Scottish golf round up: Rankings rise for in-form Crail ace plus club's £25,000 boost for Calvin Cheyne

Our golf correspondent Martin Dempster wraps up the latest news from events with Scottish golfers involved:

Rankings rise for in-form Andrew Davidson

Crail Golfing Society’s Andrew Davidson has made a huge leap up the World Amateur Golf Ranking after producing his second eye-catching performance of the domestic season.

Hot on the heels of making home advantage count to win the Battle Trophy, Davidson finished joint-third in the 59th Lytham Trophy, one of the top events on the amateur schedule in the UK and Ireland.

The Fifer posted rounds of 71-75-70-72 on the testing Royal Lytham links for an eight-over-par total, ending up just three shots off the winning aggregate as Frenchman Hugo Le Goff closed with a best-of-the-week 66 to claim the coveted title.

Crail Golfing Society’s Andrew Davidson has made a strong start to the domestic season | Contributed

Le Goff, who started the final round in joint-14th, pipped England’s Tom Osborne with his closing salvo, becoming the first French player to win the event and just the fifth Continental European to do so.

Davidson, who was 717th in the WAGR heading into the event but is now up to a career-best 336th, shared third spot with Ireland’s Matthew McClean, who played in the 2023 Masters after winning the US Mid-Amateur the previous year.

“It was good to follow up my win at Crail with a performance like that, especially as Lytham has got to be up there among the hardest courses in the UK,” said Davidson.

“I didn’t have a lot of birdies, which was down to the fact I didn’t putt very well, but, at the same time, I managed to keep any big numbers off my card, which is always a positive round there.

“It is good to see that you can compete at that level. There were a couple of times last year when I was up there in the Brabazon Trophy and the St Andrews Links Trophy before falling away, so it was good to stay up there right to the end this time.”

Elsewhere in Lancashire, brother and sister Jamie and Carly McDonald both recorded top-ten finishes in their respective categories in The Fairhaven Trophies.

Martine Pow, winner of the scratch section at Scotscraig, and Golfbreaks Get Back to Golf Tour founder Alan Tait | Contributed

Martine Pow turns back clock on SWAT

Former Scottish Women’s Amateur champion Martine Pow turned back the clock in the latest event on the Golfbreaks Scottish Women’s Amateur Tour at Scotscraig.

In breezy conditions at the Fife venue, where 58 players teed it up, the Selkirk member carded a three-over-par 75 to claim the scratch spoils by a shot from both Dunfermline’s Megan Scott and Mary Smith from Tain.

In the handicap event, Lochend’s Linda Robertson carded a net six-under 66 playing off 11 to pip Kerry Lockerbie from Crichton.

After four events, Kelso’s Leanne Wilson leads the way in the scratch order of merit and Sandra Stanton of Broomieknowe tops the net standings.

The leading six players from both categories will qualify for The Tomatin Whisky Tour Final at Cabot Highlands Castle Stuart in September.

The Calvin Cheyne Golf Day at Newmachar raised £25,000 for the club’s former assistant | Contributed

Newmachar golf day delivers £25,000 boost for Calvin Cheyne

A golf day held at Newmachar raised £25,000 for an ex-club champion at the Aberdeenshire club and a North East District player.

The Calvin Cheyne Charity Golf Day was organised by a group of friends, including Greg McBain, the head PGA pro at Newmachar, and members to raise money for one of the club’s former assistants.

Cheyne was forced to give up golf after being diagnosed with a condition called Chiari Malformation and required emergency life-saving surgery last year.

“He has been through the wars of late and all funds raised are trying to get him back up on to his feet,” said McBain.

“The support shown for Calvin has been incredible, and we want to thank every single person, business, golf club, friends and family that contributed.

“We managed to raise a whopping £25,000 for him and this will go a long way in helping his rehabilitation!”

Craigielaw’s Guy Dalziel, Marc Reid and Kenny Glen show off the Lothians Team Tournament Trophy at Harburn | Contributed

Craigielaw win Lothians Team Tournament

Craigielaw won the Lothians Team Tournament for the second year in a row after coming out on top in a keenly-fought contest at Harburn.

Kenny Glen led the way for the East Lothian club with a 67, which was bettered only by a 66 from Longniddry’s Craig Davidson.

