Fred.Olsen National Masters Championships 2020
Congratulations to our new Fred. Olsen National Masters Champions, Team Adam and Team Gibb. After a wonderful few days curling, on fantastic ice at Greenacres prizes were presented by Ladies President Morag Wellman, and Rachel Jackson, Head of PR at Fred.Olsen (who even got to try some curling herself, for the first time!)
Our huge thanks go to all the staff and volunteers at Greenacres, and to Stew Sutherland, Chief Umpire, who also composed this highly entertaining report for us. A great read – especially if you are familiar with any of the characters involved…
”Storm clouds were gathering and many forecasts were predicting disruption, personal danger and uncertain outcomes… Yes! the 2020 Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines National Masters Curling Championships were taking place this long weekend at Greenacres Curling Rink in Howwood, Renfrewshire.
After some hard-contested Qualifiers at Forfar and Greenacres, 12 Men’s Teams & 8 Ladies Teams were poised to do battle. The format of the Competition allowed the ladies the day off on Thursday, as only the men were called upon to turn out for the first session.
Although there were many familiar team names, the composition of some teams had changed and evolved over the last few seasons, a situation which caused a little consternation amongst the organisers as to who had played in the Qualifiers and who was potentially ineligible or cup-tied, however all was well and concerns were put down to short-term memory loss amongst the officials…it IS the Masters after all!
So the ranks were drawn up with Section A proving very competitive with the likes of Barton Henderson’s Aberdeenshire team contesting with Kinross’s Sandy Nelson, the redoubtable Ken Horton & Graeme Adam representing the host Greenacres rinks, Jim Boswell’s Ayr rink and of course, defending champions Team Wilson from Stranraer looking to make it three-in-a-ro
In the Men’s Section B, a new-look Team Linton from Kinross were up against their local teammates Team Clydesdale, another Greenacres’ pair of John Sharp & Gary Macfarlane and Perth’s Don Stark and Keith Prentice’s Borders team.
Session One provided some close results, with Sandy Nelson’s team just edging out Barton Henderson 10-9, Jim Boswell holding Ken Horton to 8 all, & Graeme Adam’s rink handing out a 15-5 thrashing to PJ Wilson’s defending champions.
In the other section, Bill Linton ground out a 7-4 victory over Don Stark, John Sharp looked strong in winning 8-5 against Davie Clydesdale, & a close game between much-fancied contenders Prentice & Macfarlane saw the Border’s team emerge victorious 6-3.
So on to Day 2 &and the men again were called into battle first with John Sharp quick off the blocks with a couple of good early ends eventually running out 6-3 winners against Gary Macfarlane.
Meanwhile Keith Prentice served a reality check on Bill Linton’s new hopefuls with a clinical 8-3 victory. Despite a great late fightback from Davie Clydesdale, Don Stark had done enough early on to run out 10-5 winners.
In the other section, a tight game between Ayr’s Jim Boswell and Graeme Adam was put to bed when Graeme took a 5 in the last end to win 9-4.
Defending champions Team Wilson looked to be back on track against Barton Henderson with a brace of 3s early on, but some near-miraculous skip’s stones by Barton enabled them to squeeze out a 9-8 victory.
In the other game a really gritty performance saw Sandy Nelson’s team just edge out Ken Horton 6-5.
Now it was the turn of the Ladies; challenging defenders Team Kay Gibb in their section were Maggie Scott’s team with their fellow Kinross colleagues Team Baillie. Due to a last-minute withdrawal due to illness of Elizabeth (Bunty) Scott, Jan Howard bravely took on the mantle of skip.
Games were tight with Maggie Scott just edging out Kay Gibb’s rink 7-6, McCorkell beating Barry 5-3, Team E Scott overcame Kinross’s Team Baillie 5-4 & despite a late spirited fightback by Marion Murdoch’s team, Gwen Prentice’s team had done more than enough in the early stages to run out 11-5 winners.
The final Men’s session on Friday evening saw some really tight games with only a single shot determining the outcome in 3 games, a peel between Sharp & Prentice and Team Adam overcoming Team Nelson 5-3. In the other fixture, defending champions Team Wilson served notice that they were far from a spent force despite their two previous defeats by taking a 7 in the 8th end against Jim Boswell to win 12-3!
