Chris Gaittens, winner of the Black Isle Open (image by courtesy of Robin Wilson)

Chris Gaittens wins Black Isle Open

on tie-breaker after triple tie on 145

By ROBIN WILSON
Local member Michael MacDonald after a three year winning run in the Ness Motors Black Isle 36 hole Open championship at Fortrose & Rosemarkie last Saturday lost out on another win by that annoying competition rule “better second round score ” to club mates Chris Gaittens and Alan Cameron.
In praise of Gaittens, now 19, who took his recent form at Golspie the previous weekend back onto his home course, after taking a season to make the transition from junior to adult, had an excellent second round score, in the very windy conditions, worthy of lifting him to the top of the leader board and win the Sponsor's £240.00 first prize voucher and as a local member the Miss Isa Ross Cup.
MacDonald, the holder and local club secretary, posted an early warning of wining for a fourth year with an opening sub seventy card of 69, a score that was shared by Invergordon's Lyle McAlpine. But from the accustomed shelter of Invergordon's tree lined course to the exposed Channory Peninsula McAlpine's game in the afternoon got blown upwards to a second round 81 and eventually finishing in 5th place.
Alan Cameron, still living with the shock of losing the club championship final to his 18 year-old nephew was menacingly placed with a first round 71 matching the holder's 36 hole aggregate of 145 with a hard working second round 74.

MacDonald struggled to hold onto his first round lead after his second round card rose to 76 in the challenging conditions, leaving the way open for Gaittens after his first round 73.
In round two the teenager, he won the North District Boy's championship in 2007, played very steady golf for two halves of 36 for 72 and 145 when the the second round became the deciding factor. MacDonald slipped to third place behind Cameron by way of the second round rule and Alan Everett (Tain) building on his first round 70 with a 76 earned fourth position.
It was local members nearly all the way in the Handicap Section, Louis Patience topping the scoring and winning the Newton Group Cup with a nett aggregate of 143, off 9, from club mates Andrew Fraser and Colin High both on 144. Inverness's Darren Hexley broke the local clean sweep with a fourth position.
Results

Scratch -
145 C GAITTENS [F & R] 73 72 (better second round), R A L CAMERON [INVERNESS] 71 74, M MACDONALD [F & R] 69 76.
146 A EVERETT [TAIN] 70 76.

150 L McALPINE [INVERGORDON] 69 81.

151 L REID [F & R] 73 78.

Handicap
143 L PATIENCE [F & R] [9] 67 76.

144 A FRASER [F & R] [16] 75 69, C HIGH (F & R) (9) 74 70, D HEXLEY (INVERNESS) (3) 73 71, K PATIENCE [F & R] [14] 67 77, S ROBERTSON (F & R) (9) 65 79.

145 I LEWIS [F & R] [10] 71 74.

Other prizes:
Best Scratch Score – A. Brown (F&R) 72.

Best handicap S. Bassingdale (F&R) 68.