Drambuie Fife Golf Classic 2003

Drambuie Classics First Hole in One
It's taken only three years but the Drambuie Classics has had its first hole in one at the Par 3, 186 yard sixth hole on the Balcomie Links at Crail. Pictured is Bill Ferguson with a bottle of the sponsors Liqueur and the Wilson true golf ball which flew into the hole after being struck (a little fat reputedly!) by his six iron. It was Bill's third hole in one and gives him the distinction of being another first for the Drambuie Golf Classics. The busy clubhouse also benefited from Bill's shotmaking as they all enjoyed compliments of the sponsors a celebratory Drambuie on Ice.
Cheers

The Drambuie Scottish Golf Classics wouldn't be complete without an event in Fife. Four days golf over four entirely different layouts dotted around the east coast. This will be the event's last year on the first week of June with a move to later in the month or even September on the cards for next year. But for 2003 it was the same courses as twelve months previous; teeing off Monday at the Sam Torrance designed course at the magnificent St Andrews Bay Resort followed by Tuesday at Scotscraig, Wednesday over the classic Balcomie Links at Crail and finishing off at the wonderful Ladybank course.

As usual the weather forecast was worse than the reality with pretty much flat calm weather and for the brave souls from Lanarkshire (deepest Airdrie) it was actually shirtsleeve weather.

The scoring historically over the past four years of events has always been slightly enigmatic with the highest scores being posted on day one and a steady decline over the four days - scientifically this may be explained by the social angle associated with the Drambuie Scottish Golf Classics!

Anyway the average handicap of the players for the Drambuie Fife was lower than for other events and the scores for day one reflected some good overall golf. Average stableford points scored at St Andrews Bay was a commendable 29.6 and the two top scores came from Bill Ferguson and Graham Evans both with 36. The best inward half was from Graham Evans from Essex and he picked up the prize for best round of the day. Other scores included 34 from Geoff Colmer from Scraptoft Golf Club and a 33 from Kent Replogle from Hershey in the States.

The pairs event which runs simultaneously to the singles was lead by the two visiting journalists, Malcolm Campbell and Susanne Kemper. The longest drive was at the signature hole of the course "Sam's Favourite", the seventeenth where it is necessary with the left to right wind to avoid ballooning the ball over the wall and onto the beach well below. The Drambuie Drive was won by Glen Cook from Airdrie Golf Club. The Drambuie Nearest the Pin was at the thirteenth and was won by John Wood.

Day Two - Scotscraig
Heading about fifteen miles north of St Andrews you'll come across the town of Tayport. Heading towards the Tay Bridge you'll turn off towards the coast and enjoy some wonderful views across the silvery Tay to the city of Discovery, Dundee.

Scotscraig is arguably the least well known of the Open Qualifying Courses in this part of the country but for those playing it, it is truly one of those genuine hidden gems. It is links with a heathland style. The greens may not have been as fast as those at St Andrews Bay but were equally true and the course is obviously benefiting from its new head greenkeeper. The course was enjoyed by all teeing up and was played on the most part in brilliant sunshine - the scores were very similar to day one with two 36's again tying and the better inward half being secured by John Wood from Branston Golf Club in Staffordshire.

The overall leaderboard for the 36 holes was lead by Geoff Colmer on 70 points followed closely by John Wood on 69 and last year's winner Bill Ferguson and Graham Evans both on 68 points. The Drambuie Drive at the superb ninth hole was struck by Ron Wainman; the Drambuie Nearest the Pin by George Gibb.
The Pairs event is being lead by Gilbert Runnicles and John Wood with a combined total of 132 three ahead of the nearest pair.

Drambuie Drives Straighter?

Scientific research seems to indicate that if you have a little sip of Drambuie at the turn then your drive will fly straighter! That's if the tenth hole at Scotscraig is anything to go by. The competitors were all offered a cooling Drambuie on Ice at the tenth tee during the Drambuie Fife Golf Classic and 90% of those who did so hit the fairway. Scientific? Who knows but the other ten percent still enjoyed a wee dram courstesy of the sponsors of the Drambuie Scottish Golf Classics.

