Thorburn keeps Tain’s Ferries at bay to win Alliance match
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THURSO’s Dougie Thorburn, winner of last season’s North Golf Alliance trophy for aggregate scratch scores and the previous trophy holder, Tain’s Munro Ferries, both made their season’s Alliance débuts at Royal Dornoch last Sunday to begin the race for this season’s honours.
In an encouraging field of 58, the Caithness member drew first blood with a one under par score of 69 over Sutherland’s world rated championship golf course.
The conditions could not have been better, no wind and on a sunny November day Thorburn struck at the very first hole, a birdie three, only to give it back to the course two holes later, but still he made his way out to the turn in level par 35.
His second dropped shot came at the 10th but it was recovered two holes later with birdie on the par five 12th then below par once again after driving close to the 15th green for another three. Par was matched over the finishing three holes for an inward 34 to relegate his Tain adversary to second place.
Ferries after the short crossing of the Dornoch Bridge led for most of the competition although he struggled on the outward half with his driver. Two errant tee shots, the 4th and 8th holes, cost him double bogey figures in a count of 38 but as the sun rose nearer to its mid-day high the Tain champion forced his way home in a superb two under par 33 with birdies on the 13th and 15th holes.
Tain were the prominent club when sorting out the Class 1 handicap scores. Mike Sangster also holed a birdie putt on the 13th green to help him to an inward count of 36 and when added to his outward 37 his gross 73 reduced to nett 70 to win this section.
The scratch winner from the Durness fixture, David Dunbar (Thurso) arrived in second place with nett 72, off 5, to drop Tain’s Andrew Watt down into third position. While in the Class 2 group it was Thurso members who topped the rankings
Stanley Ross led them home with net 70, off 13, and into second place came clubmate Steve Osbourne with nett 73, off 20, his position claimed by virtue of a better last six holes over Alister McGowan (Durness)
There is no fixture this weekend and Tain has the next date, November 18. The North Scottish Golfer’s Alliance fixture due last Saturday at Boat of Garten was postponed due to an overnight frost warning.
Results
Scratch — 69 D Thorburn (Thurso); 71 M Ferries (Tain); 73 M Sangster (Tain); 77 D Dunbar (Thurso).
Handicap Class 1 — M Sangster (Tain) (3) 70; D Dunbar (Thurso) (5) 72; A Watt (Tain) (8) 73.
Class 2 — S Ross (Thurso) (13) 70; S Osbourne (Thurso) (20), A McGowan (Durness) (12), A Melville (Tain) (13) 73.
Donald Mackay Trophy
FROM a record entry of 67 who supported the Donald Mackay Memorial Trophy at Brora last Saturday the magnificent sum of £400 was raised for the British Heart Foundation.
Over the nine years since the sudden heart failure of the Highland League footballer, who graced the colours of Brora Rangers and Ross County, Brora Golf Club has supported his golfing pals who organise his competition. It was most appropriate that the ninth winning name to go onto the football trophy was that of the current Brora Club captain, Ken Lorimer.
Even with the distraction of the Premier League fixture at Victoria Park, where Donald’s last club Ross County were playing Aberdeen, several Ross-shire golfers from Muir of Ord, Invergordon and Tain Golf Clubs still made the pilgrimage to Brora. Amongst them plus-one handicapper and present holder of the Carnegie Shield, John Forbes.
In line with the custom of the Open Championship’s Claret Jug, the winner’s name was added to the football by local artist Shirley Maclean before the presentation.
Lorimer’s round could not have begun better, a holed second shot for an eagle two at the first hole on his way to a one over par outward seven hole count of 28. The back nine on the shortened course begins with a par three to the 11th green and after securing his second three of the round he added another at the short 13th hole to offset a run of dropped strokes from the 14th to 17th before finding his final par three on the closing hole. His gross total of 64, nett 55, won by one stroke from a group of four that included local youth Alistair MacDonald Jnr, Brora Club champion James MacBeath Paul Austin (Tain), and one of the few women golfers who took part, Lesley Beaney (Brora).
