New Winner At Breadalbane XVIII as Keir Takes Home The Quaich

One of the biggest sporting events in the calendar, the prestigious Breadalbane, headed east in September 2024 for the 18th edition. The equally feared as revered Forest Pines resort, near Scunthorpe, provided the challenging venue for 15 of the countries finest golfers to do battle.

The competitors arrived on the Thursday from all corners of the UK; with the exception of Dave Cook, who decided to travel on the Friday morning so as not to disrupt his meticulous preparations too much. Defending Champion Steven Roberts extended an official welcome to all on the Friday morning, establishing the key timings for the weekend and the concerning news for some that they would only be allowed to drink Guinness on the Friday night.

After the now customary first round of Rider Cup action on the Friday, the individual Breadalbane competition began just after 10am on the Saturday morning with the opening tee shot being expertly fired away by the defending champ. It would be something of a false dawn for Roberts as he struggled to score on the front 9 of the challenging course. A few men came flying out of the blocks, however. The much fancied Alex Keir scored 8 points in his first 3 holes before failing to score on the 4th. Dave Cook too started well, scoring 9 points in his opening 4 holes but would he be able to keep up that sort of form?

Pre tournament favourite with the bookies, Adam Duncan, made a solid start by playing to handicap on the first 3 holes but he also failed to score on the 4th. The rest of the field were struggling to make any headway over the tough start but as the front 9 went on, Darren Petersen started to emerge as the one to watch. After scoring 4 points in his opening 3 holes, Petersen went on a run of 16 points in 6 to the turn; including two nett eagles at the 4th and 7th holes with nett birdies on the 8th and 9th. With 20 points at the halfway stage of round 1, he was the man to catch.

Miles Shaw was doing his best, scoring 18 points on the front 9 and playing to handicap; his best 9 hole showing at a Breadalbane and a reflection of the additional work he had been putting in during preparations for the weekend. Some of the pre-tournament favourites had started solidly enough too. The previously mentioned Duncan reached the turn in 15 points, Keir was on 14 points and alongside him was John McLuckie who had started to recover from a slow start.

The much fancied John Bruce and Baz Ramsay weren't quite keeping up with the pace, however. Bruce reached the turn in just 11 points having only scored 5 points in the opening 6 holes. Ramsay meanwhile, many experts tip for the win after his pre-tournament form, was languishing on 9 points.

At the bottom of the leaderboard there was an even bigger shock emerging. Craig Roberts was propping up the rest on just 7 points (no, that's not the shock) but 1 point ahead of him was Steven Roberts, the decorated three time Champion. Gary Cornelius and Steven Rodgers sat alongside Ramsay on 9 points, whilst Jason Kerr and Stephen MacKinnon were on 10 in their bid to avoid the dreaded green jacket. Just ahead of them on the same total as Bruce was James Cornelius, showing signs of an improvement in form from the previous year.

There was still 27 holes to go and a lot of golf to be played. The back 9 saw the competitors take on the Beeches course for the first time across the weekend, allegedly the most forgiving setup at Forest Pines. Unfortunately for Steven Roberts, there would be no change in fortune as he continued to struggle. A back 9 total of just 9 points and an overall total of 17 leaving him in danger of the overnight Green Jacket position. The man who had been last after 9 holes, Craig Roberts, started to find form on the back 9, starting with a birdie, nett eagle at the 10th. That, added to another 4 nett birdies, saw Roberts return in 21 points; which would turn out to be the best score in the whole field for the second 9.

Also picking up form in the last group out was Steven Rodgers. He too secured a nett eagle at the 10th and another at the par 5, 15th to come back in 19 points and be level with Roberts overall. John McLuckie came back in 17 points, including an eagle, nett albatross on the 12th hole for 5 points. It was a solid return of 31 points for the big man and would surely put him in contention come Sunday. The last player in the final group was Cook, who was fading after the fast start. His back 9 total of 12 included 3 blobs as consistency deserted him.

In the third group, Alex Keir was having a steady round and a back 9 total of 19 points, including 3 nett birdies, would put him near the top of the leader board after day 1. Many had fancied Keir in the build up and he was living up to the pre-tournament billing as one to watch. Also in that grouping, Miles Shaw was continuing to have an excellent round. Despite a wobble on the 12th and 13th, where he failed to score, the big Welshman recorded 13 points on the second 9 and an overall total of 31 (yes, 31); his best ever Breadalbane score. Meanwhile, two-time winner Bruce was continuing to wrestle with his game but found some putting magic to record a much improved inward half of 15 points.

