TOP PRIZES FOR MUNRO FERRIES, MIKE KEAY

Tain members triumph in North
Alliance scratch and handicap
in fierce wind at Invergordon
By ROBIN WILSON
There was complete dominance of the North Golfers’ Alliance fixture at Invergordon on Sunday by Tain members who, in a fierce wind, brought in four of the seven scores below 80.
The best return was a 75 from Tain’s left-handed scratch member Munro Ferries. He finished one ahead of his elder brother Bill and fellow Tain member Steven Holmes.
Completing the Tain rout was Mike Keay who finished fourth best scratch. With his handicap deduction of eight, Mike was the only player to match the net par of 69 and win the low handicap section.
Against the wind at the first hole Ferries made a wrong club selection and overshot the green but a pitch and putt saved his par 3.
The par 4 fourth hole was out of his reach even after two woods and a five-iron but one of the two shots dropped in his double bogey 6 was recovered with a birdie at the next on his way to an outward 36.
Billy Ferries, beginning with a more favourable birdie, matched his brother’s outward card but, with a closing bogey 5 for inward 40 to his brother’s par 4, he slipped one behind on 76.
Clubmate to both, Steven Holmes, with a slightly earlier start, was ahead of the strongest period of the gale and matched par figures over the closing seven holes for an inward 36 and his 76.
The Invergordon course had, like Reay golf course, the venue for the previous fixture, suffered some damage from the recent storms that swept the North.
A big overhanging branch was broken off from one of the trees protecting the 10th green. “Just suited me fine“ said the winner. “Coming from the left with my swing it made the tee shot a bit easier,” said Munro who began his inward half with a much easier par 3 than before. “I just hope it takes a long time to grow back,” quipped Munro!
+Robin Wilson's picture shows Tain members Mike Keay, Steven Holmes and Alex Gunn and a flagstick bending over in the wind on Invergordon's first green.

Results
SCRATCH
75 M Ferries (Tain).
76 B Ferries (Tain), S. Holmes (Tain).
77 M Keay (Tain).
78 R Matheson (Thurso).
79 L Parnell (Reay).
HANDICAP
Class 1 – M Keay (Tain) (8) 69; S Holmes (Tain) (5) 71; R Matheson (Thurso) (4) 74; C Harris (Invergordon) (5) 75; A Gunn Tain) (7) 76.
Class 2 – S Mackay (Durness) (16) 70; D A Matheson (Brora) (16), D Corbett (Durness) (18) 73; A Mackay (Reay) (19) 74; W Dunbar (Reay) (18) 76.