McFarlane’s 63 down to no mistakes

By Gareth Le Prevost

THERE can be few arguments that Garry McFarlane is the in-form player in this week’s Fortis Island Championships.

A week after losing out on the prestigious Butterfield Salver to Bobby Eggo only on countback, on Saturday the 34-year-old Scot took the Guernsey legend’s long-standing L’Ancresse course record in winning the LGC Centenary Trophy, sponsored by Wave Telecom.

McFarlane (pictured) shot a bogey-free gross 63, a round that culminated in three successive birdies on the homeward stretch. ‘I knew on the 18th tee what I had to do,’ he said. McFarlane held his nerve brilliantly, firing a seven iron to six-and-a-half feet and holing the putt.

‘It could have possibly come a bit earlier, but there is never a bad time to break a course record,’ he said. ‘Conditions were certainly good and it was one of those days when I did not make any mistakes. There was not any part of my game that was better than any other, but there was no part that was bad.

‘I did not miss many greens and when I did, I came very close to canning the chips or putts from just off the fringe. I do not think I had a par putt from outside 3ft all day.’

McFarlane went out in 33, beginning with a birdie at the first and making another at the sixth.

His back nine also started with a three. He had another at the 13th before that remarkable three-three-two finish.

His score means that McFarlane’s exact handicap is now down to 0.4 – the lowest it has been.

‘I am delighted to get down to scratch. That is what golfers aim for,’ he said.

Another of his ambitions is to play for the island in the inter-insular this year, having missed out last season due to other commitments after he had been selected.

But now his focus is on the Island Championship, in which he is seeded five, and he begins his campaign this evening.

McFarlane admitted that the cut and thrust of matchplay is ‘completely different’ from medal rounds, but he considers himself one of several contenders for the title.

‘I am not short of confidence at the moment and if I can continue to play well, someone is going to have to play well to beat me,’ McFarlane said.

‘It is a strong field and pretty much anyone from the top 15 or 16 players could win it.’