The Nairn Golf Club captain Harry Sinclair with the winning host club team. Robin Wilson image (c).
HOST CLUB NAIRN TANTAIN BY 14 HOLES IN
NORTHERN COUNTIES
CUP FINAL
By ROBIN WILSON
Nairn Golf Club, the host club, won the Northern Counties Cup for a 10th time on Saturday, their first on home turf since 1928, when, against a strong west wind, they tanned Tain in the final by 14 holes.
Neil Hampton and partner Robert Smith, already double winners with Nairn in 1998 and 2004, were again the backbone of the team. In their four games played they were unbeaten and amassed a total of 30 holes up..
In the final, Hampton and Smith won five of the first seven holes and they increased their lead to seven with par figures at the eighth and ninth holes against Tain's Alan Everett and James Macleod. Tain's only relief came with a birdie at the first inward hole but they immediately went back to seven behind after taking two shots in the rough behind the 11th green. Thereafter it was easy street for Hampton and Smith who finished 12 holes up.
Nairn's second string, Steven MacDonald and Alex Scott, took a while longer to get on top of the Tain's Billy Ferries and Ross Macleod who, after five holes, were two in front. Tain found trouble from the tee at the seventh and MacDonald and Scott won this and the next four holes, the 11th with a birdie 2, to forge three ahead. The Nairn pair eventually won by two holes.Hampton and Smith's six-hole win in the morning semi-final against a plucky Orkney - the Islanders' first ever appearance in the last four - carried Nairn through to the final after Orkney's Stuart Rendall and Andrew Bonner left an impression with a three-hole win over MacDonald and Scott. TAIN WILL BE 2008 HOSTS
Tain arrived in only their second ever final by way of beating Murcar Links in the less windy morning semi final conditions. Both the Tain couples were under par, beating the Murcar Links pairings of Terry Mathieson and Billy Main by four holes in the top tie and Anthony Bews and Ian Galbraith by three holes in the second-string game.
The result over Murcar Links should strengthen Tain's desire for a first ever title win when the Northern Counties Cup competition is played over their home course next year.
Saturday's results:
SEMI-FNALS
Tain 1 beat Murcar Links by seven holes (J Macleod, A Everett 4, T Mathieson, B Main 0; B Ferries, R Macleod 3, A Bews, I Galbraith 0).
Nairn 1 beat Orkney 1 by three holes (N D Hampton, R Smith 6, M Fleet, A MacGinn 0; S. Rendall, A Bonner 3, S MacDonald, A Scott 0).
FINAL
Nairn 1 beat Tain 1 by 14 holes (Hampton, Smith 12, Everett, J Macleod 0; MacDonald, Scott 2, Ferries, R. Macleod 0).
***Robin Wilson images (c) above:
The Nairn Club captain Harry Sinclair proudly looks over his winning team, Robert Smith (with cup), and behind, Neil Hampton, Steven MacDonald and Alex Scott.
Lower picture:
Runners-up Tain: back, Alan Everett (left) and James Macleod; kneeling, Ross Macleod and Billy Ferries.
By ROBIN WILSON
Nairn Golf Club, the host club, won the Northern Counties Cup for a 10th time on Saturday, their first on home turf since 1928, when, against a strong west wind, they tanned Tain in the final by 14 holes.
Neil Hampton and partner Robert Smith, already double winners with Nairn in 1998 and 2004, were again the backbone of the team. In their four games played they were unbeaten and amassed a total of 30 holes up..
In the final, Hampton and Smith won five of the first seven holes and they increased their lead to seven with par figures at the eighth and ninth holes against Tain's Alan Everett and James Macleod. Tain's only relief came with a birdie at the first inward hole but they immediately went back to seven behind after taking two shots in the rough behind the 11th green. Thereafter it was easy street for Hampton and Smith who finished 12 holes up.
Nairn's second string, Steven MacDonald and Alex Scott, took a while longer to get on top of the Tain's Billy Ferries and Ross Macleod who, after five holes, were two in front. Tain found trouble from the tee at the seventh and MacDonald and Scott won this and the next four holes, the 11th with a birdie 2, to forge three ahead. The Nairn pair eventually won by two holes.Hampton and Smith's six-hole win in the morning semi-final against a plucky Orkney - the Islanders' first ever appearance in the last four - carried Nairn through to the final after Orkney's Stuart Rendall and Andrew Bonner left an impression with a three-hole win over MacDonald and Scott. TAIN WILL BE 2008 HOSTS
Tain arrived in only their second ever final by way of beating Murcar Links in the less windy morning semi final conditions. Both the Tain couples were under par, beating the Murcar Links pairings of Terry Mathieson and Billy Main by four holes in the top tie and Anthony Bews and Ian Galbraith by three holes in the second-string game.
The result over Murcar Links should strengthen Tain's desire for a first ever title win when the Northern Counties Cup competition is played over their home course next year.
Saturday's results:
SEMI-FNALS
Tain 1 beat Murcar Links by seven holes (J Macleod, A Everett 4, T Mathieson, B Main 0; B Ferries, R Macleod 3, A Bews, I Galbraith 0).
Nairn 1 beat Orkney 1 by three holes (N D Hampton, R Smith 6, M Fleet, A MacGinn 0; S. Rendall, A Bonner 3, S MacDonald, A Scott 0).
FINAL
Nairn 1 beat Tain 1 by 14 holes (Hampton, Smith 12, Everett, J Macleod 0; MacDonald, Scott 2, Ferries, R. Macleod 0).
***Robin Wilson images (c) above:
The Nairn Club captain Harry Sinclair proudly looks over his winning team, Robert Smith (with cup), and behind, Neil Hampton, Steven MacDonald and Alex Scott.
Lower picture:
Runners-up Tain: back, Alan Everett (left) and James Macleod; kneeling, Ross Macleod and Billy Ferries.
Labels: Amateur Men
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, September 23, 2007
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