The second group out had no disasters on the back 9. Ramsay was much improved, returning with 17 points which was sure to boost his confidence going in to the Sunday. A nett eagle at the par 4, 13th was the highlight of his card. Stephen MacKinnon and Jason Kerr, two men who were fancied for the jacket, went toe-to-toe with 15 points on the way home; giving both a reasonable total of 25 overall. The group also contained Duncan but the favourite had a mixed inward 9. A birdie at 15 and nett eagle at 17, were offset by blobs on the 13th, 16th and 18th; two of which were par 3s. However, he was still within touching distance for the final round.

The lead group, which contained the struggling Steven Roberts, was where the overnight leader would be found. The Cornelius brothers gave a solid showing after the turn, Gary returning in 15 points and James eclipsing that with an impressive 17 points. The former Judge's card included a nett eagle at the 17th and three nett birdies too. However, the man that had led at the half way point of round 1, Petersen, would hold off the challengers with a score of 15 points on the inward 9. Another 3 nett birdies were achieved at the 12th, 15th and 17th but there was a feeling that it could have been even better with another two non-scoring holes thrown in.

With everyone back in the clubhouse to reflect on their round and wolf down a well deserved plate of sandwiches and chips; the scores after round 1 were as follows:

Pos.	Player	Score (Stableford Points)
1	Darren Petersen	35
2	Alex Keir	33
T3	John McLuckie	31
T3	Miles Shaw	31
5	Adam Duncan	29
T6	Craig Roberts	28
T6	James Cornelius	28
T6	Steven Rodgers	28
T9	Baz Ramsay	26
T9	John Bruce	26
T9	Dave Cook	26
T12	Stephen MacKinnon	25
T12	Jason Kerr	25
14	Gary Cornelius	24
15	Steven Roberts	17

The middle of the pack was incredibly tight with only 5 points separating 10 players. Steven Roberts looked like having an uphill climb on his hands to pull away from the bottom of the table, but the players above would know he was capable of putting together an excellent round on the Sunday.

At the Saturday night Court Session, presided by the Rt. Hon. Judge Ramsay; the talk was of who could hold it together after the expected bucket load of shots. Amongst the highlights from this year's debacle was Lady Spof, Justin Bieber, Alex's gun show and Edge's napkin presentation. A shot of absinthe was being administered for the more 'heinous' crimes, with Darren Petersen on the stand for ruining the Green Jacket and Adam Duncan for damaging The Rider Cup (f*ck sake Brucey). Judge Ramsay was also keen to ensure John Bruce was given plenty of the lethal shot, after his claim that it wouldn't sink him and prevent a decent score on the Sunday; a charge of racism was levelled and punished severely. The Court was another excellent event, despite the competitors nearly being 'dispersed' from the hotel complex.

Sunday morning arrived with the golfers in varying condition but none feeling particularly fresh and ready for the battle ahead. The competitors would be taking on Beeches as a front 9 and Pines as the back 9. As everyone discussed what time they had gone to bed and how many shots they had consumed the night before, the bottom group teed up on the 1st to get the action underway. Jason Kerr showed remarkable consistency by topping his opening tee shot with an iron, having done so with driver the previous day. Steven Roberts was in need of a fast start to climb away from the unwanted Green Jacket position but a return of 3 points in the opening 4 holes wasn't what he had in mind. Having trailed by 7 points, Roberts would reach the turn having reduced that deficit to 5 on Jason Kerr and Baz Ramsay; helped by a superb eagle at the par 5, 6th.

Ramsay was struggling in the second group, having only managed 9 points in 9 holes. Alongside him, Stephen MacKinnon had scored 11 points on the front 9 of round 2 and Dave Cook 13 points as both men looked to stay well clear of being dragged into any bother at the bottom. Gary Cornelius had made a solid start to his second round in the bottom grouping with a score of 13 points that included two nett eagles. However, the shock story developing from the bottom two groupings was the form of former Champion, John Bruce. After a sub standard Saturday, Bruce shot a +5 front 9 to score 19 points; could he put himself in contention for a third title?

