Golfer Lyle lives up to early promise
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LYLE McAlpine, a product of the Invergordon Golf Club Junior Section, who blossomed into becoming a fine golf ambassador for Ross-shire when he won the Scottish Golf Union’s Youth’s open strokeplay championship in 2011, captured the North District Association’s equivalent title at Royal Dornoch last Sunday.
Played in conjunction with the District Championship for the Association Cup, McAlpine who had previously won the North District Boy’s championship at Alness in 2010, finished in an overall tie for sixth place with cards of 70, and 74, but win the Murray Watt Youth’s Trophy for under-21s for a second time by one shot from last year’s winner Jeff Wright (Forres). McAlpine will be unable to defend his trophy next year as he will be over age.
Now regarding Royal Dornoch as his home club where he holds the prestigious handicap of plus one and was their junior and senior club champion in 2010, McAlpine, 21 in August, matched the course par for the world famous links on his first round during which he matched the par for both halves of the course, 35 shots on each with two birdies going out, the 8th and 9th, and two coming home, the 12th and 15th holes. His second round halves were 36 and 38. Jeff Wright, the defending youth’s champion had travelled the length of Scotland the previous evening after failing to make the cut in the Scottish Open Strokeplay Championship at Southerness but still managed a first round 72 from his 9.30am tee time at Dornoch. He followed up with a 73 in defence of the trophy to finish with the bronze medal.
The 2013 North District champion is Kyle Godsman from Moray Golf club. Runner-up to Wright in the youth’s championship twelve months ago, Godsman only returned from his third term attending the University of South Carolina in America on Tuesday but easily familiarised himself with Royal Dornoch and was the only player to break par over the 36 holes.
The Moray member opened with a two under par 68 ( 32/36) four successive threes’ on his outward half and then following three successive bogey fives’ on the first half of his second round he put that to right with a birdie on the 8th hole and two more coming home for a one over par 71. His winning 139 total was three ahead of former triple winning champion Bryan Fotheringham (Inverness) who carded 70 and 72.
Other Ross-shire totals included – Billy Ferries (Tain) 81/81; Douglas Thorburn (Tain) 72/79; Alan Cameron (F&R) 77/74; Munro Ferries (Tain) 74/81; Mike MacDonald (F&R) 73/82; Chris Gaittens (F&R) 77/76; Michael Manson (F&R) 80/NR; Scott Chisholm (F&R) 79/85; Ali Begg (Muir of Ord) 78/79; Scott Forbes (Muir of Ord) 81/NR; Lewis Reid (F&R) 76/84; James Fraser (F&R) 89/86; Calum MacLean (F&R) 85/86.
IT IS County Championship weekend in the north and Invergordon Golf Club hosts the Ross-shire championship tomorrow, Saturday. Fortrose and Rosemarkie’s Alan Cameron was a first time winner on his home course last year. When the championship last visited Invergordon, local member Alan Gilmour triumphed. On the same day can the home Muir of Ord women’s team of four detach the G A Gordon Salver from Tain in the Ross-Sutherland interclub team event? Muir of Ord have been twice winners in the past breaking a Tain monopoly in 1994 at Alness and then again at Bonar Bridge/Ardgay in 2000.
Northern Counties Women’s team for Tain Area finals
TWO former junior golfers from Strathpeffer, now both members of Royal Dornoch, Cara Thomson nee Gruber, and Claire Riddell, nee Wilson, will spearhead a strong Dornoch presence in the Northern Counties Women’s golf team who are playing for the North in the Scottish Women’s Divisional team finals at Tain Golf Club, over the weekend of June 15 to 17.
Riddell was a feature player in the team before marrying the present Royal Dornoch head greenkeeper then stepping back to raise her two daughters but her presence at the recent Northern Counties championship in Nairn Dunbar put her back in the frame and caught the eye of the association selectors to be rewarded with a recall to the team.
Scottish senior internationalist and club mate Alison Bartlett completes a Dornoch trio and neighbouring Tain Golf Club provide four members for the eight strong squad. Having just graduated from Gardner-Webb University, North Carolina, Sammy Vass is joined by her aunts, Mary Smith and Anne Ryan and club mate Claire Ross. Stirling University student Hannah McCook completes the north team who have to face Aberdeen- shire, Angus and Perth and Kinross in a round robin series of games over the three days to qualify for the Scottish finals later in the year.
The daily format is three foursomes followed by six singles and the Northern counties open with a match against Angus on Saturday, then Perth and Kinross on Sunday and finally Aberdeenshire on Monday June 17.
Strathpeffer Spa Golf Club
RESULTS from the club this week.
18 and 36 hole open sponsored by Maclean Electrical Dingwall (all Strathpeffer Spa unless otherwise stated)
36 Hole Open
Scratch — 1 G Ross (4) 62/ 66; 2 G Gordon (3) 63/70; M Mackenzie (5) 63/69.
Handicap — 1 N Ross (13) 61/68; 2 D Morrison (6) 62/69; 3 P Bannerman (5) 64/69.
18 Hole Open
Scratch — 1 K MacRae, Stornoway (3) 68; 2 C Faulkner (7) 67; 3 D F Campbell (7) 69.
Handicap — 1 C MacAskill (20) 59; 2 I Bartlett (13) 63; 3 B Maclennan (12) 64.
Jamie Sinclair, Alness had his 1st hole in one while playing in the 36 Hole Open. Jamie receives a set of Razer Calloway Golf Clubs. His playing Partners were M Oettinger (Strath) and D Gilliland (Alness).
Gents
Randle Jackson Medal — 1 A Mitchell (9) 62; 2 C Hyslop (12) 63; 3 M MacNab (5) 64.
