By Steve Scott, golf correspondent

A MERE 35 years on from his victory at Carnoustie in 1973 and 44 years on from his debut in the championship, Ian Hutcheon’s vast experience proved just enough to carry him through his return to the Allied Surveyors Scottish Amateur Championship yesterday.

The 66-year-old Monifieth player, indisputably one of the greats of Scottish amateur golf, ousted the 17-year-old Adam Dunton on the notorious final hole of the Medal Course for a first-round victory in only his second appearance in the championship in the last 25 years.

The performance of Hutcheon was perhaps an extreme example— although many thought the ageless four-time Walker Cup player and probably the best senior player in Scotland was actually the favourite in his first-round tie—but as the haar hung over the Championship Course like the old times, it certainly seemed a day for experience.

Although he has been playing the Angus links since the 60s, Hutcheon hardly plays the course any more, restricting himself largely to his beloved Monifieth and to Panmure, while most of the other veterans who won yesterday hardly get out that much anymore.

Scott Knowles, a stalwart of Lothians golf for two decades, is rarely outside his home county these days, while Wilson Bryson’s main role in golf these days is as a selector for the Scottish boys’ team.

Derek Paton, 11 years after he reached the semi-final on the last visit of the championship to Carnoustie, hadn’t played a competitive game in Scotland for two years because of his business interests in the US and Asia.

All three won their matches in handsome fashion, while Hutcheon had cause to thank the monstrous 18th, which sank its teeth into Dunton in the brutal fashion shown to Jean van de Velde and Padraig Harrington in recent years.

The youngster looked favourite to claim the hole and the match off the tee when Hutcheon hit what he thought was his poorest drive of the day, leaving him no chance to clear the final sweep of the Barry Burn in front of the green that famously snared both Van de Velde and Harrington.

Hutcheon laid up and pitched short, running his putt up to four feet, while Dunton hit a good-looking second shot which leaked to the right and just caught the bunker there— a fatal error, if rather unlucky.

The youngster, however, compounded the mistake with an overhit bunker shot and then hitting his return putt much too strongly, finally missing his putt for bogey from 10 feet. That meant a rather bemused Hutcheon simply had to nervelessly hole out for an unexpected victory.

“I didn’t expect to be winning that hole from the position we were both in, but it’s never finished on that hole until it’s absolutely finished,” said Hutcheon, who reckoned he had played as well as he had during this past season.

“I’m probably hitting it longer than I did in my prime, but that’s down to the equipment and the balls rather than anything I’m doing differently,” he admitted.

“I can’t hit it 300 yards like some of these guys but I’m long enough to be competitive.”

That he can still compete was in evidence throughout yesterday’s match, not least in winning the long 12th in eagle, hitting his three-wood 250 yards to 20 feet—to his surprise and that of the game ahead, which had not yet cleared the green.

Hutcheon’s work commitments meant he retired from competitive golf in the early 80s after a glittering career in individual and international terms, although he has played recently on the seniors circuit, winning the national title at that level three times since 2001, the year he last appeared in the Scottish Amateur.

“I basically don’t want to play if I don’t feel I have a chance of winning, but because the Scottish Amateur this year was at Carnoustie, where I won it, and because it’s probably the last time I’ll play in it, I decided to enter,” he explained.

“If I could have a couple of good games and get through a couple of rounds that would be great, although I don’t tend to play guys who are as young as Adam that often.”

Hutcheon’s second-round game today against Lewis Kirton, the highly-rated 21-year-old from the Newmachar club in Aberdeen, will be another one worth watching.

Local knowledge proved useful in the rather gloomy conditions with little breeze, with a number of Angus players romping to victories, notably Carnoustie’s Kristopher Harper, the two county caps from Downfield, Campbell Donaldson and Ross Bell, and the Scottish Mid-Amateur champion Ross Coull (Edzell).

The first three seeds and the last two champions all came through, Murrayshall’s Gavin Dear recording the most dominating victory, a 7 and 5 rout of Glenbervie’s Richard Johnston, while No 1 seed Callum Macaulay and former strokeplay champion Scott Henry came through in the first quarter.

Defending champion John Gallagher came through 5 and 4 against Keith Hamilton of Ayr Belleisle, while 2006 champion Kevin McAlpine—like Gallagher somewhat surprisingly unseeded—won 2 and 1 over Richard Gill (Craigmillar Park).

“Neither of us were seeded when we won, so it doesn’t bother us—in fact hopefully it’s a good omen,” said Gallagher.

Round one results:

G Crawford (Williamwood) bt F Moore (Glenbervie) 4 and 2, R Coull (Edzell) bt D Ferguson (Paisley) 4 and 3, C Kneen (Castletown) bt F Henderson (Craigielaw) 3 and 2, G Taylor (Meldrum House) bt G Nicolson (Mortonhall) 4 and 3, A Bews (Murcar Links) bt D Thorburn (Thurso) at the 19th, C Macaulay (Tulliallan) bt G Sharp (Dumfries and County) 3 and 2, A McLachlan (Bonnyton) bt S Dingwall (Muir of Ord) 1 hole, S Carruthers (Pitlochry) bt J Lockie (Tantallon) at the 19th, S Knowles (Kingsknowe) bt P Ferrier (Baberton) 3 and 2, W Bryson (Drumpellier) bt G McGarva (Can) 6 and 4, M Cunningham (Longniddry) bt S Wilson (Forfar) 4 and 2, M Stein (Craigielaw) bt I Brotherston (Dumfries and County) 2 and 1, N Howitt (Nairn) bt L Miller (Cawder) 2 holes, M Clark (Kilmacolm) bt G Millar (Swanston New) 7 and 6, K Harper (Carnoustie) bt S Mann (Newmachar) 6 and 5, D Brown (Carluke) bt C Lawton (Stirling) 4 and 3, I Thomson (Powfoot) bt J Sloan (Doon Valley) 3 and 1, P Betty (Hayston) bt G Smith (Stirling) 1 hole, C Robb (Inchmarlo) bt S Maxwell (Windyhill) 1 hole, G Stevenson (Whitecraigs) bt J Byrne (Banchory) at the 20th.

