Thorburn brings cup back to Tain after blustery Lossiemouth encounter
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ALREADY a prolific winner at four different courses this season, Alan Cameron (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), saw his chance of a career best result disappear over two holes of the 36-hole North District Golf Championship played at the Moray Golf Club Lossiemouth last Sunday.
But there was celebration for Tain’s Caithness-based member Doug Thorburn who brought the Association Cup to Tain for the first time since the championship was inaugurated in 1922. He became only the fourth Ross-shire name on the old cup.
The first winner was John Laing from Strathpeffer Spa in 1930 before Muir of Ord’s Steve McIntosh won three times from 1992 to 1996 and then again as Torvean Greenkeeper in 2003. Fortrose and Rosemarkie’s Michael MacDonald was the last Ross winner in 2005.
Although there is a previous Caithness name on the old trophy, W Semple in 1935, Semple came from the south to work in Wick’s herring industry but Thorburn realised he had to test his game outwith his home county and joined Tain Golf Club two years ago.
He became a prominent member and was soon picked up by the North District selectors for team games and coaching.
It all proved worthwhile when well suited to cope with Lossiemouth’s wind and rain last Sunday he produced his "Sunday Best" to beat the conditions and the quality field with rounds of 75 and 71.
His second round 71 immaculate with one birdie and one bogey and sixteen par figures to match the course par of 71 and win by a stroke from Cameron.
Into the strong headwind at the 8th hole in the second round Cameron went chasing a par when few players could even reach the green but he pulled left and lost his ball. Unsettled he repeated the error on the next hole and the virtual four shot penalty raised his second round score to four over par 75 and miss out by one following his first tournament leading 72.
Senior players backbone of North Women’s team
TAIN and Royal Dornoch head the list with three selections led by North Champion Alison Bartlett and ex champion Cara Thomson in their bid to win a place in the Ladies Golf Union’s team championship finals from the four team play-off at Pitlochry at the end of June.
Royal Dornoch’s assistant club secretary Claire Riddell competes a Dornoch trio and from Tain recently married Sammy Vass is the only team member under thirty and she joins her aunts Anne Ryan and Mary Smith.
After her shift of clubs from Keith back to Buckpool there is a return to the North colours for Meg Seivright and Jenny Milne (Elgin) recaptures her place but Kerri Harper (Inverness) who made such a big impact on her return was unable to reschedule her work pattern and had to turn down her selection.
Claire Ross (Tain) is listed as the reserve and in a new venture by Northern Counties two of the fringe players who did well at Dornoch in the championships, Carine Taylor and Annabell Brown, both The Nairn, have been invited to travel for the experience and help with the caddying.
The full team is — Alison Bartlett (Royal Dornoch), Sammy Fotheringham (Tain), Jenny Milne (Elgin), Claire Riddell (Royal Dornoch), Anne Ryan (Tain), Meg Wheelwright (Buckpool), Mary Smith (Tain), Cara Thompson (Royal Dornoch). Reserve – Claire Ross (Tain).
OTHER than Strathpeffer Spa the Ross-shire and Sutherland-based club teams taking part in last week’s Senior Northern Counties Cup competition at Duff House Royal made little impact.
Strathpeffer Spa pulled off the biggest surprise when in their first game they knocked out the holders, Inverness.
Strathpeffer’s greenkeeper and ex-north senior champion Michael Wilson partnering Philip Bannerman held the holder’s first couple Laurie Chancellor and Peter Sinclair to one hole but the ever present Dods Krzyzanowski and Philip Gair beat Inverness’s Jim Elliot and Willie Hutchison by three holes to progress the Ross-shire team into the second day of play where they made their exit to former winners, Cruden Bay.
The north-east clubs were dominating the event for the first time and Cruden Bay fell to Royal Aberdeen in the semis who in turn were well beaten by the hosts in the final to record their second B D Fraser Cup win.
Fortrose and Rosemarkie beat the Royal Aberdeen second team in their first game but had no answer to the eventual winners in the next round.
Tarbat Golf Club
TARBAT held their first open event of the year on Saturday, May 17 – The Urquhart Cup, with an excellent entry of 70 players.
Tain visitors took the honours with Billy Ferries (68) taking the scratch prize from brother Munro (72) and Raymond Lockie (Net 63) winning the main Urquhart Cup Trophy.
