By the left ... Munro Ferries wins
North Alliance on home ground
by four strokes

By ROBIN WILSON
With the comfort of a home fixture, Tain's Munro Ferries clinched his third scratch win on the North Golf Alliance circuit last.
With some tricky pin placements but favourable playing conditions, scratch member Ferries was always the favourite to come out on top. His one-under-par 68 for the winter course at Tain, where the second hole becomes a par-3, signalled a four-shot winning return over Wick's Ronnie Taylor.
Lefty Ferries plotted out his two halves of 34 from outward birdies at the fourth and sixth holes against his two bogeys, the first at the adjusted second hole and then the par-3 eighth hole. His third birdie of the round, a 2 at the 16th, brought him into the clubhouse in one under par 34 for his third first place of the season following his winning cards at Invergordon and Tarbat.
Taylor's outings have been sparse, from his two other starts his best was a 76 at Durness, so he was satisfied to be back amongst the leaders at Tain. Following a three putt on the first green he arrived on the 10th tee with a count of 37 against the par of 35 but immediately dropped a shot on the first inward hole.
With almost a hole in one at the 17th, which provided the Wick +1 handicapper with his only inward birdie of the day he matched the inward par of 35 for 72 and three ahead on the next scratch returns.
The trio of 75's came from Seann Sutherland (Bonar Bridge), pictured above by Robin Wilson, John Hunter (Wick) and Mike Sangster (Tain) with Hunter's nett 70 bringing him into third handicap place in Class 1.
The ex-Wick club captain took a very costly double bogey 6 at the final hole but followed up his Class 1 Handicap wins at Invergordon and Tarbat.
Sutherland's gross 75 reduced to a net 68 to match Ferries's record as a three time winner this season and confirm the Bonar Bridge member's status as front runner for the handicap MacKintosh Salver.
Keeping Sutherland within his sight is Reay's Grant Maxwell with another top three finish. His gross 76, nett 69 at Tain for runner up position adds to his first place at Thurso, a second at Durness and a third at Invergordon to give Sutherland something to think about. But all will become more clearer after this weekend's fixture at Reay. With the lesser handicap of the three, local Mike Sangster fell back to fifth in the handicap order.
Francis Keith (Durness) made his season début at Golspie three weeks ago and, back into the swing. he broke 80 at Tain to win the Class 2 section with a net 68 to be followed by the Golspie Class 2 winner Davie Gray from Reay.
Gray, with a nett 71, split a Durness 1-1 of Keith and Lachie Ross, Ross with a net 72 for third place and filling fourth slot was the Invergordon fixture Class 2 winner Charlie Gallacher.
LEADING RETURNS
SCRATCH
68 M Ferries (Tain).
72 R W Taylor (Wick).
75 S R Sutherland (Bonar Bridge), J Hunter (Wick), M Sangster (Tain).

HANDICAP

Class 1 – S R Sutherland (Bonar Bridge) (7) 68; G Maxwell (Reay) (7) 69; J Hunter (Wick) (5) 70; P Sangster (Thurso) (6), M J Sangster (Tain) (4) 71. ]
Class 2 – F R M Keith (Durness) (11) 68; D Gray (Reay) (12) 71; L Ross (Durness) (11) 72; C Gallacher (Invergordon) (12) 76.