For that to happen, it would need sub standard showings from all those in the top two groupings. Of those, Craig Roberts would have the best opening 9. Roberts shot 15 points including nett birdies at the 2nd and 5th holes. The other challengers from that group had been solid if not spectacular too. James Cornelius continued his upturn in form and consistency from the previous day, scoring 13 points; whilst Adam Duncan could only manage 12 points after failing to score at the 4th and 5th. Steven Rodgers was having the biggest struggles, only managing 11 points to the turn with too many holes where he was only picking up a point.

It was felt that the winner would come from the top group, with Petersen enjoying a cushion over most of the field outside of Keir. Questions over whether Miles Shaw could repeat his Saturday performance looked valid as the Welshman could only manage 9 points to the turn. Many fancied that John McLuckie could use his experience and all-round game to intimidate the others at the top of the table but a blob at the 4th set him back after a solid start, as he amassed 13 points from the opening 9 holes. With the memory of the Sunday collapse at Heron's Reach at the beginning of his round, Alex Keir was keen to get off to a fast start and put some pressure on the overnight leader. After a slow start of just 6 points in 5 holes, Keir found his game to manage 14 points from the front 9. There had been no sign of trouble for Petersen early on as he started with 7 points in the opening 3 holes to stretch his lead to 4 points on the rest. However, a blob followed at the 4th and another two at the 7th and 8th meant his lead was gone as he scored 12 points before the back 9.

With Keir and Petersen now tied on 47 points and McLuckie on 44, the top group were battling it out amongst themselves. However, the spectre of former Champions was looming with Bruce on 45, James Cornelius on 43 and Duncan on 41 still within striking distance. Craig Roberts too was on 43 points and just 4 back but could he find the necessary minerals to really mount a challenge? Spoiler alert... no.

There was all to play for and the back 9 began with more drama at the top.

Only half the field would score points on the par 4, 10th as many of the competitors struggled with the hole. With John Bruce and Adam Duncan both securing pars, suddenly they had pulled the leaders closer to them. Amongst those to blob the 10th were the leaders Keir and Petersen with Keir also failing to score on the 11th and Petersen managing a point to go 1 clear. However, after the 11th there was a new leader. John Bruce had scored a par nett birdie on the hole and found himself 2 clear of the whole field.

At the bottom, Steven Roberts' hopes of climbing off the bottom were fading. The gap of 5 points hadn't changed by the 13th and when Roberts failed to score on the par 5, 14th he would be 6 adrift with just 4 holes to play. The struggles for Miles Shaw were continuing as he fell like a stone through the field and was only 9 ahead of Roberts by the end of the 14th. Suddenly the Welshman was looking at an unwanted third Green Jacket.

Craig Roberts' outside chances had gone after a slow start to the final 9, only managing 4 points in 5 holes. Elsewhere in that group, Adam Duncan recorded birdies on the 12th and 14th to bring himself into outside contention for a second title but he would need an equally strong finish over the closing holes.

The top group seemed awoken by the fact that someone from well down the field had overtaken them and Keir responded with a nett birdie at the 12th. McLuckie and Petersen were scoring too, helping to keep them in contention at the top. It was going to come down to the final stretch with no one running away from the pack.

As you would expect from a former three time winner, Steven Roberts kept fighting. A par at the par 3, 15th gave him 2 points but a no scoring return at the 16th put pay to any realistic chances he had of avoiding being the first player in Breadalbane history to go from 'Champ to Chump' after Gary Cornelius famously made the opposite journey in 2015. Roberts limped home on 21 points for round 2 and a total of 38, 5 behind Miles Shaw, who failed to score on any of the last 4 holes and came back in only 3 points; a disappointing end to his weekend.

And so, all eyes switched to who would get their hands on the coveted Quaich. Could Bruce or Duncan use their know-how to get over the line? Would McLuckie finally convert an opportunity on the Sunday? Or was it the turn of Petersen or Keir to take the glory?

Bruce seemed to be the man in form. After a disappointing double bogey at the par 5, 12th; he secured a nett birdie at the harder par 5, 14th for another 3 points. Keir had steadied the ship and was scoring to handicap again as he kept within 2 points of the leader heading into the closing holes. By the end of the 14th, McLuckie and Petersen had fallen 4 back and Duncan 5. If Bruce could keep up the scoring, it looked like he could pull of the unthinkable.

