Duncan Joins The Exclusive Multi-Winners Club After Securing The Quaich
For the 19th time, the sporting world tuned in to undoubtedly the biggest golfing event on the planet in September 2025 as The Breadalbane headed even further south than last year to the Belton Woods resort. The field extended to 18 competitors this year; it felt like the most open one in a while in terms of who could take home The Quaich.
Most of the golfers arrived on the Thursday night so that they could get a good sleep and be ready for the weekend beginning. Some even got more sleep than others on the way down, such was the strength of the alcohol consumed and the standard of the chat on the bus...
Only Paul Matuszczyk and Dave Cook held off on their arrival until the Friday morning, the former providing some train porn for Gary Cornelius before briefly worrying about his arrival time due to a collision with a deer... Despite the setback, he still arrived before Cook; who managed to be late for both the published and unpublished start time.
With the first round of The Rider Cup taking up the Friday, the Breadalbane action began on Saturday at just after 1.30pm; or was that just before 1.30pm?
Shambles.
Everyone gathered to watch the customary opening tee shot by the defending champion. A tradition spanning back across the history of the competition. Alex Keir's work in the gym looked to be finally paying off as he addressed the ball and sent it on its way down the 1st... until everyone realised that they were watching Blair Reid teeing off.
Shambles.
Reid would make a solid start despite his pre-tournament handicap cut at the hands of the Foreskins Committee. 11 points in his first 5 holes was ahead of handicap and looked to have justified that decision. Playing with Matuszczyk, both men had been solid enough with the maximum handicapper returning 8 points from 5 holes; only a blob at the par 3, 4th preventing an on-handicap start.
Group 2 contained one of the pre-tournament favourites for the Quaich and three of the pre-tournament favourites for the green jacket. Debutant and bandit Chris Taylor had put the Stetson to one side and was living up to the billing given to him by scoring 12 points in the first 5 holes, including two nett birdies at the 1st and 5th holes. Both Miles Shaw and Anton Mowatt had made decent starts but Jason Kerr wasn't looking so good with just 3 points and 4 blobs in his opening stretch.
Group 3 was seeing some steady starts from previous winners James and Gary Cornelius. There was also another solid beginning from Craig Roberts, with hopes high that he could be more competitive this year after actually playing golf in the build up. Completing the fourball was the defending Champion who, once he had finally hit his opening tee shot, was struggling to play with a man's handicap. Just 4 points in the opening 5 holes wasn't the start to his defence that he had wanted.
Within Group 4 there were some the more favoured players when it came to potential winners. The returning Ian Baird, who in his 2 previous Breadalbane appearances had been runner-up, was one of them. He got off to a steady enough start, playing off a much lower handicap, whilst John McLuckie; so often in the mix, was slow to get going after only making 5 points in the first 5 holes. Two-time winner John Bruce started steadily (and slowly), showing that he was capable of playing to a reduced handicap early on. Steven Rodgers made up the fourball and he too got off to a decent enough start, recovering from an opening hole blob to start playing to handicap.
The final grouping contained the three-time winner and current green jacket holder, Steven Roberts. Determined to rid himself of the jacket, he made an unspectacular start to his 2025 campaign. Another ex-winner was in that group too, with Adam Duncan playing off scratch for the competition. Duncan eased himself into the round with 7 points from his opening 5 holes but bogeys at the 2nd, 3rd and 4th was not what he was looking for. Dave Cook was having a difficult start to his round, blobbing the 2nd and only scoring a point a hole on average; green jacket form early on. The biggest shock from the bottom group was the early performance of Baz Ramsay, as the man from Salisbury delivered nett birdies at the 3rd and 4th to shoot 11 points in his opening 5 holes and sit alongside Blair Reid behind the early pace-setter Taylor.
As the players made their way for the turn, some started to really improve their scoring. Taylor would establish a 2 point lead, reaching the halfway point of the 1st round in 20 points after another nett birdie at the 9th. However, whilst Taylor had been billed as one to watch, the man in 2nd place after the front 9 was a surprise. Miles Shaw had quietly crept up the field after two nett birdies on the 8th and 9th holes delivered him 6 points and an overall score of 18 at the turn.
The field was tight, with only 9 points separating top and bottom. The latter position was with James Cornelius, who after 9 holes had a return of just 11 points hadn't been helped by blobs on the 8th and 9th. However, he was far from being cut adrift and sat just 1 point behind Jason Kerr and 2 points behind Cook and Baird.