Tarbat’s Urquharts – Charlie and Donald were runners-up and third in the main handicap trophy with net 65 and 66 respectively – sponsor Donald’s net was four strokes inside his age!
Leading lady on the day was the home club’s Morag Cairney with a nett 70.
Tarbat ladies April results:
LGU Pendant — Moira Gordon (72).
Stableford Masters — Joint winners were Morag Cairney and Moira Gordon, 31 points, runner-up Betty Macpherson, 29.
Captains Prize — 1 Heather Small, 71; 2 Heather Macrae, 72; 3 Morag Cairney, 79.
Tain Golf Club
Rose Cup, MacLeod Tankard and Robertson Trophy 1st Qualifying Rnd
Division 1
Scratch — L McAlpine 72.
Handicap — 1 A Black (7) 69 BIH; 2 C Finlayson (12) 69 BIH; 3 M Sangster (4) 69.
Division 2 — 1 R Anderson (16) 68; 2 E Chisholm (16) 72; 3 B Allison (25) 75 BIH.
Rose Cup, MacLeod Tankard & Robertson Trophy 2nd Qualifying Rnd
Division 1
Scratch — I Cowper 72.
Handicap — 1 I Cowper (5) 67; 2 D Albutt (8) 72; 3 R Marshall (9) 73.
Division 2 — 1 E Chisholm (16) 68; 2 R Anderson (16) 77; 3 M Brown (16) 80
Tain Golf Club lottery numbers were 2, 5, 18, 20. As there was no winner next week’s jackpot is £1,700. Tickets can be purchased from the club and various outlets.
Alness Golf Club
Bank of Scotland two day — 1 S Sutherland (10) 63 and 64 (127); 2 C Taylor (4) 63 and 66 (129).
Ladies Section
Ardross Castle Cup — 1 I Ross (15) 62; 2 K Mackenzie (3) 102.
Muir of Ord Golf Club
Ladies Greensomes — 1 Pat Morrison and Lucy McBeath (21.2) 71.8; 2 Y Martin and F Graham (25.2) 71.8.
Midweek Strokeplay (CSS 67) — 1 E Dance (17) 61; 2 R Mackenzie (13) 63; 3 C Bell (17) 64; 4 K Cooper (14) 65.
Monthly Midweek Open (CSS 67) — 1 T Nicholson (12) 62; 2 H Ross (13) 66; 3 G Mellis (3) 67.
Ryan Wemyss 3 Man Scramble — 1 R Whittet, G T Sutherland and A Mackenzie (1.6) 55.4; 2 D Ross, G Ross and D Campbell (3.1) 57.9; 3 G Boath, A Gow and R Barnie (4.7) 58.3.
Fortrose and Rosemarkie
Senior Gents Stableford Open (Home Css 70/Away CSS 72)
Handicap Section One — 1 D Simpson (F&R) (9) 37 Points; 2 R Logie (Kemnay) (7) 36; 3 A MacIntyre (F&R) (8) 36; 4 J Alford (Royal Dornoch) (15) 35; 5 P Taylor (F&R) (12) 35.
Handicap Section Two — 1 M Drummond (16) 44; 2 P I Keith (F&R) (25) 40; 3 R Jack (F&R) (21) 39; 4 W R MacDonald (F&R) (17) 37; W M Jack (F&R) (18) 37.
The club are hosting The Ladies Black Isle Open on Saturday, June 7. Players go out in groups of three at eight minute intervals. There are morning and afternoon tee times available. 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: E Elgin; I Inverness; MOO Muir of Ord; N Nairn; T Tarbat.
9am — L Fraser, T Fraser, A Drummond; A MacArthur, A Smitton, J Thornton; A Brown, L Nixon, M Marshall; R Stallard, J Cameron, S Dunn; M MacKenzie, M Hempshell, M Macrae.
10.12am — M Ross, S Rowan (I), Partner; A Wilson, S Leonard, A MacKintosh; F Lackie, G Lyon, K Drever; M Wilson, J Fraser (MOO), A MacDonald (T).
11am — M MacCulloch, C Sanderson (E), A MacKay; M Webster, C Vass (T), C Cameron (E);.
11.48am — L McWhirr, L Simpson, Partner; M Gordon (T), S Simpson, M Cairney (T).
12.52pm — S MacVicar (N), M Barr (N), Partner.
