The Fifty Seventh playing of the DALKEITH CUP took place on a beautiful spring day on Sunday October 2 with a field of twenty eight pairs. This year Krystyna Knottnerus and Tony Cowan continued their sponsorship of the Cup and their ongoing support is appreciated by all.
The event is a mixed four ball combined stableford event – the type of event where to be successful both players need to be on their game. No sense one having 40 points and the other 26 as that will run nowhere. To be around the mark you need better than 72 points to be in with a chance.
The event itself was named after our neighbouring suburb of Dalkeith.
“The suburb of Dalkeith derives its name from an estate of 320 acres taken up in 1831 by Adam Armstrong. He named it Dalkeith Farm after the district near Edinburgh from which he had migrated in 1829”
This year’s field included past winning combinations – Cath Bellemore and Paul Baster (2009), Patricia and Steve Noske (2013), Veni Tang and Gary Hing (2015), Marg Doyle and Joe Alexander (2018 and 2019), Nicki and Fred Wehr (2020) and defending champions combination of Carolyn Browne and Mackenzie Buck.
Apart from the defending champions and past winners of the trophy ones to watch were the sponsors, Krystyna Knottnerus and Tony Cowan, Mandy Sudlow – Brown and Anthony Joseph, the in form Bevan Lawrence and Helen Walsh (travelling together in the “pope-mobile”), Karen Bond and Michael du Pont and finally Chris and Stewart Wharton.
In the end some of the aforementioned pairings and some of the previous champs did not fire a shot and it was left to the defending champions Carolyn Browne and Mackenzie Buck to come out on top with 75 points – one more than their winning score in 2021.
Carolyn contributed 42 points from her 20 handicap and Mackenzie 33 from his 7 handicap.
Whilst they won by 3 points it was a close-run thing after 15 holes and 6 pairs were in with a realistic chance.
The Leader board after 15 holes looked something like this –
61 points Carolyn Browne and Mackenzie Buck
60 points Krystyna Knottnerus and Tony Cowan, Andrea and David Whitehead
59 points Nicki and Fred Wehr
57 points Mandy Sudlow – Brown and Anthony Joseph
56 points Bevan Lawrence and Helen Walsh
And with one hole left it was still a very close run thing with four pairings within 2 points
68 points Carolyn Browne and Mackenzie Buck
67 points Krystyna Knottnerus and Tony Cowan, Andrea and David Whitehead
66 points Mandy Sudlow – Brown and Anthony Joseph
The defending Champions, Carolyn Browne and Mackenzie Buck put the result beyond reach with each of them recording birdies on their final hole – the first. This gave them 7 points and a total of 75 for the day. Runners – up were Andrea and David Whitehead with 72 points – a great effort considering they only had 33 points after nine holes. The sponsors Krystyna Knottnerus and Tony Cowan were third with 71 points.
So now to the final Leader board-
75 points Carolyn Browne and Mackenzie Buck
72 points Andrea and David Whitehead
71 points Krystyna Knottnerus and Tony Cowan
70 points Mandy Sudlow – Brown and Anthony Joseph
68 points Nicki and Fred Wehr (second of the past Champions)
68 points Bevan Lawrence and Helen Walsh
67 points Vanessa and Bill Stephen
The leading individual scores were –
42 points Carolyn Browne
38 points Tony Cowan, Keith Halliwell, Michael du Pont, Stewart Wharton,
Andrea Whitehead
37 points Dave Bennett, Fred Wehr, Zach Nielsen
So, Carolyn and Mackenzie do it again – a second Dalkeith Cup. They are still chasing the mini slam with the Millennium Cup the only one of the mixed majors that has eluded them.
Thanks to the club staff who contributed to a most enjoyable afternoon and evening.
Congratulations to our 2022 Dalkeith Cup Winners Carolyn Browne and Mackenzie Buck and thanks to Krystyna Knottnerus and Tony Cowan for their sponsorship of the day.
The final sponsored Mixed Event on a Sunday is scheduled for the 13th of November and is an American Foursomes event sponsored by Jill and Tony Morgan.
Good luck to all players in the forthcoming Club Championships.
From – Greg Fitzhardinge
