Morrison beats the chill to win Tain fixture
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
AGAINST the winter card of 69, where the second hole is played as a par three, resident professional, Stuart Morrison, carded a three-over-par 72 (35/37) to win last Sunday’s North Golf Alliance fixture at Tain.
On a very cold day when the course began to freeze up as daylight broke, their was a welcome boost to the Alliance membership with twenty new members joining — bringing the entry up to a season’s best of 64.
Morrison was one of the new members and he began his round by almost holing his second shot to the first green for the easiest of birdies. But his bogey on the 7th hole took his card back to one over par 35. After getting back to level par with birdie four at the 13th hole he faced a blinding setting sun into the 14th green and lost his ball to run up a hurting triple bogey seven before parring in for thirty-seven.
Instead of the threat for the leading scratch score coming from his local members, the early clubhouse lead was set by two Muir of Ord golfers who were among the twenty new members, John Forbes and Darren Hexley. Plus one handicapper Forbes led for most of the day with a 73 (37/36) which featured a birdie two on the penultimate hole. Following his outward half of 36, left-hander Hexley left behind shots at the 13th and 14th holes, a double followed by a triple bogey, to raise his inward count to 39. Billy Ferries was Tain’s best with 77 and from neighbouring Tarbat, Davie Mackay grossed 76.
Mackay’s matching halves of 38 reduced to a nett 69 to win the Class 1 handicap section and his Tarbat companion Hamish Skinner, a shot more, was beaten into third place on the inward half count-back by Golspie’s Alister Bell. George Oliver was the only local player to figure in either section, rewarded with a fifth place in Class 1 with nett 72, off 6.
Score of the day came in the Class 2 section from Invergordon’s Allan Murray, a gross 75 and like the local professional he also began his day with a birdie three. With a second birdie at the 8th hole Murray enjoyed an outward count of 38. Without wavering the ten handicapper went lower over what is often regarded as the more difficult half scoring 37 as his gross card reduced to nett 65.
But even this score was only one better than the distant journeyman from Durness, Francis Keith. From his double bogey at the first hole Keith turned for home in 40 and impressed with an inward 38 despite being burdened with a second double bogey figure in his gross 78, nett 66, off 12. Keith’s inward stretch put him into second place ahead of Thurso’s Ali Simpson who in turn was ahead of another two Durness members, C Mackay and Donnie Hossack.
Golspie Golf Course, always a popular venue is next on the rota for Sunday, December 2.
Results
Scratch —– 72 S Morrison (Pro) (Tain); 73 J Forbes (Muir of Ord); 75 D Hexley (Muir of Ord), A Murray (Invergordon); 76 D Mackay (Tarbat); 77 B Ferries (Tain), H Skinner (Tarbat) R MacDonald (Brora); 78 G Oliver (Tain) 79 M Sangster (Tain), J MacIver (Invergordon), A Mackenzie (Invergordon) C Cameron (Invergordon).
Handicap Class 1 — D Mackay (Tarbat) (7) 69; A Bell Golspie) (9) (BIH), H Skinner (Tarbat( 70) 70; R MacDonald (Brora) (6) 71; G Oliver (Tain) (6) 72.
Handicap Class 2 — A Murray (Invergordon) (10) 65; F R M Keith (Durness) (BIH), A Simpson (Thurso) (17) 66; C Mackay (Durness) (12) 69; D Hossack (Durness (16) 72.
North Scottish Alliance at Nairn Dunbar.
Inverness’s Bryan Fotheringham last season’s North Scottish Alliance champion returned to Nairn Dunbar, the course where he won the championship, to repeat his winning score of 69 in last Saturday’s fixture.
After three second place finishes in the current season Fotheringham’s card gave him the leading gross score for the first time this winter leaving double winner Allan Cameron (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) in a share of second place one shot behind.
Fortrose’s handicap prize recipients continued with Dave Spence and George Leonard appearing in the high handicap group.
The North Scottish Golfers final alliance fixture of 2012 will be played over the Moray new course on December 1.
Scratch scores — 69 B R Fotheringham (Inverness); 70 R A L Cameron (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), S Dingwall (Grantown), N Mcwilliam (Elgin); 72 J Simpson (Forres); 73 J L Milne (Elgin); 74 G Mackenzie (Moray), S Wilson (Inverness), R Harrower (Pro) (Boat of Garten).
Handicap Section One (7 and under) — H M Bunker (Nairn Dunbar)(6) 69; J. Simpson (Forres) (2) 70; A. Hutchison (Torvean) (6), S Wilson (Inverness) (3), G Mackenzie (Moray) (3) 72.
Handicap Section two (8 to 14) — A Kennedy (Forres) (14) 70; S Glen (Boat of Garten) (9), B Rennie (Inverness) (8), D Spence (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) (14) 71; A Boxx (Boat of Garten) (10), G Leonard (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) (12), F Mackellar (Grantown) (9), L Duncan (Elgin) (9) 72.
