Happy Halliday strikes again

at Royal Dornoch

By ROBIN WILSON
Three North-east holders of plus rated handicaps, Mark Halliday (Royal Aberdeen), Glen Taylor (Meldrum House) and Michael Buchan (Cruden Bay), finished 1-2-3 in the 36-hole Sinclair Cup 36-hole open competition at Royal Dornoch on Saturday.
Halliday repeated his triumph of 12 months ago and has now won this event at the world- ranked links three times in the past four years.
First-round leader with a one under par 69 was Tain's Ross Macleod but he fell out of the top five scratch placings with a second round 82.
Buchan, winner here last August of the North of Scotland 72 hole open championship, took the 36 hole lead with a second round 72 after recovering his outward two over par 37 with inward half birdies at the 12th and 15th holes to match the inward par of 35.
In round one just a shot separated Halliday (71) and Taylor (72), and after nine holes of the second round Halliday had increased his lead to four shots with an outward 36 to Taylor's 39. On the final nine holes the Meldrum House +2 handicapper cut into the deficit with two inward half birdies at the 12th and 15th for a closing 74.
Despite taking a bogey 4 at the short 10th hole and closing with two 5s, Halliday, the lowest handicapper in the field of 90 at +3, held on to win by one shot by matching Taylor's second round 74 with a final nine holes of 38.
FINAL TOTALS
CSS: Round 1 - Home 73, Away 75. Round 2 - Home 75, Away 76.
Scratch
145 M Halliday (Royal Aberdeen) 71 74.
146 G Taylor (Meldrum House) 72 74.
148 M Buchan (Cruden Bay) 76 72, K Matheson (Royal Dornoch) 73 75.
150 C Mailley (Royal Dornoch) 74 76.
Handicap
M. Waugh (Royal Dornoch) (8), P Gauld (Royal Dornoch) (4) 148; R Macleod (Tain) (1) 150; K Sinclair (Royal Dornoch) (4) 151; R Mackay (Inverness) (2) 152.
Best scratch round - I R Brotherston (Dumfries & County) 73.
Best handicap round - R Carberry (Royal Dornoch) (17) 67. ]