GRANT DOWIE (ALLOA) WINS CLACKMANNAN COUNTY
SENIOR BOYS' CHAMPIONSHIP AT BRAEHEAD

By HUGH HUNTER

The 2007 Clackmannan County boys' golf championships were contested over Braehead Golf course in windy and showery conditions on Sunday. Over 50 boys competed in the two age group divisions (14 years and under; 15 – 17).
With 19 competitors, Alva provided the largest entry, and it was pleasing to the organisers and spectators to see all the boys smartly turned out.
In the senior boys' category, it was always going to be a contest between the present “Big Three” of Wee County boys' golf - Grant Dowie (Alloa), Andrew Borek (Braehead) and Andre Scotland (Alloa).
Grant posted a level par 35 on the outward nine to give him a six-shot advantage over the others, but they could not take advantage of Grant’s slip-ups on the homeward nine when he dropped seven shots to par, and they had to be content with second and third spots.
PRIZEWINNERS
SCRATCH
1 Grant Dowie (Alloa) 77.
2 Andrew Broek (Braehead) 79.
3 Andre Scotland (Alloa) 81.
HANDICAP
1 Callum Carberry (Tillicoultry) (9) 74.
2 Scott Clark (Braehead) (9) 74.
3 Bruce McAdam (Alloa) (11) 75.
FULL SCOREBOARD
77 G Dowie (Alloa).
79 A Borek (Braehead).
81 A Scotland (Alloa).
83 C Carberry (Tillicoultry), S Clark (Braehead).
85 S McPherson (Braehead).
86 B McAdam (Alloa).
87 G Elliot (Alva).
89 J Ferguson (Alva).
92 R Hunter(Alva).
93 N Forbes (Alva).
94 S Thomson (Alva)

In the Junior category there was a large entry, and two classy players, Lawrence Allan (Alva) and Gary Chalmers (Dollar), dominated the event. Gary, with steady play, held a comfortable lead over Lawrence until the 425yd par-4 18th where it all went wrong with a disastrous triple bogey 7.
Twelve-year-old Lawrence countered with a magnificent birdie 3 (the only one in the field) to snatch the title by one shot.
Top handicap prize went to local Steven Nicol with an unbelievable net 54 which will no doubt be dealt with by the handicap committee.
Finally, all credit to 10-year-old Angus Boyd (Alloa) -- undaunted by playing from the medal tees and showing great perseverance, he returned a card of 110 when many others threw in the towel during their round.

PRIZEWINNERS
SCRATCH
1 Lawrence Allan (Alva) 76.
2 Gary Chalmers (Dollar) 77.
3 Daniel Ashe (Alva) 78.
HANDICAP
1 Steven Nicol (Braehead) (31) 54.
2 Jamie Pollock (Braehead) (17) 64.
3 Grant Ross (Alloa) (17) 67.

FULL SCOREBOARD
76 L Allan (Alva).
77 G Chalmers (Dollar).
78 D Ashe (Alva).
81 J Pollock Braehead), J Salmond (Alloa).
82 A Ashe (Alva).
84 G Ross (Alloa).
85 M Hall (Alva), S Nicol (Braehead).
86 J Macpherson (Braehead).
88 K Ross (Tillicoultry), D Young (Alva).
90 W Nelson (Alloa).
91 B Hamilton (Alva).
92 C Macdonald (Alva).
93 C Boyd (Alloa), R Kennedy (Alva).
94 C Watson (Alloa).
96 G McIntosh (Alloa), S Buchanan (Alva).
97 C Graham (Alloa), B McAdam (Alloa), J Gardner (Alva), R Brown (Tillicoultry).
109 R Walker (Alva).
110 A Boyd (Alloa).

The top eight boys in each category qualify for the match-play titles, and a handicap title is contested by the top four handicap scores in each category.