Golf: Andy makes it an amazing ten titles in 14 attempts

ANDY LAURENCE, who had a crossover spell at the University of Alabama with US Open champion Graeme McDowell, has extended his remarkable record in the Baberton Club Championship.

The Dispatch Trophy winner with Riccarton claimed his tenth title in 14 attempts, beating Dougie Waugh 3 and 2 in this year's 36-hole final.

Laurence won twice in the early 1990s before heading off to the States on his scholarship and, since returning in 2000, has added eight more titles at the Juniper Green club.

He was two-under-par in beating Alan Strang 5 and 4 in the semi-finals, where Waugh, who has been the lowest-scoring player in the Baberton team this year, saw off John Geddes 3 and 2.

Waugh had developed a habit in recent years of seeing stalwart Ron Bradly end his title bid in the last four. But this year, Bradly decided 18 holes on Friday and 36 on Saturday was too much so he settled for the Seniors' Championship, beating Rod Mackenzie in the final.

Like Laurence, Alan Anderson (Bruntsfield Links), Stuart Smith (Duddingston), Neil Sneddon (Ratho Park) and Tam Caldwell (Silverknowes) have also been adding to their title hauls.

Anderson chalked up win No. 8, equalling the Bruntsfield Links club record, as he beat Keith Mackenzie, while former Lothians champion Smith also secured a place in the history books on the other side of the Capital.

In beating Mike Armstrong, he equalled the five Duddingston titles won by both Ronnie Shade and Mike Power and Smith will now have his sights set on claiming that record for himself in the next year or two.

Power claimed the seniors' title this year, while other Duddingston winners were Ross Cunningham (junior), Cecilia O'Connell (ladies) and Adrian Cavaye (B division).

At Ratho Park, the final between Sneddon and Scott Murray was reckoned to be the best for more than a decade as they had a better ball of approximately 12-under.

Sneddon, who chipped in at the 34th and then hit a majestic 8-iron to three feet for a birdie at the next, won 2 and 1 to secure a sixth success, a haul that now spreads across three decades.

Caldwell, who is probably playing his best golf for many years, claimed his fourth Silverknowes success with a 5 and 4 victory over fellow Dispatch Trophy winner Keith Reilly.

John Sheerin took the B honours, while Daniel Edmonds could be the new Silverknowes' starlet after he took the junior title. Another member of this year's triumphant Dispatch Trophy side, Graham Robertson, lifted the Turnhouse title after beating Steven Armstrong in a cracking 36-hole final. Both players were well under par with Robertson, this season's Stuart Cup winner, edging it 2 and 1.

In another fine match, Lewis Bain beat Andrew Young in extra holes to claim the junior crown, while Janine Young chalked up a second women's title by defeating Helen Ross, the lady captain.

At Royal Burgess, Fraser McCluskey clinched his success in style by holing a 25-foot eagle putt to beat Doug Ross, who was appearing in his first final, while it was a battle of two rising stars in the title showdown at Murrayfield.

Twelve months after winning the junior event, 19-year-old Colin Dick added the senior title with a 5 and 4 win over 20-year-old James Morrison, with Pat Walkingshaw, Aodan Donnelly, Bobby Scott and Helen Holton the other champions this time around at Murrayfield.

In a battle between two former champions, George Wither beat Paul Logan to lift the Lothianburn title, while Keith Young retained his crown at Glencorse, where he recovered from being five down at one point in the morning round to beat youngster Iain Melville 2 and 1 in the final.

While Fraser Jervis had tasted success in the past at Harburn, he chalked up a first championship at Newbattle, where Stuart Thorburn shot a course-record 61 in one of the qualifying rounds but was unable to take that form into the knock-out phase.

He lost in the first round to Jervis, who went on to beat Jeff O'Malley, the defending champion, 8 and 7 in the final.

Other winners there included Peter Hardwick, who secured the seniors' title, and Mo Cunningham, who won the ladies' event for the tenth year in a row.

At Broomieknowe, Sean Marc retained his title and also lifted the Galloway Trophy for winning the qualifying by five shots. The final against Kenny Smith came down to the last, where Marc, from a greenside bunker, splashed stone dead to clinch his win with a birdie.

Hannah Scott won the ladies' title at the Bonnyrigg club, where other 2010 champions included Owen Thomas (juniors) and Sean Porter (seniors). Also winning for the second year running was Allyn Dick, the Lothians champion holding on to his title at Kingsknowe thanks to a 3 and 2 win over Scott Sanderson, who had upset the form book to reach the final, his victims including Steve McCulloch in the semi-finals.

Louise Fraser was the ladies' winner at Kingsknowe, where Thomas Grant claimed the top junior title and Ian Printy chalked up a seniors' success.

Mike Robson, a former Kingsknowe champion, took the Harrison honours this time around, beating John Cafferty, conqueror of defending champion Ronnie Ackroyd, by two holes in the final.

Out in West Lothian, Andrew Rothney, Derek Tait and Bob Gilbert were the victors in the three men's championship classes at Deer Park, where Sally Park took the ladies' honours.