPONSORED BY ABERDEIN CONSIDINE)

GENTS’ SCRATCH

Ian Birnie (Aberdeen Petroleum) 11

Neil Frater (Auchenblae) 8

Stephen Cooper (Ballater) 1

Barrie Edmond (Bon Accord) +2

Ian Hill (Braemar) 10

Stuart Whyte (Caledonian) 1

Paul Reid (Craibstone) +3

Bruce Main (Cullen) 2

Gavin Still (Duff House Royal) +4

Jack Pirie (Hazlehead) +1

Ross Buchan (Inverallochy) 1

Calum Morrison (Inverurie) 1

Fraser Laird (Kemnay) +1

Callum Cromar (Lumphanan) 3

Bradley Fraser (McDonald Ellon) +2

Ronnie Brechin (Murcar Links) +2

Jonathan Dobson (Newburgh) 1

Cameron Johnstone (Northern) +2

Graeme Hogg (Oldmeldrum) +3

Gavin Thomson (Rosehearty) 7

Nick McAndrew (Royal Aberdeen) +3

Jamie Robertson (Strathlene) +3

Craig Wilkinson (Trump International) +1

Tyler Ogston (Defending champion from Nigg Bay) +3

GENTS’ HANDICAP

Gordon Bruce (Ballater) 19

RJ Dunn (Bon Accord) 17

Kenny Munro (Buckpool) 20

Gary Meade (Caledonian) 12

Finlay McKay (Buckpool) 5

Michael Clarihew (Duff House Royal) 13

Kenneth Slessor (Inverallochy) 7

Steven Raffan (Kemnay) 11

Stuart Mitchell (Lumphanan) 14

Scott Paton (McDonald Ellon) 13

Peter McArthur (Meldrum House)

Robert Duncan (Murcar Links) 6

Ian Mundie (Newburgh) 16

Charles Cassie (Nigg Bay) 12

Colin Johnstone (Northern) 3

Elliot Mason (Oldmeldrum) 10

David Webster (Pecten) 12

Stuart McIntosh (Peterculter) 9

Ritchie Duthie (Rosehearty) 19

Gregor Dick (Royal Aberdeen) 7

Chris Nicoll (Stonehaven) 11

Steven Yule (Tarland) 9

Malcolm Riach (Torphins) 5

Scott Vass (Defending champion from Strathlene) 2

SENIOR GENTS’ HANDICAP

William Donald (Ballater) 9

Duncan Cumming (Bon Accord) 10

William Bruce (Buckpool) 13

Bobby Baxter (Craibstone) 19

John Pirie (Cullen) 16

Ian Thompson (Kemnay) 11

Brian Watson (McDonald Ellon) 21

Neil Profeit (Meldrum House) 9

Peter Milne (Nigg Bay) 4

Sandy Davidson (Northern) 15

Billy Melvin (Oldmeldrum) 14

LADIES’ SCRATCH

Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies) 2

Catriona Morrison (Ballater) 11

Debbie Milne (Craibstone) 8

Linda Mair (Cullen) 14

Victoria Buchan (Inverallochy) 11

Kelly Mechie (Inverurie) 4

Wilma Catto (Kemnay) 13

Fiona Campbell (McDonald Ellon) 6

Fiona Fullerton (Meldrum House) 6

Carol Wilson (Murcar Links) 3

Maureen McFarland (Newburgh) 8

Jan Lyne (Oldmeldrum) 7

Sandra Ross (Rosehearty) 18

Fiona Sim (Stonehaven) 7

Margaret Sievwright (Strathlene) 4

Sarah Ritchie (Defending champion from Portlethen) 6.

LADIES’ HANDICAP

Lorna McKendrick (Ballater) 16

Shirley Cowie (Buckpool) 13

Nyah Wright (Cullen) 31

Robyn Gallon (Duff House Royal) 6

Marilyn Ritchie (Inverallochy) 20

Lorna Donaldson (Inverurie) 6

Eve Ironside (Kemnay) 25

Amanda Farquhar (McDonald Ellon) 20

Flora Shewan (Murcar Links) 20

Irene Waddell (Newburgh) 29

Lorna Edwards (Oldmeldrum) 14

Astrid McAllister (Peterculter) 18

Susannah Calder (Stonehaven) 29

Barbara Webster (Strathlene) 19

Karen Anderson (Defending champion from Dunecht House) 20

SENIOR LADIES’ SCRATCH

Kay Ross (Inverurie) 9

Pam Fraser (Peterculter) 10

Rae Topping (Royal Tarlair) 17

Rose Anderson (Defending champion from Huntly) 8

SENIOR LADIES’ HANDICAP

Freda MacPherson (Inverurie) 15

Aberdeen legend John Hewitt will play in Champion of Champions

It was great to see Gothenburg Great John Hewitt’s name among the early entries for this season’s Evening Express Champion of Champion senior scratch tournament.

John, 60, suffered a health scare earlier this year, but he is back on the mend and even managed to play a few holes last weekend.

John said: “It was great to be back and I’m looking forward to the competition.”

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Aberdeen’s famous 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the European Cup Winners’ Cup Final in Sweden after John headed home the extra-time winner.