Golf: Craigmillar Park Open nifty at fifty

IT'S been won by a six-time major winner who was also world No?1, an Amateur champion, a World Cup winner, Open Silver Medal winners, a former Volvo PGA champion, an Eisenhower Trophy winner and a whole host of Walker Cup players.

The Craigmillar Park Open roll of honour, in fact, is like a who's who of Scottish golf - with a notable Englishman in there as well - and this weekend it celebrates its 50th birthday. Lothians legend Ronnie Shade won the first staging back in 1961, the first of a record five triumphs by the Duddingston man, and it has since produced one great champion after another.

Charlie Green was 'king' in the Capital three times, one more than Ian Hutcheon, while George Macgregor "finally succeeded" in 1983 then retained the title 12 months later.

Andrew Oldcorn got his name on the trophy just before Macgregor and, more recently, the winners have included Raymond Russell, Craig Watson, Marc Warren (twice), Steven O'Hara, Scott Jamieson, Lloyd Saltman and Gavin Dear.

But one name on the list of previous champions in the heart of the city sticks out above all the others - Nick Faldo.

The man who went on to become one of the world's greatest players was still a teenager when he won at Craigmillar Park in 1976, the year before Green completed his hat-trick of victories.

"I actually failed to qualify for the final two rounds when Faldo won," recalled the three-time Scottish champion.

"I remember watching him in the final round and I'm scared to admit that I didn't admire him too much. Why? Because, if he didn't hit the perfect shot the club was getting flung down. To be fair, he was pretty young then and I also remember that he stayed with a pal of mine. In fact, he came up to Edinburgh on the Monday to practise while the rest of us had to wait until the Friday night to get through as we were working."

Bob Kilgour, a long-serving Craigmillar Park member, also vividly remembers Faldo's win, after which he didn't hang around long in the amateur ranks before launching his hugely-successful professional career.

"He was a very brash 18-year-old," said Kilgour. "He was completely arrogant about his play but, at the same time, he was streets ahead of the others in the field that year."

Macgregor, who finished second to the Englishman, doesn't disagree with that view, having seen for himself the year before that Faldo had something special in his game.

"I was out in South Africa for three weeks with both Nick and Sandy Lyle for the Commonwealth Tournament in 1975," recalled the Glencorse great.

"There was no question that the two of them were very dedicated young guys - they were only interested in practising and playing golf. They were two different type of guys but were different class as golfers and streets ahead of me or any of my colleagues at that age.

"I think Nick must have been invited to Craigmillar Park when he came up for it the following year and I think he turned pro right after his win."

Faldo himself recalled the triumph when he played in the British Seniors Open at Muirfield in 2007.

"Goodness me, that's going back a bit," he said. "Grey, cold and damp - and I managed to hack the ball round sufficiently well to win. That's the sort of memories I have," he added. As well as being beaten into second place that year, Macgregor lost in a play-off to Broomieknowe's Bruce Dunlop four years later.

So it came as a huge relief when he finally got his hands on the trophy before joining Shade and Green as players who have managed to make a successful defence of the title.

"I played in it for a long number of years, starting when I was fairly young all the way through until 1987," added the former Walker Cup captain.

"It was certainly a nice feeling when I eventually managed to win it as the event has always been held in high regard - you only need to look at the names of the people who've won it to see that.

"The likes of Rodney Foster and Gordon Clark, both Walker Cup players, used to come up from the north-east of England to play and it has continued to attract strong fields over the years. I'm sure the young guys playing in the event these days don't know any of the old bufties, myself included, but, at the same time, I'm sure they would also like to get their name on the trophy."

Green, now 78 and not chuffed in the slightest that his handicap has crept up over the years to close to double figures, was back at Craigmillar Park 12 months ago as a guest of the club to present the prizes.

"When I won the year after Faldo, I think I shot four scores under 70, which was good going back then," he said. "I was playing with a new heavy driver which didn't go far but certainly went straight and I think I used it at every hole.

"Craigmillar Park might not be the best course in Scotland but, as the first tournament of the year, everyone looked forward to it and, in fairness to the club, they always did everything they possibly could to get it in good condition."

Last year Kilmacolm's Matthew Clark shot scores of 66, 68, 62 and 64 to lift the trophy with a 20-under-par aggregate. The accomplishment left Green shaking his head in utter amazement. "I could not believe the scores," he added. "I was out on the course for a bit on the Sunday and, at holes where we'd be hitting a driver and 4-iron, they were wedging it on to the greens."

According to Kilgour, though, some of the young guys of today would love to be as accurate as Green. "Due to Charlie hitting the middle of every fairway and the middle of every green, he was almost boring to watch," joked the Craigmillar Park man.

Another strong field will assemble in the Capital this weekend for the event's 50th anniversary and Macgregor, for one, is hoping it will still be going strong in another 50 years.

"It would be a shame if it suffered due to the way the amateur schedule is changing because the young guys these days certainly aren't sitting around the fire at home in the winter waiting for the season to start at either Leven or Craigmillar Park," he said.

ROLL OF HONOUR: THE WINNERS

1961 R Shade (Duddingston)

1962 A Sinclair (Drumpellier)

1963 H Campbell (Falkirk Tryst)

1964 R Shade (Duddingston)

1965 G Cosh (Cowglen)

1966 R Shade (Duddingston)

1967 R Shade (Duddingston)

1968 R Shade (Duddingston)

1969 G Cosh (Cowglen)

1970 P Smith (Dalmahoy)

1971 C Green (Dumbarton)

1972 C Green (Dumbarton)

1973 D Campbell (Melrose)

1974 G Murray (Fereneze)

1975 I Hutcheon (Monifieth)

1976 N Faldo (Welwyn Garden City)

1977 C Green (Dumbarton)

1978 D McCart (Cawder)

1979 I Hutcheon (Monifieth)

1980 B Dunlop (Broomieknowe)

1981 G MacDonald (Callander)

1982 A Oldcorn (Ratho Park)

1983 G Macgregor (Glencorse)

1985 C Bloice (Cleckheaton)

1986 S Easingwood (Dunbar)

1987 R Roper (Catterick Garrison)

1988 B Shields (Bathgate)

1989 R Roper (Catterick Garrison)

1990 S Bannerman (Cruden Bay)

1991 N Walton (Billingham)

1992 S Knowles (Kingsknowe)

1993 R Russell (Longniddry)

1994 B Collier (Callander)

1995 C Watson (East Renfrewshire)

1996 G Tough (Edzell)

1997 C Hislop (Powfoot)

1998 G Rankin (Palacerigg)

1999 S Mackenzie (West Linton)

2000 M Warren (East Kilbride)

2001 S O'Hara (Colville Park)

2002 M Warren (East Kilbride)

2003 G Gordon (Newmachar)

2004 J McLeary (Leven)

2005 J Gallagher (Swanston)

2006 S Jamieson (Cathkin Braes)

2007 L Saltman (Craigielaw)

2008 C Elliot (Carrickvale)

2009 G Dear (Murrayshall)

2010 M Clark (Kilmacolm)