A Lauder (Paisley) bt Z Saltman (Craigielaw) 2 holes, G Stewart (Murcar Links) bt C Haugh (Cathkin Braes) 2 and 1, R Scott (Strathaven) bt C Heslip (Monifieth) 3 and 1, D Paton (Dunnikier Park) bt A Culverwell (Dunbar) 2 and 1, K Nicol (Fraserburgh) bt M Thomson (Grange) 2 and 1, R Bell (Downfield) bt R Noon (Longniddry) 2 holes, L Kirton (Newmachar) bt D Murray (Blairgowrie) 1 hole, I Hutcheon (Monifieth) bt A Dunton (McDonald) 1 hole, P Drake (Pumpherston) bt I Reid (Letham Grange) 20th, S Lockhart (Bathgate) bt A Sweeney (Carnoustie) 1 hole, S Henry (Cardross) bt D Addison (Kilmarnock Barassie) 2 and 1, R Crowe (Newcastle United) bt B Rushford (Grangemouth) 2 and 1, G Dear (Murrayshall) bt R Johnston (Glenbervie) 7 and 5, G Robertson (Irvine Ravenspark) bt J McMahon (Cardross) 4 and 3, A Main (Thornton) bt M Robertson (Ranfurly Castle) 4 and 3, C Donaldson (Downfield) bt S Simants (Dunbar) 7 and 6, G Burnett (Swanston New) bt S Hume (Murrayshall) at the 21st, S Robertson (Sandyhills) bt J Miller (Gullane) 3 and 2, K Weir (St Andrews New) bt K Walkden (Royal Montrose) 4 and 3, D Yeats (Nigg Bay) bt K Law (Letham Grange) at the 21st.

J King (Glasgow) bt S Moffat (Braehead) 2 and 1, S Stewart-Cation (Balbirnie Park) bt D Waugh (Baberton) 4 and 3, K McAlpine (Alyth) bt R Gill (Craigmillar Park) 2 and 1, D Harrison (Crieff) bt J Neilson (Dunbar) 3 and 1, B Scott (Lochmaben) bt P McGhee (East Renfrewshire) at the 19th, D Hunter (Marriott Dalmahoy) bt G Davidson (St Andrews New) 1 hole, C Mundie (Falkirk) bt S Keane (Cathkin Braes) 4 and 3, N McKinnon (Murcar Links) bt C Kelly (Kirkhill) at the 22nd, G Robertson (Silverknowes) bt J Clarke (Royal Montrose) at the 19th, F McKenna (Balmore) bt M Campbell (Renfrew) 4 and 2, D Elder (Carnoustie) bt C Simpson (Bruntsfield Links) 5 and 4, J Gallagher (Swanston New) bt K Hamilton (Ayr Belleisle) 5 and 4, R Carson (Marriott Dalmahoy) bt G Finlay (Ballumbie Castle) 2 and 1, B Erskine (Leven) bt G Sangster (Cathkin Braes) at the 19th, D Anderson (Cochrane Castle) bt S Rennie (Drumpellier) at the 19th, G Paterson (St Andrews New) bt D Henderson (Hamilton) 6 and 5, D Morrison (Duff House Royal) bt L Pirie (Millport) 3 and 2, S Smith (Arbroath Artisans) bt D Cardwell (Greenburn) 5 and 4, M Watson (Elgin) bt G Munro (Ranfurly Castle) 7 and 6, P O’Hara (Colville Park) bt T Blennerhassett (Marriott Dalmahoy) 2 and 1.

S Mann (Carnoustie) bt J Duff (Fraserburgh) 3 and 2, J Hendrick (Pollok) bt W Anderson (Cambuslang) 4 and 3, J Gilmour (Harburn) bt I Craik (Portlethen) 3 and 1, N Moore (St Andrews New) bt P Gault (Westerwood) 2 holes, M Stewart (Troon Welbeck) bt G Miller (Cawder) 3 and 2, J Godward (McDonald) bt S McGrenaghan (Cochrane Castle) at the 19th, C Riddick (Dumfries & Galloway) bt A Anderson (Burntisland) 2 holes, A Wallace (Glenbervie) bt S Buckley (Royal Burgess) at the 20th, C Shaw (Royal Aberdeen) bt G Robertson (Glenbervie) 2 and 1, B Edmond (Bon Accord) bt D Marshall (Marriott Dalmahoy) 6 and 5, S Binning (Ranfurly Castle) bt R McGrory (Singing Hills) 2 holes, G Tough (Letham Grange) v A Turnbull (Peebles) suspended due to darkness, D Weir (Lundin) bt R Graham (Hayston) 5 and 4, J Farmer (St Andrews) bt B Watson (Nairn) 2 and 1.