Golf: Inward half sees Gowan make history

TOM GOWAN turned a "mediocre" round into something special to become the first name on the Ian Macniven Memorial Trophy, the new prize for the overall winner of the Lothians Seniors.

The 63-year-old, who is a member at Kilspindie Golf Club, shot a net 64 off seven at Uphall to claim the coveted prize, which has been launched in honour of the long- serving golf correspondent of the Evening News, Ian Macniven, by two shots.

"I remember sitting down and chatting with Ian in the old Dispatch Trophy days so winning this trophy certainly means something to me," said Gowan.

The trophy was donated to the Lothians Golf Association by golf broadcaster Renton Laidlaw after he spoke at its biennial dinner at Easter Road.

An initial attempt for it to be played for in a mid-amateur event failed to attract sufficient interest but the inaugural winner added: "I think it was a good idea to make the trophy for seniors as there are probably more of us who remember Ian."

Gowan was out in 38, describing it as a "mediocre front nine," but transformed his day with a five-birdie haul coming home.

"It feels wonderful but I was definitely the most surprised person at Uphall," said the current chairman of the Lothians selection committee.

He won by two shots from Broomieknowe's David Gardner and his namesake Jim from Uphall.

The R M Lees Trophy, for the day's best scratch score, was won by Fraser McCluskey of Royal Burgess.

Taking up where he'd left off when finishing in the top ten in the Scottish Seniors at Irvine Bogside, McCluskey was round in 67 to beat Liberton's Robert Jack by two shots.

Uphall's David Meldrum took the handicap honours in the 64 to 69-year-old section, which saw another West Lothian man, Pumpherston's David Anderson, take the scratch spoils.

And, the 70 and over category, the winners were Lochend's Gordon Young (handicap) and Duddingston's Hinton Bootland (scratch).