Bob Humble, 72, wins Kilspindie championship in six decades

After facing each other in the final, Bob Humble, right, receives the Kilspindie club championship trophy from captain Chris Stirling. Picture: Kilspindie Golf Club

Fifty years after landing the title for the first time, Bob Humble is the Kilspindie club champion, having now achieved the feat in six decades.

The 72-year-old claimed the crown for the 21th time in total at the East Lothian club with a 7&6 win over Chris Stirling, the club captain, in the 36-hole final.

The pair were all square after 18 holes before Humble, who plays off three, covered the next 12 holes in six-under-par.

“I was reading an article in Scotland on Sunday about Ian Hutcheon winning the Monifieth club championship in six decades and thought to myself, ‘if I win today, I will be the same as Hutch’,” said Humble.

One down with two to play, he finished eagle-eagle to beat James Fox in the quarter-finals before coming out on top against 73-year-old Kenny Johnston in the last four.

“It feels very strange to win it again and a bit of a surprise, to be honest,” added Humble. “I have been playing oay, but not as competitive as I would like to be, having not played in any of the Scottish Seniors’ events this year.

“It is fantastic to achieve this in my 70s, especially after I had both a prostate cancer operation and hip operation. I am over the moon to have come back from them and pull off this win.”

Elsewhere, Kilmacolm’s Matthew Clark won the Tennant Cup, the oldest amateur stroke-play trophy in the world, for a second time after a controversial finish at Glasgow Golf Club.

In the same week he carded a course-record 62 at Nairn en route to leading the qualifiers in the Amateur Championship at Nairn, the 39-year-old closed with rounds of 67 and 66 at Killermont for a one-shot win.

Forres man Matthew Wilson, who had shared the halfway lead after a pair of 69s at Gailes Links on Saturday, finished second after thinking he had a two-shot lead when he was actually tied for top spot.

“It was a sore one for Matty, but, as I did myself when something similar happened to me, he will learn from it and I am sure he will get a win soon,” said Clark.

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