North Golfers' Alliance report and scores
MUNRO FERRIES SCORESSECOND WIN OVER
DORNOCH STRUIE
By ROBIN WILSON
Tain’s North District team member Munro Ferries made the short trip across the Dornoch Bridge to secure his second win of the North Alliance season on the Dornoch Struie with a one- over-par card of 72.
Despite its many short par-4 holes few players break par on the Royal Dornoch relief course. It has the protection of narrow fairways and small greens and, in the middle, a tough stretch of new holes that include two par-5S, big, contoured greens, and a tough par-3 of over 200 yards.
After an outward one-over-par 36 it was at the second of the new holes, the 10th that skirts the Kyle of Sutherland, that Ferries ran into trouble with a pulled drive. The lost ball cost him a damaging triple bogey 7. Then a bogey on the new long par-3 12th hole compounded his card to five over par before three of these shots were recovered with a run of birdies from the 14th to 16th holes.
Tain’s North District team member Munro Ferries made the short trip across the Dornoch Bridge to secure his second win of the North Alliance season on the Dornoch Struie with a one- over-par card of 72.
Despite its many short par-4 holes few players break par on the Royal Dornoch relief course. It has the protection of narrow fairways and small greens and, in the middle, a tough stretch of new holes that include two par-5S, big, contoured greens, and a tough par-3 of over 200 yards.
After an outward one-over-par 36 it was at the second of the new holes, the 10th that skirts the Kyle of Sutherland, that Ferries ran into trouble with a pulled drive. The lost ball cost him a damaging triple bogey 7. Then a bogey on the new long par-3 12th hole compounded his card to five over par before three of these shots were recovered with a run of birdies from the 14th to 16th holes.
A final birdie 2 from the edge of the 18th green restored his card to a repeat 36 and 72.
In second place came Reay Golf Club match secretary, Lee Parnell who had the consolation of winning a card play-off against Wick’s Ali MacKay for the first handicap place in Class 1. Both had net 70s.
With Thurso’s Doug Thorburn scoring 76 and Wick’s Ron Taylor at home with a back strain there was no alteration to their aggregate scratch scores but Ferries, third in the race for the scratch trophy, got two shots closer to second-placed Thorburn’s total of 286. Taylor remains out in front on 283.
Although not in the Struie prize list, the big mover of the weekend towards the handicap Mackintosh Salver prize was Richard MacDonald. It has taken the Reay member from last November to ditch his Invergordon score of net 84. With a net 75 at Struie, he sliced nine strokes from his outside Caithness returns to drop to 276 and into a tie with Mike Keay (Tain).
In joint third scratch place with 74s came the older Ferries brother, Billy, and Thurso’s Jim Sangster.
In second place came Reay Golf Club match secretary, Lee Parnell who had the consolation of winning a card play-off against Wick’s Ali MacKay for the first handicap place in Class 1. Both had net 70s.
With Thurso’s Doug Thorburn scoring 76 and Wick’s Ron Taylor at home with a back strain there was no alteration to their aggregate scratch scores but Ferries, third in the race for the scratch trophy, got two shots closer to second-placed Thorburn’s total of 286. Taylor remains out in front on 283.
Although not in the Struie prize list, the big mover of the weekend towards the handicap Mackintosh Salver prize was Richard MacDonald. It has taken the Reay member from last November to ditch his Invergordon score of net 84. With a net 75 at Struie, he sliced nine strokes from his outside Caithness returns to drop to 276 and into a tie with Mike Keay (Tain).
In joint third scratch place with 74s came the older Ferries brother, Billy, and Thurso’s Jim Sangster.
Billy, pictured above by Robin Wilson saving par from a bunker at the 17th, got ahead and into second place on the strength of his lower last nine holes, 36 to Sangster’s 39, and there was more success for Tain when Chris Ilett took third handicap place ahead of the Thurso pair, Peter O’Hare and Sangster. All had net cards of 72.
Alister McCowan takes to his home Durness course for this coming weekend’s fixture a winning score in Class 2. McCowan’s net 71, off 12, was two ahead of a group of three where second place, on the card countback, went to George Robertson (Reay) followed by Davie Duncan (Invergordon) and then Willie Dunbar (Reay).
Alister McCowan takes to his home Durness course for this coming weekend’s fixture a winning score in Class 2. McCowan’s net 71, off 12, was two ahead of a group of three where second place, on the card countback, went to George Robertson (Reay) followed by Davie Duncan (Invergordon) and then Willie Dunbar (Reay).
But there will be no visit to Durness for Munro Ferries after receiving an invitation to attend the North District’s training day at Castle Heather on Sunday.
The entry at Struie was 55.
LEADING RETURNS
The entry at Struie was 55.
LEADING RETURNS
SCRATCH
72 M Ferries (Tain).
73 L Parnell (Reay).
74 B Ferries (Tain), J Sangster (Thurso).
75 A Mackay (Wick).
76 C Ilett (Tain), D Thorburn (Thurso).
HANDICAP
Class 1 – L Parnell (Reay) (3), A Mackay (Wick) (5) 70; C Ilett (Tain), P O’Hare (Thurso), J Sangster (Thurso) (2) 72.
Class 2 – A McCowan (Durness) (12) 71; G. Robertson (Reay) (20), D Duncan (Invergordon) (12), W Dunbar (Reay) (18) 73.
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Monday, March 05, 2007
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