National business golf champions crowned at Carnoustie
Golfer’s from companies throughout the country gathered on the Burnside Course at Carnoustie Golf Links to play for Business Fours 2019 title.
L-R – Thomas McGoldrick, Craig Logan. Scott Fyfe, John McClarey, Craig-Weir
There was 7 stableford scores in the 40’s as conditions where perfect for the golfers on a relatively tame day at Carnoustie. The top of the individual prizes at stake was the chance to win £10,000 for their chosen charity for a hole in one on the Par 3 3rd Hole.
It was Edinburgh based Chartered Surveyors Malcolm Hollis who lifted the trophy and claimed the £2,100 charity prize for their chosen cause, Alzheimer’s UK. They overcame stiff competition from both the Edinburgh and Glasgow champions as Anderson Strathern finished in third place and the Village Hotel Club team just behind as runners up as they were unable to win back their 2017 title.
Malcolm Hollis team
The Malcolm Hollis golfers combined to shoot a grand total of 160 points, with all four scores counting towards the total, both their single figure golfers, Derek Houston and Rory Cullens shot 42 Stableford points supported by team mates Gerry McGuigan and Craig Weir.
With golfers choosing to split up to make new connections on the day or playing with clients the events are designed to maximize the opportunity to network with likeminded professionals. There was also bragging rights on offer for the best fourball which was the team from Village Hotel Club with a group total of 154 stableford points wearing their Royal & Awesome troos each of the qualifying champions get. The 154 would have been good enough to win the 2018 title as the defending champions Riddle & Coghill won with a score of 151 in St Andrew’s, a score they couldn’t replicate at Carnoustie.
Village Hotels team
The tournament has been supported by the Scottish Open who also place charity at the heart of their work and they kindly supported the charity raffle with Malcolm Hollis golfer, Derek Houston capping off a fine day as his winning ticket was picked out for the star prize, a Fourball at the Renaissance Course the day after the Scottish Open with Sunday pin positions and grandstands intact on Monday 15th of July.
SEM Group team
With no one fortunate enough to hit an ace at the 3rd Hole the golfers divided the rest of the individual prizes between then. The bragging rights of the longest drive of the day on the par 5 15th Hole went to Peter McCallum from Rathbones Investment Management. His colleague Steven MacGowan picked up the ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ prize for the greatest difference between the inward and outward scoring nines coming back in 19 points.
Martin McAvoy from the Old Course Hotel sunk the longest putt on the 18th green as he polished off a solid round. With two Nearest the Pin prizes to play for it was Tim Jones who was playing with Aberdeen based, SEM Group who went closest on the tricky 9th green and Edinburgh Airports William Wooldridge found his range to go closest on the burn protected 5th green.
Martin McAvoy – Old Course Hotel
Tim Jones – SEM Group
Business Fours Founder John McClarey said “We are delighted with the 2019 series of Business Fours events and would like to thank all our tournament supporters, partners and players for being involved in the events. Our congratulations go to Malcolm Hollis who have won the trophy playing for a very worthwhile charity in Alzheimer’s UK and we’re sure the money will be well received and put to good use. We have exciting plans for our 2020 event which we hope to launch in the Autumn of this year”
Business Fours now switches the golf course for the football pitch with a busy summer of events planned for Business Fives, with 7 events across Scotland and 10 events down in England, you will find full details of the events coming up on their website here where you can register your interest in future events.