Beaney showed some great form at the par three holes winning two of the closest to the pin prizes on offer at the 11th and 13th holes while her local clubmate Angela Grant took this extra prize at the final hole. Winning the men’s novelty prizes were Ian Hamilton (Brora) 11th hole, Alan Innes (Invergordon) 13th hole, and Peter Etheridge (Brora) 18th hole.
In their school days Roddie Cameron and Donald Mackay played together in the Golspie school football teams and on the golf course so there was just a hint of friendly derision from the Broras when Golspie also enlisted another exile golfer, Darren Hexley (Muir of Ord) to help them win for the first time the team competition played between the neighbouring clubs. Golspie’s others, William MacBeath, Colin Sutherland, Steve Doogan and Alister MacDougall really savoured the moment.
Competition Scores
Scratch — 57 J Forbes (Muir of Ord) (27/30), J G MacBeath (Brora) (26/31); 60 R S Cameron (Brora) (29/31), C Stewart (Brora) (29/31), D Hexley (Muir of Ord) (26/34); 61 G Grant (Brora), P Austin (Tain); 62 A J Wilson (Brora), I Stewart (Brora), R J Wilson (Brora).
Handicap — Donald Mackay Trophy, K Lorimer (Brora) (9) 55; L Beaney (Brora (10), A J MacDonald (Brora) (8), P Austin (Tain) (5) 56; C Stewart (Brora) (3), G Grant (Brora) (4), A J Wilson (Brora) (5), B Syms (Muir of Ord) (8), R J Wilson (Brora) (5), J Moyes ( (Muir of Ord) (13) 57.
Strathpeffer Spa golf Club
COMPETITION results from the club over the season:
Ladies
Eclectic — Kate Bartlett.
April Medal — Rachael Bannerman.
Spring Meeting Tray — Melonie Morrison.
Round Table Trophy — Rachael Bannerman.
Shoot Out Trophy — Melonie Morrison.
Centenary Cup — Sandra Anderson.
MacMillan Cancer Spoon — Kaylan Grainger.
Telecom Vases — Silver, Nicola Bartlett.
New Zealand Lamb — Rachael Bannerman.
May Medal — Melonie Morrison.
Coronation Foursomes — Kate Bartlett and Rachael Bannerman.
Cormack Trophy — Kaylan Grainger.
Summer Tray — Panja Bethune.
June Medal — Vivienne Morrison.
McCarthy and Stone — Rachael Bannerman and Wendy Crossley.
Clic Sargent Qualifier — Melonie Morrison.
Cherrett Greensomes — Rachael Bannerman and Liz Bannerman.
Golf Foundation Brooch — Melonie Morrison.
July Medal — Kaylan Grainger.
McCabe Trophy — Elsie Coupland.
Presidents Prize — Rachael Bannerman.
County Carpets — Melonie Morrison and Panja Bethune.
S.L.G.A. Brooch — Rachael Bannerman.
August medal — Melonie Morrison.
Captains Prize — Silver, Kate Bartlett; Bronze, Jean Burnell.
Breakthrough Brooch — Melonie Morrison.
Cleish Trophy — Wendy Crossley.
Munro Trophy — Melonie Morrison.
September medal — Melonie Morrison.
Summer Eclectic — Jean Burnell.
SLGA — Silver, Melonie Morrison; Bronze, Jean Burnell.
Bannerman Cup — David and Melonie Morrison.
Gents
Eclectic — Scratch, Gary Ross; Handicap, Philip Gair.
SOS Texas Scramble — P Bannerman, D Krzyzanowski, I Bartlett and Philip Gair.
Grouse Competition — D L MacDonald.
Europcar Shield — John Pirie.
Ross Bowl — John Urquhart.
Heart foundation Shield — Charlie Anderson.
G.M. Plaque — Scott Crossley.
North Star Cup — Frank Copley.
Mrs A. Paget Cup — Mike Bentley.
Richmond Shield — G Holder.
Spring Meeting — Gary Crossley.
Randal Jackson Medal — Gary Johnston.