Seniors
Seniors Medal Stableford — 1 C Hickson (20) 42; 2 D Macleod (12) 38; 3 R Fenwick ( 27) 37.
Ladies
MacMillan Cancer Spoon and Club Champiomship Qualifier — 1 K MacFleat (15) 37; 2 V Morrison (6) 36; 3 K Grainger (8) 34.
Alness Golf Club
This week’s results from the club
Gents
Whyte and Mackay Cup — 1 P Mackay (13 ) 64 BIH; 2 C Dolan (18) 64.
Dalmore 3rd round — 1 M Reilly (22) 57; 2 G Hart (12) 64.
Tain Golf Club
Midweek Medal (CSS 73)
Division 1 — 1 D Gray (8) 67 BIH; 2 B Ferries (2) 67; 3 J Innes (3) 73.
Division 2 — 1 B Macmillan (28) 73; 2 E Chisholm (26) 74.
Box Tee Stableford (CSS 70)
Division 1 — 1 R Mackenzie (3) 40; 2 A Maclennan (12.2) 34.
Division 2 — 1 B McDougall (16) 34; 2 G Tennent (13) 33,
Senior Open (CSS 72)
Category 1 — 1 P Lee (RDGC) (5) 35 BIH; 2 P Sinclair (Inverness) (9) 35 BIH.
Category 2 — 1 J A Cameron (13) 38; 2 J A Innes (Elgin) (6) 35 BIH; 3 I Fraser (RDGC) (14) 35.
Category 3 — 1 A Baggott (RDGC) (9) 32 BIH; 2 D J Patience (18) 32; 3 M Anderson (14) 31.
Texas Scramble Open, Sunday, June 2 — 1 D Findlay, L Findlay, J Herd (Musselburgh) and A McHoul (Mortonhall) (5) 57 (Hamish Robertson Trophy for Visitors); 2 R Ansell (Torvean); A MacDonald (Torvean); P Cadden (Torvean) and J Mackenzie (Torvean) (4.9) 57.1; 3 K Stewart (Strathpeffer); M Stewart (Muir of Ord); M Pollock (Strathpeffer) and J Glass (Torvean) (4.2) 57.8.
Winners of the Hamish Robertson Trophy for members — R Farqhuar, D Macleod, C Illet and M Sangster (3) 59.
Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club
THE club are holding an Open Texas Scramble on Sunday, June 9. Players go out in teams of four at nine minute intervals. If there are any withdrawals or late entries please telephone the golf shop on (01381) 620733. Players from the home club unless otherwise stated. Abbreviations: A Alness; Au Aucterarder; Ai Airdrie; D Dunfermline; F Forres; FW Fort William; I Inverness; K Kingsknowe; LN Loch Ness; M Murrayfield; MOO Muir of Ord; N Newburgh; Na Nairn; ND Nairn Dunbar; R Royal Burgess; Ra Ravelston; RD Royal Dornoch; S Strathpeffer; T Torvean; Ta Tain;
7.40am — M Hind (MOO), W Whyte (MOO), R Fraser (MOO), D MacLennan (MOO); P I Keith, G Keith, A Cameron, G Keith.
8.07am — J D Simpson, J Simpson (N), J Durkin, Partner; M MacDonald, C Young, N MacDonald (T), B Main; J Lackie, D McDonald, S Gow (B), W Hutchison (I).
8.34am — M M Brown, A Brown, G Leonard, Mrs L Fraser; N Thomson (T), G MacKenzie (T), G Young (T), D Gray (T); I Bremner and Partners; B MacKenzie and Partner.
9.10am — M McArthur, I Duff, J A Smith, J Hearmon; R Mitchell (Na), T Forbes, A Murray, C Alexander; M Morton (A), D MacIntosh (A), S Holmes (Ta), A Gunn (Ta).
9.37am — T Blackie, S Lindsay, S Ryder, R Gillett; A Connelly, C Fairgrieve, D Thomson, S Nicholls (LN); J Jack, R MacLeman, A Fraser, Partner.
10.04am — S Trevey (F), E Milne (F), D Wilson (F), J Thomson (F); K Fowler, E Skinner, K Gaittens, B Kerr (RD); J Thow, M Galloway, N Hallam (T), B McGraw (T).
10.31am — Miss K Mackay, Miss J Darroch, Miss K Bisset, Mrs L Nixon; K Patience, A MacArthur, J Grant, L MacLeman; D Robertson (Au), Mrs C Robertson (Au), A Robertson (N), Mrs C Robertson (N).
10.58am — G Godsman, E Brown, I Considine, D Younie; K Green, R Carr, M Chubb (Ai), J Wilson (D); G Moore, J Bellshaw, G Ross (S), G Meeks (RD).
11.25am — N Jaffrey, Mrs C Thompson (RD), C Thompson (RD), I Flett (RD); H Milne (MOO), M Hooker (MOO), Partner, Partner; S MacKenzie, M Farquhar, D Rodger (FW), D MacDonald (FW).
11.52am — W Jack, I Reid, B Hunter, R Jack; K Munro (A), C Doull (A), C Munro (A), D Gilliland (A); D Neville (RB), D Finlay (RB), Mrs J Neville (M), Mrs L Finlay (Ra).
12.28pm — L Patience, P Taylor, A Tait, Partner; Partner, Partner, Partner, Partner; A Gray, C Fraser, G Gill, C Gaittens; C Skelton, D Patterson, D Bridger, R Nixon.
1.04pm — F Patience, C McIver, N McIver, Partner.
1.40pm — W Brown, T Williamson (K), D Bisset (K); R Henderson (K); M Windsor, J Fleming, R MacKay, C Windsor.
