Golf: Humble sets a record that just might never be beaten

BOB HUMBLE, a well-known figure in the Lothians, has achieved the amazing feat of winning the Kilspindie club championship in five different decades.

Almost 40 years after he first claimed the title in 1971, the 61-year-old has won it again for the 19th time. He beat Duncan Hamilton, ten years his junior, by 3 and 2 in this year's final, meaning he has now won the event in the 70s, 80s, 90s, Noughties and 10s. Humble's latest success came six years after he was last champion at the East Lothian club and has added to his legendary status there.

The two handicapper also holds the amateur course record, a 62 shot in 1990 that included a bogey. The professional record, set by Alastair Forsyth in 1999, is three shots fewer.

Not to be outdone, Kilspindie's other prolific club championship winner has also added to her tally of titles this year. In beating Fiona Talcott by 4 and 3 in the final, Lynn Fortune claimed the ladies' crown for the 16th time, having first won it in 1988. "The fact one man and one woman have won their respective titles so often almost makes it seem as though the club is one dimensional, but I can assure they were both up against some stiff competition," said Kilspindie general manager Paul Casely.

"Bob, for instance, has been losing finalist on umpteen other occasions and Duncan Hamilton said after the final that he'd certainly not played bad golf."

Casely added: "We're a small club with a huge cross section of members and are very fortunate to have champions like Bob and Lynn.

"Bob, in particular, is relentless but, at the same time, is always very sporting.

"He's a credit to the club and also golf in general. His etiquette is without parallel, he's Humble by name and humble by nature.

"And there's a good chance that he's not at the end of that amazing championship run just yet – the opposition will know they've got a job on their hands trying to take the title off him next year."

Joining Humble and Fortune on the 2010 Kilspindie champions' board are Jim Kinross, who beat Colin Stirling in the B Division final, Elspeth Walker, who claimed the ladies' Bronze title at the expense of Christine Reid, and Callum Morrison, the new junior title holder after beating Mark Owenson.