The back 9 on the Woods Course would be vital for those wanting to put themselves in position for the Sunday. Taylor continued to lead the way with 3 nett birdies on the 11th, 12th and 14th putting him further ahead of the field. The only man who looked capable of keeping up with the scoring was Miles Shaw, playing in the same group. After his fantastic round on day 1 at Forest Pines in 2024, the big man was doing it again with nett birdies on the 11th and 13th propelling him to 30 points after just 14 holes.
Elsewhere Blair Reid and Baz Ramsay's early challenges were faltering. Reid only managing 8 points on the back 9, whilst Ramsay stuttered to just 25 points from his round after the early promise. John McLuckie recorded a nett eagle at the par 5, 14th to continue a mini charge after his disastrous start; but his scoring wouldn't be kept up over the closing holes as he failed to get to 30 points in Round 1 for the first time ever in Breadalbane competition.
There were solid back 9 performances from Gary Cornelius and John Bruce, who both played to handicap with 18 points for the stretch; Bruce grabbing a birdie at the par 5, 16th. Steven Rodgers went one better with a very impressive 19 points on the way in and carded a solid opening score of 33 points in total.
However, by far the most impressive form on the second nine came from the best player in the field. Having reached the turn in +3 scratch, Adam Duncan played the closing holes in -2, recording birdies at the par 5, 16th and 18th holes to finish on +1 for the round and a total of 35 points.
That sort of scoring would have been good enough to lead many a Breadalbane over night but not this time. Up ahead in Group 2, Taylor slipped slightly with a blob on the short par 3, 15th and could only manage single points on the two closing par 5s. An impressive nett birdie at the 17th kept him on handicap though as he finished his first ever Breadalbane round with 36 points.
However, the form of Miles Shaw wasn't subsiding. The Welshman finishing with 7 points in the last 2 holes with a nett eagle on the 17th and nett birdie on the 18th to card an incredible 41 points for his opening round.
The positions after Round 1 looked like this:
Position | Player | Stableford Score (R1) |
1. | Miles Shaw | 41 |
2. | Chris Taylor | 36 |
3. | Adam Duncan | 35 |
4. | John Bruce | 34 |
5. | Steven Rodgers | 33 |
6. | Craig Roberts | 32 |
T7. | Steven Roberts | 31 |
T7. | Paul Matuszczyk | 31 |
T7. | Gary Cornelius | 31 |
10. | Ian Baird | 30 |
11. | John McLuckie | 29 |
12. | Alex Keir | 28 |
13. | Anton Mowatt | 26 |
14. | Baz Ramsay | 25 |
T15. | Blair Reid | 23 |
T15. | Jason Kerr | 23 |
T15. | Dave Cook | 23 |
18. | James Cornelius | 18 |
Saturday night saw the usual conversations taking place about all the sclaffs, shanks, tops and lost balls across day 1, or was that just hole 1? The competitors settled in for dinner and the new addition of 'Hawf Time Hawfs' (translation 'Half Time Halves') from defending Champion, Alex Keir. This involved every player in the field buying themselves a whisky to enjoy before the dreaded court session.
The Right Honourable Judge Ramsay then presided over another night of charges, counter charges and casual racism. Highlights this year were undoubtedly Blind Lady Spof, Rudi Voller and Cat Fish from the main court session. When Judge Ramsay moved onto 'Heinous' crimes, there were sterner sentences for Alex Keir especially. Offending a Royal Marine and being sent off in an under 18 girls football match were two of his several charges. Adam Duncan and Ian Baird were charged with cheating, which allowed the court to recreate the famous SHAME, or is it SHAM-E punishment dished out to John Bruce and Craig Roberts previously.
It was another fantastic night, with a new chant of "STOP THE BOATS" and "TERRORIST" being among this year's most controversial.
With everyone suitably well-oiled, conversations turned to who would be able to hold it together on the Sunday. Would Miles Shaw be able to finally produce a Sunday round to match his Saturday effort? Would Chris Taylor continue his impressive form after 3 solid days on the drink? Could Adam Duncan play scratch golf after consuming his body weight in absinthe?
There were as many questions to answer at the bottom of the table. James Cornelius had been presented with the Green Jacket by Steven Roberts before dinner and would be keen to not be taking it home come Sunday evening. Sitting 5 points adrift, his best hope looked like catching Jason Kerr or Dave Cook above. Cook was feeling the effects of not having swung a club in 12 months, whilst also running on half an hours sleep courtesy of Matuszczyk's snoring.
It didn't get off to the best of starts for Cornelius, however, when he was found by room mate Craig Roberts asleep, naked on all fours on the bathroom floor of their hotel room at 4am. Rumours that he was simply praying have been unconfirmed and fortunately there is no picture to confirm or deny this.
