The East of Scotland - Championship History

The East of Scotland Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship started in 1973 at Lundin Golf Club and Lundin Links is the permanent venue. Since its instigation, competitors have entered from as far a field as Australia, South Africa, USA, Dubai, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Ivory Coast and Morocco.

With the exception of 1998, Scottish golfers, all of whom have been capped at some level, have won the title.

 In addition to the overseas entries, the Championship attracts the best amateur golfers in Scotland and counts towards the Scottish Golf Union Order of Merit award and the Scottish Amateur Golf Ranking and, as a result, Scottish selectors are always in attendance over the weekend.

The Championship is also a Counting Event for the provisional World Amateur Golf Ranking that is being piloted by The R&A at present.

We are proud of this as it demonstrates the effectiveness of the planning and administration of our Committee.

The professionalism associated with the running of the Championship in terms of scoring systems, practice facilities and the warm welcome received at Lundin has resulted in the East of Scotland being one of the most popular weekends of the year for the players.

In order to provide the players with a well-resourced Championship, we rely considerably on sponsorship support. The top prize voucher allowed for amateur events is £500 and to maintain the status of the East of Scotland, we have increased the prize fund accordingly.

Past Winners

Following are details of the past few years of the Championships of some interest:

• In 1998, our 25th Anniversary year, Brad Lamb, the Australian Eisenhower Trophy team member, won the Championship from the past Scottish Amateur and Scottish Stroke Play Champion, Simon Mackenzie. Brad remains the only non-Scottish winner and now, as a pro, is attempting to gain his USPGA Tour card.
  
   
• 1999 produced our “duel in the sun” when Roger Beames of the Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle, outshot Lundin’s Scottish Boy and Youth Internationalist Peter Whiteford over the four rounds, with Whiteford shooting 7 under par on the Sunday. Peter is now a member of the Challenge Tour.
  
   
• 2000 saw a long awaited name added to the Denholm Trophy, that of 1997 Amateur Champion, Walker Cup Player and former Scottish Captain, Craig Watson of East Renfrewshire. He even surpassed the scoring of the previous year by shooting a then course record-equalling 64 in the final round and 12 under par for the day. Craig is a member of an illustrious band of Walker Cup players to have triumphed in the “East” in its 33 year history: Sandy Stephen (4 times), Sandy Pirie, Steve Martin, George Macgregor (twice) and David Inglis, both from Glencorse and Richie Ramsay from Royal Aberdeen.
  
   
• In 2001, Jonathan King from Cardross narrowly triumphed over Steven Carmichael who has been in the prize-list on many occasion but hasn’t managed to win – yet!
  
   
• In 2002, David Inglis, who played in the 2003 Walker Cup triumph at Ganton, sank an outrageous 25 foot putt on the last green to finish birdie, birdie. This was enough to nudge out fellow-Walker-Cupper Graham Gordon from Newmachar who had led for most of the final day in dreadfully wet conditions.
  
   
• Jonathan King, playing out of Glasgow Golf Club, added his name to the trophy for a second time in 2003 but only after beating Bryan Innes from Murcar at the 6th extra hole! Before this exciting finish, 2003 Scottish Mid-Amateur Champion Craig Gordon from Ratho Park shot a new amateur course record 63 and turned professional and is currently working at The Berkshire.
  
   
• The following year, Richard Ramsay completed the double at Lundie, winning the Scottish Stroke Play and the East of Scotland Championships against high-class fields. These victories helped in no small way to cement his place in the 2005 Walker Cup team for Chicago.
  
   
• The current East of Scotland Champion is Wallace Booth from Comrie, the 2004 Scottish Youths Champion who pipped Elliot Saltman, brother of The 2005 Open silver medalist Lloyd, and current North of Scotland Champion and Graeme Brown of Royal Montrose who shot a last round 63 and has lately turned professional.

The Championship is an opportunity for members of Lundin and Lundin Ladies Golf Clubs to assist in the running of a major national amateur competition. Volunteers from 10 years old to 70+ act as runners, scorers, radio and scoreboard operators, rules officials, starters and recorders, all decked out in their East of Scotland sponsor’s apparel.

Over the last few years, we have even had the world-renowned JCTV, our volunteer television crew and commentator, who, over the weekend, relay the happenings at the 1st tee and 18th green and conduct VIP interviews to the enthralled masses in the Clubhouse.

Lundin Golf Club is proud of the reputation of “The East” and of the fact that companies of the standing of Haig Whisky, Bank of Scotland and BP and now Swallow Hotels have been prepared to back it.
 

David Moir
Tournament Convenor
East of Scotland Championship Committee