Day Three - Balcomie Links Crail
On arriving at Crail for the 2002 Fife event, it was almost difficult to believe that the course was on the sea - it was almost not visible through the driving rain! But what a difference the sun makes. With Breakfast TV highlighting that the north and east of Scotland had the most hours of sunshine on Tuesday it was encouraging to have two days of excellent clear golfing weather. And when it's clear there are few better golfing locations than Crail.
Located about half an hour south of St Andrews the course is approached via the village of Kingsbarns and Crail itself. True East Neuk of Fife and full of character.

The course itself is steeped in history, the club being one of the oldest in the world. With only light winds and perfect conditions on the course it was expected that some high points totals would be carded. The winning score of 40 was carded with the help of the Drambuie Golf Classics first hole in one by Willie Ferguson of Airdrie. Even with the hole in one he would have been pipped if his golf club mate Andrew Heron hadn't blobbed at the last, coming in instead with 39 points. The results affected the overall leaderboard quite dramatically gibving Ferguson a five point overall lead; second place is held by Geoff Colmer on 103 and Evans and heron on 102.

The Pairs event is lead by Runnicles and Wood with 199 points but joint second Ferguson/Gibb and Heron?Cook are both only one point behind. Tight for tomorrow with the pressure on. Nearest the pin was hit by malcom Campobell even although the undoubted shot of the day was at the par three sixth with that six iron from Airdrie. The Drambuie Drive was clouted out of the park by German golfer Jorge Weisner.

Final Day
As always regardless of the size of the field the last day's always quite exciting simply because it's so unpredictable and with the pressure of going out in leader board order anything can happen - and today it did!

The venue for the final day is the wonderful parkland course at Ladybank. For many Fife is about St. Andrews, the Old Course, links golf. However visit Fife without giving consideration to the joys of Ladybank.

On a bright sunny day like today looking down the first and to your left back up the eighteenth it truly is a wonderful location for playing a round of golf, tree lined fairways, well placed bunkers and magnificent large beautifully true greens.
The grand old place is also undergoing a major facelift with a massive refurbishment of the clubhouse facilities which will leave a magnificent and expanded outlook to the eighteenth green and add on meeting facilities making the venue perfect for corporate golf days complete with private meeting space (if justification was ever needed!)

Onto the golf, the conditions made scoring a little easier than last year but still difficult enough to make it very interesting. Bill Ferguson going into the last round with a five-stroke lead (combined with the fact that he was last year's winner) made him probably the strongest favourite of any previous Drambuie Classic. However as we said anything can happen including Bill Ferguson not breaking thirty in his last round. Over his previous seven rounds in Fife his average was in the mid thirties but a bad day can happen to anyone; just as a good one can jump out of nowhere. Ask Graham Evans!

Starting the day six points off the lead his excellent 38 points turned around the deficit and more, leaving him with a three-point gap and victory. Graham has already played in two Ayrshire Classics and earlier this year in The Drambuie Highland but this was the first time he has come close to the big prize. Other highlight included an impressive 38 from Big George Gibb and 36 from Gerhard Bauer. George Gibb's 36 saved his partner from the ignominy of losing the pairs; their combined final day total of 67 was still enough to hold off second placed pair Heron and Cook from the same golf club.

The Prizegiving Dinner
It's always nice to round off the event with the prizegiving dinner; it allows the players to get around the table enjoy a few drinks and plan their next assault on the Drambuie Classics. This year's venue was the magnificent restaurant about four miles outside of St Andrews at The Inn at Lathones. Owner Nick White is an old friend of the Drambuie Classics and was the perfect mien host for the evening's entertainment. Pre dinner drinks in the old stable restaurant set the scene and the atmosphere in the room was captured perfectly with his superb whisky tasting routine. Educational and entertaining in equal and rather large measures.

The meal was simply superb; a Drambuie flavour throughout utilising the best in Scotch salmon, Angus Beef and liqueurs. This restaurant is truly what Scottish cuisine should be about; superb food, fantastic ambience; great friendly informal service and good company.

The prizes were distributed again; George Gibb insisted on entertaining the crown with his party piece and the event ended.

So was it worth it? Well we think the players thought so. The field was smaller than we all hoped for but perhaps it is time to accept that a move from June is necessary…as for 2004 well we hope that a new date in the calendar can be found and that the golf courses will once again support the idea that the Drambuie Scottish Golf Classics must have a Fife venue. Here's to 2004.

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