The players assembled on the Sunday morning, safe in the knowledge that they didn't have to tee off until well into the afternoon but on the more difficult Lakes Course. That would all change mid-morning as Alex Keir informed the group that there was the opportunity to tee off 2 hours earlier on the Woods Course. With the prospect of finishing in the light now a possibility, a vote unanimously agreed that the change would be accepted.
As the golf got underway, James Cornelius knew he needed a good start to catch those in front and apply some pressure. Starting blob, blob was not what he had in mind. However, the former winner is made of stern stuff and Cornelius senior started to find some form with a nett birdie on the 3rd and 5th holes to get his scoring started. He had gained ground on Dave Cook, who was now only 3 points ahead, and had overtaken Jason Kerr who failed to score a point in the opening 5 holes and was now in last place.
At the top end of the competition, Shaw's 5 point lead didn't look like lasting long. Just 5 points in his opening 5 holes, including a blob at the 3rd had opened the door to those behind him. There were two men ready to step to step through it. Chris Taylor, despite also failing to score on the 3rd, had started steadily but previous winner Adam Duncan had got off to a flyer. After 4 straight pars to open, Duncan rolled in a birdie at the par 5, 5th to draw level with Shaw and 1 point ahead of Taylor.
In the pack behind, Gary Cornelius and John Bruce were trying to keep pace but were now 5 back from the leaders and with a lot to do. One man making an impressive start to his final round was Paul Matuszczyk, who's nett eagle at the 6th brought him right into contention at that stage.
Jason Kerr needed to find some form, and quickly, to avoid an unwanted 3rd Green Jacket. He finally registered his first point of the round with a nett bogey at the 6th but would reach the turn having only managed 3 (yes, THREE) points in total for Round 2 and an overall total of just 26. That had given Cornelius the chance to pull clear of bottom spot and he duly obliged. A front 9 total of 13 points brining him up to 31 in total and reversing the 5 point deficit on Kerr that he started with.
It looked like a shoot-out between those two for bottom spot. Dave Cook had enjoyed a better front 9 after a slow start and a nett birdie on the 8th helped him to 15 points at the turn and 12 ahead of Kerr. The other two who could potentially get dragged into the dogfight were Blair Reid and Baz Ramsay. With 12 and 10 points respectively through 9 holes, both men sat 9 points ahead of Kerr though and looking safe enough.
With it being all change at the lower end, there was also a new leader with just 9 holes to play. Shaw was continuing to struggle and blobs at the 6th and 7th set him back badly. Adam Duncan was meanwhile enjoying a fine round. A second birdie at the par 5, 7th put him clear of the field for the first time but a bogey at the par 3, 8th was his first dropped shot of the round; reaching the turn on 54 points overall and in pole position. Taylor was desperately trying to keep pace but a disappointing double bogey on the 9th recorded only a point as he fell 4 points behind heading for the back 9.
In the top group, Matuszczyk was continuing to score well and a nett birdie on the 9th hole moved him to 50 points for the competition and just 4 back too. Gary Cornelius was one further back and now level with overnight leader Shaw, but with a gap of 5 to Duncan, he would need an excellent closing stretch to challenge for his second Quaich. The rest seemed to be jostling for position, needing a collapse from the leaders to get back in contention.
Gary Cornelius was the first to blink in the race for the coveted Quaich. A blob at the par 4, 10th was slightly recovered by a nett birdie at the par 3, 11th. However, a disastrous run of 3 blobs in a row at the 12th, 13th and 14th left him out of the running and with too much to do.
Back at the foot of the table, Jason Kerr had remembered how to play golf. He bettered his total for the entire front 9 with nett pars at the 10th and 11th, before a nett birdie at the 12th. By the time Kerr recorded a nett eagle at the par 5, 14th; he had reeled Cornelius back in. The man from Saudi had started the back 9 steadily enough but blobs at the 13th and 14th meant he trailed Kerr by 3 again with a 4 point swing on the 14th alone. Baz Ramsay wasn't out of the woods (literally) yet either; a slow start to the back 9 meaning he was only 5 clear of Cornelius on the 15th tee.
However, Ramsay would find some form on the closing holes by recording nett birdie, par, par, birdie finish; moving him well clear of Green Jacket contention. With Dave Cook still comfortably clear, it was between Cornelius and Kerr.
The battle for the Quaich continued at the top. Taylor recorded his 2nd double bogey in a row at the 10th to only score a point whilst Duncan would make par. With both men getting par at the par 3, 11th; Paul Matuszczyk used his strokes to record a nett birdie and gain a point on the leaders. Duncan now led Taylor by 5 but was only 3 clear of Matuszczyk.
