McConnachie is first winner of Taylor Tankard
Dunaverty’s New Year competition had an extra incentive this year in the form of a beautiful silver tankard presented to the club by the Taylor family, including Eve and family, Hamish and family and Ian and family, writes Hannah O’Hanlon. Competition was fierce for the Taylor Tankard and the winner was only decided by a better inward half with two players on net 61. The youngest player in the field, Alistair McConnachie, reached the turn in 39 strokes but in the inward nine he put together an excellent 32 to finish on gross 71, giving him a net total of 61. Vice-captain John Brown continued his good form by recording a gross 73, less his handicap of 12, to also finish on 61 but Alistair’s back nine proved to be the better and he became the first winner of the Taylor Tankard. He also won the captain’s prize for the day, a bottle of whisky. Alistair had the best scratch score of the day with 71 and the CSS was 64. Adding his New Year score to that of the Christmas event, Alistair won the combined score by the narrowest of margins from Sandy Watson, the oldest player in the competitions, defeating him by one stroke. Captain John Marrison, on behalf of the club, thanked Hamish Taylor and the family for donating the tankard for the New Year competition and asked him to present it to Alistair. Result: 1 Alistair McConnachie 71-10=61(bih), 2 John Brown 7312=61, 3 Sandy Watson 76-11=65, 4 Alex Arkell 79-13=66 (bih), 5 John Marrison 82-16=66, 6 Donald Hardman 83-16=67(bih). Combined Christmas and New Year competitions: 1 Alistair McConnachie 66+61=127, 2 Sandy Watson 63+65=128, 3 Danny Halliday 67+67=134, 4 Malcolm Ronald 67+71=138, 5 Robert Irvine 71+69=140, 6 Robert Coffield 74+67= 141.