Golf:Putting is the key as modest Brian Tait takes title

The 45-year-old Watsonian beat Swanston New's Malcolm Campbell by 2 and 1 to land the title 25 years after he first played in the event.

"Winning this title isn't something I had ever thought about, to be honest," said Tait, who cut his golfing teeth at Baberton but has been a member of Royal Burgess for 20 years.

He won the Edinburgh Inter Club with Baberton and has been involved in the recent success enjoyed by Royal Burgess in the Edinburgh Summer League.

Tait has also won both the Queen Elizabeth Coronation Schools Tournament and the Halford Hewitt with Watsonians but said of this individual success: "It's a lovely title to add to the collection."

On a glorious night on the East Lothian coast, Tait, who claimed his latest Dispatch Trophy medal when helping RICS reach the semi-finals this year, got off to a flying start when he holed from 20 feet to win the first with a birdie-3.

He undid that good work by three-putting the third, where Campbell squared matters by getting up and down, and then fell behind after "duffing my tee shot" when he was caught between clubs at the short fourth.

Two holes later, Tait, who had failed to get past the quarter-finals in the past, was back in front again but lost the ninth to a 4 before the tenth was halved in par-3s. The key moment in the match came at the 11th, where Tait lost a ball with his second shot but still managed to salvage a half in 6s.

He holed from 35 feet there while left-hander Campbell three-putted to squander a golden chance to get his nose back in front again.

Tait rubbed salt into his wounds by winning the next but it was back to all square again when, from a bare lie, he thinned his second to the 14th on to beach at the back of the green.

It was anyone's game at that point but Tait edged in front once again at the 15th, hitting a superb 7-iron to 20 feet past the pin and holing the putt for a birdie-2.

He then sank a six-footer for a half in 4s at the next before almost holing from 30 feet down the slope at the 17th.

Campbell was about the same distance away, only short of the hole, but, after racing his first putt past, he was unlucky to see an eight-footer to stay alive hit the back of the hole and jump out.

"In my semi-final, I hardly hit a bad shot," added the new champion. "Last night, I hit bad shots all over the place but I compensated for that by putting very well."

Tait lifted the title with a set of Mizuno irons that are more than ten years old while his bag also contains a trusty Ben Sayers wedge.

They've certainly served him will in this event but he admitted: "I might treat myself to a new set of irons after this."

While disappointed to fall at the final hurdle, Campbell, who had Swanston New joint-owner Stewart Sneddon among others cheering him on, admitted his opponent had been a worthy winner on the night.

"I didn't play well enough, basically," said the 25-year-old. "I didn't hole any putts all so it was a total opposite of my semi-final.

"It has been good to get this far and it has shown me what I need to go and work on for next season. This has pretty much been a developmental year for me. I've basically been playing with a half-built swing and I know I've got a lot of work to do over the winter with my coach, Stuart Campbell."

In the handicap event, Mike Sinclair's bid to lift the title for the second time in three years was foiled by David Neilson, a 51-year-old Capital-based policeman who lives in Haddington but plays at Craigielaw.

A scrappy start saw Sinclair, a Duddingston member who was representing Standard Life, concede three of the opening four holes but a run of three successive 6s from Neilson from the seventh meant the pair were back to all square at the turn. Neilson holed from 20 feet for a half in 3s at the tenth, went one up again when his second shot to the 13th hit the pin before sealing a 2 and 1 success with two excellent blows at the 17th.

"I'm thrilled as it is a great honour more than anything to represent Craigielaw in this event," he said. "I've been motivated by everything that is happening there and I'm delighted to have added to the list of successes enjoyed by Craigielaw members."

Results

Lothians Champion of Champions:

Brian Tait (Watsonians) bt Malcolm Campbell (Swanston New) 2 and 1.

Handicap Match Play:

David Neilson (Craigielaw) bt Mike Sinclair (Standard Life) 2 and 1.