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Ken Smith Trophy Final

Thu, Jul 16th 2020 at 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Members Fellowship golf tournament final between Eric Brown and Alan MacDonald on the Old Course 16th July 2020.
Also an interesting history of the event


 The Ken Smith Cup was introduced to the Rotary Club of St Andrews in 2007 when Alan Constable was Sports Convener. Ken Smith, because of his involvement as Convener of the Annual UK Rotary International Golf Week, ( run by the Rotary Club of St Andrews ) willingly provided a silver cup to be played for match play annually - The Ken Smith Cup

Club Treasurer Ian Dochard won the inaugural event but Ken Smith was determined to win it too and he did so the following year in 2008. Professor Wilson Sibbett holds the record for most wins ( 3 ) including back to back wins in 2009 and 2010.  Alan Constable has won it twice in 2016 and 2018.  Other winners are Bob Swan, Hamish Aldrich,  Austin Dunn and Marilyn Rowan Rhind

Eric Brown, the retired hotelier, won it in 2019 in an epic final with Douglas Jackson  ( the 2017 winner ) which lasted for 37 holes - long story!  Eric first met Ken Smith in 1976 when he came down from Nairn to play in the International Golf Week and played alongside Ken when the Scottish team of 8 won the International Series, beating England, Ireland and Wales. There were 450 UK participants in these days!  Little did Eric know then that he would become Managing Director of Rusacks Hotel in 1981, working for the Links Trust

The 2020 Final took place on Thursday 16th July on The Old Course and the finalists experienced what locally might be called a stiff breeze - Americans would call it a gale!  Alan MacDonald, a retired Wing Commander, played Eric Brown, who had managed to reach the final again, and both players found the conditions tricky!  However, Alan found his best game and played the 6 holes from the 6th in level par and Eric was 3 down.  It got worse and at 4 down with 5 to go, it looked ominous!

Not a bit of it, Brown came back and won the 14th, 15th and 16th to be only 1 down with 2 to go and a stroke coming at 17!   Unfortunately, the wheels came of at the dreaded Road Hole and Eric drove out of bounds, not once but twice!  End of match and the unlikely come back!  The match was played, as Alan said later "with great sportsmanship ethos and Ken Smith would have appreciated that"    

Eric commented that "Alan's 3 wood to drive the green at the 9th for an eagle chance ( he got his birdie ) and his iron shot to the 11th flag into the teeth of the westerly wind would have impressed most professionals!"  Ken smith would also have been very impressed and it took a lot to impress the late Ken. Mavis Smith presented the Cup to Alan in her back garden but hopes to join Club members for lunch post Covid.

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