Saturday morning, and it’s just beginning to get to the sharp end of the Women’s competition with victories for Barry, Gibb, McCorkell & Maggie Scott’s team. The 3.30 session would decide the semi-finalists!
The Men’s lunchtime session saw Davie Clydesdale’s rink hold Keith Prentice to a 5-5 peel, John Sharp winning comfortably 11-3 against Don Stark, Teams Linton & Macfarlane & Nelson & Boswell all tie their games, Ken Horton adding to Team Wilson’s misery by winning 7-4. But meanwhile, coming up on the rails as they say in horse racing parlance, Team Henderson took down Team Adam 6-3.
So all to play for in the remaining Men’s sessions then!
Meanwhile there were some decisive games on the afternoon Ladies’ session, with Maggie Scott’s team leaving fellow Kinross colleagues Irene Baillie’s team for dead with an 8-2 victory, a really close game with McCorkell & Murdoch ending up with the former just squeezing through 7-6 and Maggie Barry producing probably the result of the day with an 8-4 victory over Gwen Prentice.
In the final game, Kay Gibb served notice of things to come with a 9-6 victory over Jan Howard’s Team E Scott, including a last end 5.
The Section A Men’s evening session on Saturday was not without controversy, with Sandy Nelson’s team falling victim 4-7 to a resurgent Team Wilson. Meanwhile a 5-5 peeled game from Horton & Adam did nothing to settle already jangling nerves in terms of “had they done enough to qualify for the semi-finals”? Elsewhere a comprehensive 11-5 by Team Henderson over Team Boswell was enough to guarantee the Aberdonians a place in the semis, easing Ken Horton’s rink into 3rd place, equal on points and ends but losing out on Shots Up.
Graeme Adam’s sigh of relief at qualifying top of the Section was audible throughout Greenacres!
So on to Men’s Section B, where Gary MacFarlane and Davy Clydesdale had decided not to play their scheduled tie as neither could qualify for the semi-finals.
Keith Prentice’s team came out with all guns blazing in what proved to be a big scoring game, demolishing Team Stark 10-5 in just 6 ends: time to shake hands.
Tightest game in the section involved a very close affair between Bill Linton & Team Sharp, with John’s Greenacres locals just edging it 5-4. All credit to Bill’s makeshift team, mostly playing together for the first time at very short notice.
So Team Sharp & Team Prentice go forward to represent Section B.
The semi-finals for both Men & Women took place simultaneously on Sunday morning, with Team McCorkell producing what many though was their best performance of the Competition with a convincing 9-2 victory over Maggie Scott’s rink.
In the other Women’s semi, a close tussle between Team Gwen Prentice & Kay Gibb ended when a score of 3 shots in the 7th end by Team Gibb closed the tie ending in a 7-3 win.
In the first Men’s semi an early lead by Team Adam gave Keith Prentice quite a bit of work to do, but catch up he did, & the teams were tied after swopping singles by the 8th end. So on to the extra end. Keith had the hammer & although Graeme was lying 3 up in the head, the required “chap & lie” from Prentice went agonising millimetres wide giving Team Adam the hard-fought victory.
The Sharp v Henderson game was a tight affair – this was the Aberdonians’ first time they had gone so far in the Masters – & sure enough it went all the way to the 8th end where a single by Barton was sufficient to give them a 7-6 victory.
The Ladies’ Final was a slightly surreal affair with Team McCorkell matching scores with Team Gibb for the first few ends: then suddenly the wheels came off with Kay Gibb scoring a 2, 3, 1 & 2 in the next consecutive ends, running out 10-3 Winners in 7 ends.
In the Men’s Final Graeme Adam’s opening 3 in the first end was rapidly caught by Barton Henderson’s team over the next two ends. However Team Adam’s subsequent replies with 3’s in both the 4th & 5th ends was enough to get them across the finish line 9-5 despite a brave late fightback by Team Henderson.
The Master’s Competition this year again demonstrated the wealth of talent & skill still on display amongst our older brother & sister curlers. All games were played in a competitive but courteous spirit, with old acquaintances renewed & many new ones made.
Well done to all!!”
FOOTNOTE:
The enjoyment of the Masters this year was a little tainted by the sad news of the passing on Thursday morning of John Stevenson, visionary Founder of Greenacres Curling Rink in 1979. At time of going to press, funeral arrangements are believed to be next Monday 17th February in Bishopton, but please contact the Ice Rink for further details.
