Kevin Matheson (left) and Chris Mailley at Royal Dornoch (image by Robin Wilson).

Robin Wilson's round-up of Saturday's

North county championships

Inverness at Inverness

David Sanderson, club champion at Inverness Golf Club for the first time last season, enjoyed his first Inverness county championship success over his home course with a two-shot winning margin over his club secretary, Ewan Forbes.
The event was dominated by the home members, first round leader Bruce Thomson with a 66 one of nine to finish in the top ten. Thomson faded away to a second round 77 and Forbes held the clubhouse 36-hole lead with cards of 72 and 68 for most of the day.
Late in the afternoon Sanderson repeated his first round 69 with the help of an outward nine holes of 31 that included eagle 3s at the third and fifth holes.
These figures helped cancel out out an out of bounds ball from the 10th tee and a second double bogey at the 14th which raised his inward count to 38.

Leading Scores
(All Inverness unless stated)
CSS 70 70
138 D Sanderson 69 69
140 E Forbes 72 68
142 G Daun 73 69
143 B J Thomson 66 77
144 L Chancellor 73 71
148 S Paterson 76 72
149 W A MacLennan 76 73
150 J Forbes 70 80
151 P. Savage 77 74, M Henderson (Loch Ness) 75,76.
Handicap
G. Daun (4) 138. S. Paterson (4) 140. M. Henderson (Loch Ness) (5) 141.

Ross-shire at Muir of Ord.

With six previous wins behind him since 1989 Steven McIntosh who began his greenkeeping career at Muir of Ord and is now Head Greenkeeper at Torvean golf course (Inverness) always retained his Muir of Ord membership to entitle him to play the Ross-shire championship.
At his first course on Saturday he added a seventh title with rounds of 66 and 70 to win by six shots from junior member Ali Begg, 69/73. Fortrose & Rosemarkie junior Lewis Reid was third on 144 (73 and 71.
Results
CSS 69 and 69
136 S. McIntosh (Muir of Ord) 66 70.
142 A. Begg (Muir of Ord) 69 73.
144 L. Reid (F&R) 73 71.
145 M. Ferries (Tain) 74 71, Al Gilmour (Invergordon) 73 72.
Handicap
A. Begg (M of O) (3) 136. K. Gaittens (F&R) (5) 137. K. Ross (F&R) (9) 138. L. Meddle (M of O) (6) 139.

Sutherland at Royal Dornoch

Seven years after winning his first Sutherland Championship as as an eighteen year old and then as a nineteen year old becoming North District Champion, Chris Mailley (now 25), recovered from a lean spell to claim his second county title at Royal Dornoch on Saturday.
In the difficult conditions that raised the CSS in both rounds the home members had the advantage and filled the first five places.
Mailley's opening 72 gave him a first round lead of four shots from Brora junior Calum Stewart but the local player's second round two under par 68 was superb stuff in the conditions to beat his club mate Keven Matheson by seven shots.
Matheson matched the par of 70 in round two with the help of an outward score of two under par 33. Against the strong wind Mailley's last nine holes were 35 to add to his three birdie and one bogey count of 33 for the first nine holes.
Results
(All Royal Dornoch unless stated)
CSS 74 75
Scratch
140 C Mailley 72 68
147 K. Matheson 77 70
151 I. Rennie 77 74
156 K. Sinclair 80,76, B. Nicholson 79,77
157 J. G. MacBeath (Brora) 78 79
158 C. Stewart (Brora) 76,82
160 D. Holden 77 83, A. MacDonald 77,83, R Sutherland (Brora) 81,79

Handicap
K. Sinclair (4) 148, I. Rennie (2) 149. C. Stewart (Brora) (3) 152. A.J. Gill (Brora) (4) 154.

Caithness at Reay

With a very poor entry of only thirteen to beat at Reay Golf Club reigning champion Don Mackay (Thurso) retained the Caithness County title at his former club. Mackay for his fourth success in the championship had only to produce two rounds of 74 to win by four shots from local member Lee Parnell 77 & 75 in strong wind conditions. Parnell claimed the bronze medal on his better second round from Thurso's Steven Spargo 76/76.

Results
CSS 70 71.
Scratch
148 D A Mackay (Thurso) 74,74
152 L Parnell (Reay) 77,75, Spargo (Thurso) 76,76
155 B. Munro (Thurso) 77 78, J. A. Harper (Wick) 79,76
Handicap
S. Spargo (Thurso) (5) 142.