Duncan's response was emphatic. Another birdie at the par 4, 12th; his 3rd of the day, extended his lead to 5 over Matuszczyk who could only record a point. At the same hole, it felt like Taylor's chances evaporated too as he recorded a triple bogey 7 and a blob to fall 8 behind the imperious Duncan. With just 6 holes remaining, it now looked like Duncan or Matuszczyk.
Kerr and Cornelius were locked in the scrap to stay off the bottom. Cornelius, so often a specialist at par 3s, delivered a nett birdie on the par 3,15th to gain 2 points on Kerr. There was just 1 point in it with 3 holes to play. Both secured nett pars at the 16th, now just 2 to play. Both would be receiving 2 shots at the par 4, 17th and Kerr would make his 6 for a nett par and another 2 points. Cornelius, however, couldn't match that as he ran up an 8 and fell 3 points behind with just 1 hole left. It looked to be a tough ask to catch Kerr now, needing a nett birdie and hoping his opposite number failed to score.
As it happened, Cornelius got into trouble at the last and would run up a 10, whilst Kerr made another nett par to complete a much tidier back 9 with 20 points. Having won everything there is to win at the Breadalbane, aside from the Green Jacket, James Cornelius completed the Grand Slam by finishing in last place over the weekend.
With that decided, attentions turned back to the Quaich. Matuszczyk needed to keep up his form and hope that Duncan lost his on the closing stretch. Both would record 2 points at the par 4, 13th as Duncan maintained his 5 point advantage. But at the next hole, Matuszczyk slipped up. Having not failed to score on any hole for the round so far, he found trouble at the par 5, 14th and blobbed. The door was open for Duncan and he didn't need a second invitation, securing a par for 2 points and increasing his lead to 7 overall.
Both players would record 2 points on the par 3, 15th and with 2 par 5s in the closing 3 holes; it looked like Duncan's to lose. In Round 1, Duncan had got a birdie at the 16th and he went one better on the Sunday with a magnificent eagle 3! Those 4 points took him to 71 with 2 holes to play. Matuszczyk would struggle to match that and managed to mark down only his second blob of the day, leaving him 11 points back and out of the running. Whilst Taylor had rallied slightly, now sitting in 2nd position overall again, he was still 10 back of Duncan.
The Quaich would be returning to Redding for the second time. Duncan made par at the 17th leaving him -4 for the round with just the last to play. A bogey at the par 5,18th was just his second dropped shot of the day and meant he finished with a sensational round of -3 and 39 points for Round 2. Taylor's strong finish, including a birdie at the last, saw him overtake Matuszczyk into 2nd place on his Breadalbane debut.
It had been a great effort from Matuszczyk though, who enjoyed his highest ever Breadalbane finish in his 14th appearance. There were notable efforts from John Bruce and Craig Roberts too, who finished in the top 5. For Miles Shaw, there would be mixed feelings; joy at his best ever points total and placed finish but tinged with regret after having such a big lead over night.
After all was said and done, the final table after 2 rounds looked like this:
Position | Player | Stableford Score (Overall) |
1. | Adam Duncan | 74 |
2. | Chris Taylor | 66 |
T3. | John Bruce | 63 |
T3. | Paul Matuszczyk | 63 |
5. | Craig Roberts | 62 |
T6. | Miles Shaw | 61 |
T6. | John McLuckie | 61 |
T8. | Anton Mowatt | 58 |
T8. | Steven Rodgers | 58 |
T8. | Gaz Cornelius | 58 |
11. | Steven Roberts | 56 |
12. | Ian Baird | 55 |
T13. | Baz Ramsay | 53 |
T13. | Alex Keir | 53 |
15. | Blair Reid | 50 |
16. | Dave Cook | 49 |
17. | Jason Kerr | 46 |
18. | James Cornelius | 41 |
Outgoing Champion Alex Keir gathered everyone together for the prize giving at the end of another fantastic Breadalbane weekend. There were nearest the pin prizes for James Cornelius (boring!) and Steven Roberts; whilst Blair Reid picked up the longest drive win. Shortest drive, hopefully never to be repeated, was won by Baz Ramsay and there were additional prizes for the most water found (Paul Matuszczyk) and the most bunkers (Gary Cornelius).
Matuszczyk deservedly picked up The Clique for the best scoring, highest handicap player. And after Chris Taylor received his runner-up prize, all that was left to do was present the champion golfer of the year with his well earned second Quaich. Adam Duncan had played the 2 rounds in -2 scratch, a simply outstanding performance and certainly not in keeping with much of the terrible golf that has been played over the years.
With 2 stars now to his name, Duncan will be hoping he can go one better and catch Steven Roberts in the near future. The rest of the field will have some catching up to do if they want to have any chance of claiming the historic Quaich in La Cala when Breadalbane XX begins next August.
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