Rich Cargill was born in Arbroath in1937. He started playing golf during the later part of the war when his father was serving in the Royal Navy. As a family they went to stay with his grandfather and grandmother in Monifieth. Both played golf and they used to take him round the course with them. I used to get a club and attempt to hit the ball with great difficulty.
By 1949 - At the age of 12 he joined the Arbroath Artisan Golf Club as a junior and it wasn't long before he won his first competition, the Junior Biscuit Barrel, which was then the only competition for Juniors. He went on to win that trophy 3 times. As he progressed at golf his father and some friends thought that he should enter the British Boys Championship, which was to be held at Barrassic in Ayrshire. In that competition he reached the 3rd round and that was the start of his experience of golf at a high level. At 18 I became the youngest ever to win the Elliot Links Championship and his first county cap came when he was just 20.
During his national service, for which most of the time he was in Germany with the Gordon Highlanders, he was involved in the construction of a golf course at Hana, at garrison near Belson Concentration Camp.
On the 19th November 1961 Rich was demobbed and the following days were spent playing golf, then it was back to work in the Herald Office where he had. At this time he was beginning to reduce his handicap to and was also doing well in Angus County Events. Then 1963 was the start of something special. He first of all won the Artisan Club Championship and then later on he did something, which has never been achieved in Arbroath. he won the first of of his Angus County Championships and later that year in September to crown a superb season, he won the Craws Next Tassie at Camoustie,an event, which he will never forget as long as he lives.
The management of the Arbroath Herald allowed me time off but only on condition that I came back after each round which I agreed to, never expecting to go the full week! On Tuesday morning I was up at Camoustie to play my first qualifying round, then it was back to work until 7.30 in the evening. Same on Wednesday - Camoustie at 7.30 then back to work.
On Thursday I played 2 match play rounds then back to work and as we were printing the "Herald" newspaper I finished at about 2.30 am on Friday morning. I was up to play the next round at 9 a. m. Friday and on winning my next 2 rounds I was in the semi-final on Saturday morning and was 4 down with 4 to play and who would have believed it but I won all 4 holes to go square match up the 19th. My opponent had all sorts of trouble and my par 4 was good enough to see my in the final. In the afternoon you can imagine how drained I was having completed all those rounds of golf as well as having to work long hours. However, I managed and I went on to win the Tassie by 312. What I achieved that week was spoken about in almost every golf club in the district and I often wonder what today's youth would do if competing under the same conditions.
The year ended on a very high note because my golf club honoured me for my achievements by presenting me with a gold watch which after all these years 1 still wear. In the Scottish Amateur Championships at Muirfield I was beaten by the winner Gordon Cosh, and as usual my putting let me down. It was common knowledge throughout the golfing fraternity that 1 was one of the best strikers of a golf ball but one of the worst putters and unfortunately it let me down time and time again. However, I persevered and I kept playing at a high level even with this affliction.