The first sign of trouble from his round, however, came at the par 3, 15th when an excellent looking tee shot came up fractionally short and ended up in the water. Petersen failed to take advantage by not scoring on the hole but Duncan, McLuckie and Keir all sensed an opportunity and got points on the board. The par nett birdie from Keir pulled him level with Bruce at the top, with McLuckie now just 2 back after an excellent birdie.

2020 Champion Duncan wasn't finished yet either. He produced a superb birdie on the par 4, 16th to ask the question of the others. Bruce and McLuckie responded with par nett birdies of their own by Keir also managed a bogey nett birdie to keep pace. Petersen also managed a net birdie to just about stay in the hunt for the final two holes. Just 5 points separated 5 players.

The 17th was a par 3, only 135 yards in length. With Keir and Petersen receiving a stroke on the other challengers, it felt like an opportunity for them. Bruce blinked first. His worst shot of the day off the tee got him in trouble and he couldn't recover, posting a disappointing 5 for no points. The door was ajar. Petersen failed to walk through it; carding a 7 for no points and ending his hopes once and for all. Duncan and McLuckie would secure their pars, Duncan now just 2 back from Bruce and McLuckie drawing level. However, Keir used the stroke to his advantage, knocking in for a par nett birdie to go 3 ahead of the field with just one hole to go.

And so to the 18th, a tough par 4 to finish on the tree lined course. Keir had the lead and another stroke in hand on the rest of the leaders; it was now very much his to lose. John Bruce knew he needed something special to undo the no score at 17 and he managed a solid bogey nett par to finish on 62 for the weekend. Adam Duncan too needed a miracle and almost produced one, scoring a birdie nett eagle at the last for 4 points and matching Bruce's club house score. It was between Keir and McLuckie but big John was up against it. Similar to his shootout with John Bruce at Cardrona 3 years previous, he needed to card a nett birdie on the last and hope that Keir didn't score at all. In the end, he could only manage a 6 for 1 point; leaving Keir to soak up the glory as he walked up 18. Completing the hole with a 6 nett 4 for 2 points, he had finished 3 points ahead of the rest.

It had been a valiant effort from John Bruce on the Sunday, scoring 36 points and playing to handicap after the punishing Court session the night before, what will Judge Ramsay find for him next year in the attempts to derail him? Horse tranquilisers? Rohypnol, perhaps?

Another solid showing from John McLuckie will please him too, after coming into the competition on the back of mixed form. There was disappointment for Petersen, having led overnight, but his overall showing was much improved after taking home the Green Jacket the year before. A superb back 9 performance on the Sunday saw Adam Duncan get 2nd place on countback, his best finish since winning the Quaich at Murrayshall.

Special mention should also be made of James Cornelius' performance. After struggling at Heron's Reach with a knee injury, he returned to form with a 6th placed finish; made all the more impressive after a controversial handicap cut ahead of the event. After what could be argued was a harsh decision, Cornelius did well to not mention at any point over the weekend...

The Clique, presented to the best placed maximum handicapper went to Gary Cornelius after a fine round in which he had gone from 2nd bottom to 7th place overall, scoring 30 points on the Sunday. There were longest drive prizes for Miles Shaw (Saturday) and Steven Roberts (Sunday), whilst nearest the pin went to Craig Roberts (Saturday) and Adam Duncan (Sunday).

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

As for the winner, Alex Keir had carded an impressive 18 points over the closing 7 holes to take the title and had, in doing so, banished the demons of the Sunday at Heron's Reach in 2023. He becomes the 15th winner of the Breadalbane Quaich, a new name on the the trophy and another golfer to get his hands on it before Craig Roberts. For some, it is another year of what could have been; for others, it was a year of what never started.

The final standings were as follows:

Pos.	Player	Score (Stableford Points - 36 Holes)
1	Alex Keir	65
T2	Adam Duncan	62
T2	John Bruce	62
4	John McLuckie	61
5	Darren Petersen	56
6	James Cornelius	55
7	Gary Cornelius	54
8	Craig Roberts	53
9	Dave Cook	51
10	Jason Kerr	50
11	Steven Rodgers	48
T12	Baz Ramsay	47
T12	Stephen MacKinnon	47
14	Miles Shaw	43
15	Steven Roberts	38