Isle of Skye Scramble — A Newman, D F Campbell, J Urquhart and F Copley.
Greenkeepers Vase — B MacKay.
Captains Prize — Scratch, Scott Duff; Handicap, Jim Hyslop.
Team Challenge Cup — Gary Ross, Neil Duff and Alan MacBean.
Egan Roska Trophy — Alan MacBean.
Gleneagles Medal — Mike Rae.
Colin Pritchard Cup — Mike Bartlett.
Centenary Cup — John Urquhart.
Matheson Memorial Cup — Fred Bartlett.
New Competition — P Bannerman, D Krzyzanowski, L Bannerman and R Bannerman
Corriemollie Cup — Mark Gair.
Spark Memorial Cups — Scratch, D Krzyzanowski; Handicap, K Manson.
Dewar Cup — Stewart MacPherson.
McVitie and Price M/F — Mike and Kate Bartlett.
P. A. Marshall Cup — Martin MacKenzie.
Autumn Meeting — Martin MacKenzie.
MacMillan Cancer — Brian Mackenzie.
Surrey Cup — Brian Mackenzie.
Vic Walker Cup — Jim Ramsay.
Austin Rover Vase — Ian McKie.
RSSPCC Putter — W. D MacLeod.
Duncan Trophy — Scott Duff.
Presidents Prize — Scratch, Scott Lemmon; Handicap, Neil Duff.
Millenium Pairs — P Bannerman and K Bannerman.
Maclean Sports Cup — Phil Bannerman.
Brit-Oil Cup — Scott Duff.
George Hastings Cup — Calum Faulkner.
Langs Tankard — Scott Duff
Secretarys Prize — Scratch, D Krzyzanowski; Handicap, M MacNab.
Michie Spark M/F — Paul and Jean Burnell.
Tennent Cup — Phil Bannerman.
Glass Scribe — Gary Ross.
Ford Vase — Mike Bartlett.
Bannerman Quaich — Scott Duff.
Bannerman M/F — D and M Morrison; P and L Bannerman.
Beatrice Cup — Scott Duff.
Open Texas Scramble — J Garrow, J Marshall, F Byrne and S Mackenzie.
Augusta Medal — D L MacDonald.
Club Prize — M Macnab.
Garve Hotel — F Copley.
Match Play Singles — 1 Scott Duff; 2 Alan MacBean.
Match Play Doubles — 1 P Bannerman and D Gruber; 2 Scott and Neil Duff.
Match Play M/F — 1 Mike and Kate Bartlett; 2 David and Melonie Morrison.
Harry Sim Trophy — Steve Harmon.
Texas Scramble Tray — Garry Ross, Alan MacBean, Neil Duff and Scott Duff.
Medals
Section 1: May — Gary Ross. June — Martin Mackenzie. July — Scott Duff. August — Dod Krzyzanowski. September — Phil Bannerman. Section 2: May — Scott Crossley. June — Ian Johnston. July — Patrick O’Donnell. Augusst — Ian MacDonald. September — Martin Oettinger.
Seniors: April — Frank Copely. May — John Urquhart. June — Fred Bartlett. July — Marshall Skelly. August — John Urquhart. September — Frank Copley.
Juniors
April medal — James Elliot.
Harris Cup — Dylan MacCulloch.
Banchory Trophy — Murray Heath.
Geo Hampton Trophy — James Elliot.
May medal — Jamie MacKintosh.
W.S. Bolton — Murray Heath.
Richmond Trophy — Craig Morrison.
June Medal — James Elliot.
O’Brien Cup — Blair Morrison.
Club Prize — Craig Morrison.
President’s prize — Jordan Grant.
Centenary Cup — Dylan MacCulloch.
Telecom Cup — Jordan Grant.
Kevin MacAskill Quaich — Jordan Grant.
Gunn Trophy — Jordan Grant.
Dingwall Video — Scratch, Kaylan Grainger; Handicap, James Elliot.
Sept Medal — Murray Heath.
Order of merit — Jordan Grant.
