CHRIS GAITTENS JOINS SELECT BAND WHO

HAVE WON BOTH NORTH BOYS'

MAJOR TOURNAMENTS IN SAME YEAR

By ROBIN WILSON

The only scratch rated golfer in Sunday's field at Strathpeffer Spa, Chris Gaittens (picture right, by Robin Wilson) from Fortrose and Rosemarkie, joined a celebrity list of only four other junior golfers who have captured the Spence and Bain Trophies in the same year when he won the Bain Trophy in the Royal Bank of Scotland North District boys' championship.
At Garmouth and Kingston at the end of April, teenager Gaittens (17) became the holder of the Spence Trophy from the North of Scotland Boys Championship and with the capture of the Bain at Strathpeffer he joins the list of double winners Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey) 2001, Gary Thomson (Moray) 1997, Ewan Forbes (Grantown on Spey) 1990, and John Campbell (Grantown on Spey) 1977 & 1978.
No longer a schoolboy Gaittens has begun an apprenticeship as a painter and this is good news for the North District who hope he will remain in the area and become an important team member. He justified his scratch rating with a first round one under par score card of 66 then added a second round 70 to discard his runner’s up tag from twelve months ago at Boat of Garten and win by a comfortable six shots from Ali Begg, (Muir of Ord) and Andrew Bailie (Elgin).
His first nine holes were turned into a count of 34 with a birdie at the par fine ninth hole before hitting a hot run of three birdies over the first four inward holes to come home in 32 for 66.
Although Gaittens’ first round lead over Begg was just one shot, and he fell behind to the Muir of Ord member in the second round from a poor opening four holes, he regained his advantage with a two on the sixth and with his second birdie of the day at the par five 9th the Fortrose junior still managed an outward count of 35.

As the afternoon rain got heavier Begg fell back to a disappointing second round 75 to post the clubhouse target of 142, eventually equalled by Baillie with another solid 71 from the Elgin member.
The eventual champion began his final nine holes with three 3’s and although he pulled a tee shot into trouble at 14th to make a bogey six and a final three putt on the sloping 18th green he signed off in 70 for the unassailable total of 136 over the remaining players out on the course.
Ali Begg, recent winner of the Ronal Rafferty order of merit competition at Brora although slipping back to third place on his second round score was the leading under 16 year old with his gross 142 and when it came to the handicap winners the host club will be looking forward to possible future scratch winners when all four places were filled by their junior members.
Kevin Ince lead the way with net scores of 63 and 68 for 131 and followed to the prize giving table by club mates Craig Mackay, Liam Kennedy and Luke Manson
Elgin juniors seem to like Ross-shire venues for their only previous team success for the Emslie Shield came at Muir of Ord and at Strathpeffer their team of four, Andrew Bailie142, Danny Edwards 151, Peter Ramsay 152, and Derek Ramsay 156 posted the winning total of 601

RESULTS (CSS 67 67)

SCRATCH

R P BAIN TROPHY

136 C Gaittens (F&R) 66 70.

142 A Baillie (Elgin) 71 71.

145 C Stewart (Brora) 74 71.

146 R Clark (Moray) 72 74.

148 S Connell (Inverness) 79 69.

149 S Duff (Strathpeffer Spa) 78 71.
UNDER-16s
142 A Begg (Muir of Ord) 67 75.

148 D Wright (Alness) 72 76, P Renwick (Invergordon) 78 71.
HANDICAP

(All Strathpeffer Spa members)

K. Ince (20) 131.

C Mackay (10) 134.

L Kennedy (18), L Manson (19) 135.