Meadows West
Five players contested the Scottish Masters this year, with handicaps ranging from scratch to 3½. It was decided to run the event as an American block followed by a knock-out; the bottom player in the block would drop out, top would play fourth and second would play third. A suggestion that all games should then count in the final decision about who had won was rejected on the grounds that the final game could then be meaningless.
At the end of the block play Bruce Rannie and Rod Williams each had three
wins, Rod taking precedence by virtue of having beaten Bruce, Tony Foster
had two wins, and Malcolm O'Connell and David Appleton each had one, David
dropping out as he had lost to Malcolm.
In the semi-finals Bruce again beat Tony, but Malcolm turned the tables on
Rod who had beaten him (with a triple) in the block. Bruce had things mostly
his own way in the final, winning +22.
The weather was near perfect and the lawns played well throughout the
weekend, though your reporter was not best pleased when Malcolm hit a
completely wired twenty-yard shot against him, proving that even very good
lawns may be quite hilly. The standard of play was reasonably high: Rod's
triple was the only one but quite a few other decent attempts were made.
Bruce should certainly have managed his first but overhit and slightly cut a
short straight rush on the peelee at rover when the spectators were
convinced he was about to finish. Nevertheless he should be pleased with his
first Masters - the tenth winner in fourteen years with only John Surgenor
having won it more than once.
David Appleton
Results
Bruce Rannie beat David Appleton +18, Tony Foster +4, Malcolm O'Connell +11, Tony Foster +10, Malcolm O'Connell +22.
Rod Williams beat Bruce Rannie +6, Malcolm O'Connell +21TP, David Appleton +25.
Tony Foster beat Rod Williams +20, Malcolm O'Connell +15.
Malcolm O'Connell beat David Appleton +14, Rod Williams +21.
David Appleton beat Tony Foster +14.