With Guy Dalziel signing for a 69 and Marc Reid posting 75, it was job done once again for Craigielaw by only just on this occasion as they pipped both Longniddry and Bathgate by a shot.

The win meant that Craigielaw were the last name on the old trophy for the Lothians Golf Association and the first name on a new one as well.

The Bank of Scotland, represented by John Nisbet, Andy Stevenson and Graeme Stevenson, won the trophy for the affiliate clubs.

Two of the competitors in the Scottish Senior Women’s Golf Association Midland Division Spring Meeting at Crail | Contributed

Sweet success for Alison Davidson on Crail return

Twenty-seven years after being there for its grand opening, Alison Davidson made a winning return to Crail Golfing Society’s Craighead Links.

It came in the first event marking the 75th anniversary of the Scottish Senior Women’s Golf Association - the Midland Division’s Spring Meeting.

Davidson, who was the Women’s British Amateur champion when she joined men’s equivalent Craig Watson and club champion Ross Forgan at the opening of the second course at the historic Fife venue in 1998, carded a 79 to win the scratch section.

“It was lovely to be back and play the Craighead after all that time,” she said. “It was great to see how well the course is playing and Crail Golfing Society were so welcoming with great hospitality.”

Scotscraig’s Alison Anderson picked up the overall prize, the Allan Trophy, with a net 74 playing off 14.

Gullane’s Jill McNicoll shows off the East Lothian Ladies’ County Championship Trophy | Contributed

Gullane glory for Jill McNicoll

Gullane’s Jill McNicoll made home advantage count to win the East Lothian Ladies’ County Championship for the third time.

McNicoll beat Carys Irvine in the title decider on Gullane No 1 to deny the Kilspindie player in her bid to claim the prize after finishing as the top qualifier in the Spring Meeting.

Irvine, who was the low-handicap player in the field off +0.8, carded a 74 to finish four shots clear of both The Renaissance Club’s Alyssa Henderson and Kirsten Ireland of Dunbar.

Henderson, the defending champion, suffered a first-round exit in the championship to her clubmate, Una Cooper.

Then, in the business end, McNicoll beat Longniddry’s Janette Murdie in her semi-final while Irvine progressed to the final at the expense of former Scottish Women’s champion Shirley Lawson (Winterfield).

The Glen’s Lesley McClelland won the handicap trophy, beating Lee Ann Mullholland of Haddington in the final.

Inverness member Summer Elliott secured her second success of the new Junior Tour Scotland season | Contributed

Summer Elliott strikes again on Junior Tour

The latest events on the 2025 Junior Tour Scotland illustrated the fact it gets around the country, with a trip to Portpatrick in the south-west being followed by one north to Elgin.

The boys’ section at Portpatrick resulted in a tie after 36 holes between Gourock’s Scott Newman and Jamie Henshaw of Bruntsfield Links after matching rounds of 71-67.

Played over 54 holes, Greenock’s Jayla Kepler won the girls’ event with a 223 total, having posted scores of 75-76-72.

At Elgin, Summer Elliott backed up her win in the season-opener at Tain and Royal Dornoch by sharing top spot on this occasion with Nairn Dunbar’s Kaci Robertson on 231, the pair finishing nine shots clear of the player in third place.

Deeside’s Oli Roberston, meanwhile, claimed the boys’ scratch spoils by posting rounds of 74-73-75 to win by a shot from Thurso’s Tyler Gordon, with Scott Riddoch (Duff House Royal) one further back.

Shot of the weekend in that event came from West Links Junior Harris Munro, who had a hole-in-one at the 15th in the opening round.

Defending champions Renfrewshire made a winning start in this season’s Scottish Area Team Championship | Contributed

Title holders Renfrewshire off to winning Area Team start

Defending champions Renfrewshire and record winners Lothians suffered contrasting fortunes in the opening round of matches in this year’s Scottish Area Team Championship.

Renfrewshire, who bridged a ten-year gap to land the title for a sixth time last year, made home advantage count as they beat North East 5.5-3.5.

But it was a disappointing start for Lothians as the 15-time winners went down by the same margin, albeit away, to Glasgow.

Other winners were North, Lanarkshire, Stirlingshire, Dumbartonshire and Fife while the spoils were shared between Ayrshire and Perth & Kinross.