r&A AUTUMN MEETiNg

The autumn medal began yesterday, marking the start of the third and final week of this year’s R&A autumn meeting. The medal, played over The Old Course, attracted a record entry of 698 members. The Royal Medal is awarded for the leading scratch score, and the Gold Medal to the runner-up in the scratch competition. The member returning the best net score will receive the Silver Boomerang, while the Pine Valley Plate is the prize for the senior member, 55 years of age and over, with the leading net score. In the women’s competition of the autumn medal, The Queen Elizabeth II Medal will be awarded for the lowest scratch score, and the Autumn Meeting Women’s Handicap Medal for the lowest net handicap score. The best net score of the day was 61, returned by Andrew Donaldson off a handicap of 17. He was among the early starters in a game immediately behind his father Neil. He bettered dad’s highly respectable net 71 (84-13) by 10 strokes. On another day the net 66 returned by Mike Reid (12), or even the brace of 68s returned by South African Keith Simpson (6, Humewood), and Nick Willoughby (7, Dulwich and Sydenham) would have been enough to win the spoils, but not this time. The lowest gross score of the day was 73 returned by Nick Gammon (1, Trevose), two strokes better than his 75 returned on the Monday of last year’s autumn medal. Leading scores (CSS 73). 61 A R Donaldson (17). 66 MJ G Reid ( 12). 68 K A Simpson (6),N D Willoughby (7). 69 S D McLean (8),A E Cattanach (9). 70 Dr J K Seedhouse (7),C R Gow (4), WM G White (13), Dr CR H Newton (10), W A Brand (12). 71 M N Donaldson (13), Gordon A Mackie (10), T M Graham (5),F A Wijkstrom (8), Dr A J Wells (8),R H Taylor (13), R S Gowans (20). H R McDonald (8),A N S Pepper (7), M F Beamish (5),J R Davie (12), N J Gammon (1). 73 D R Beamish (10), CD S Pepper (6), M N Loudon (5), Professor D A Rocke (10), C M England (18). 74 A Clement Brown (13), C S Hargreave (17), D S Burk (12), M A Griffiths (18), DH A Bell (14), C O Anderson (9),A W Small (0),H A J Turcan (6),J W Kiker (8), Dr S N Lloyd (5),J A E Fingland (12). 75 A W Saddler (13), C K Oliver (10), G R Murray (10), H O Strandberg (10), R H Rae (11), J F Smith (9),W J H Elles (13), M T Dobell (10). 76 A L Beaton (7),J M Kippax (6),J R Brown (8),C L A Edginton (9),J W A Macnab of Macnab (15), J A Nicholson (5),B J Oke (6),J C H Elles (12), JN S Lowe (6),D B Grant (19), MP H Harris (9),A J Rae (23), G A Rawson (22). 77 AJ E Robertson (18), G E Payne (6), S J Tedrake (8),P B J Fossett (10), J R I Gilchrist (6), E Steiner (3), Dr A F Gordon (11), Rev A G Bennett (12), B C Inman (7). 78 A N Andrews (10), Professor R W Newton (16), C J Wilkinson (7),T D Earle (6),G C Hendrie (12), N M Howe (8),G R Yeandle (8),C J MacDougall (12), Dr P J Hendry (7). 79 D S Leslie (14), R A ScottDempster (13), G S Keyden (12), G E Vivian (12). 80 M A Jones (4),A J N Loudon (12), Arwel B Morgan (5), Dr I M Forgie (15), AJ P Mackie (16), JR W Sherret (13). 81 U L Lagerback (22), D B Farmer (9), BL Howe (13), Dr A J Penkethman (12), D T Hay (8),P L Macneal (12), D S Ritchie (10). 82 W M Briggs (7),S G Barnard (13), J J MacNaughtan (10). 83 RJ A Hynd (12), N D Owen (11), D Lorimer (12), R C Macfarlane (15), A T Henderson (11), M T Tobert (12), W Alexander (8),A J Ogilvie (21), P B Dollman (8). 84 MN W McL Minto (18), A C Stoker (7),J D Norbury (8). 85 Dr D R Coid (13), D I Pepper (12), G I Stradling (9),D W Kirkwood (10). 87 G C Moss (11). 89 P J Scott Graham (20). 92 C-O Klint (92). 98 P A Truett (18). 100 B Taajamaa (12).