Patna golfer lands a double

Jun 12 2009

WHEN John Sloan last entered Ayr’s biggest golf tournament, he didn’t even qualify.

Now he’s enjoying the last laugh after returning to win the Tam O’Shanter trophy.

The Patna player is in the form of his life following a huge title double.

He added the Tammy to last week’s Belleisle cup – and reckons his game is set for take off.

John, 23, revealed: “I last had a go at the Tammy three years ago but never even qualified.

“Since then I’ve done a lot of work on my game, especially with Gareth Hardy down at Belleisle, and I’m feeling much better.

“My consistency has been improving over the last few months and it’s starting to show in my results.”

Sloan saw off the challenge of Dalmilling’s Jamie McCormack during a tense final in which there was never more than one hole between them.

And fittingly, it came down to the last with Sloan holding his nerve to lift the prestigious trophy.

John, a delivery driver for Asda, believes his tough route to the final stood him in good stead.

He confessed: “I started to believe I could win it after my quarter final match against Weir McCulloch, which went to the 19th hole.

“I had struggled with my game but still managed to pull through, so I felt it could be my year.

“Hopefully I can go on from this to play in some bigger tournaments and just take it one step at a time.”

Elsewhere in Ayr Golf Week, almost half the winners came from clubs belonging to Dalmilling golf course.

South Ayrshire Council plan to close the course on January 1 next year, and members were sure to make their point.

Ladies captain Jackie Ridge, who won the RC Brown Trophy, said: “We are fighting to keep our much-loved, much-used and valuable course open and hope that we will continue to get massive support from the people of Ayr, great numbers of whom have signed the petition against the closure.”