NORTH ALLIANCE

Doug Thorburn's 67 best at Invergordon

By ROBIN WILSONA three-birdie card in halves of 34 and 33 gave Thurso's scratch golfer, Doug Thorburn, victory in the North Golf Alliance fixture at Invergordon, leaving Tain duo Munro Ferries and Mike Sangster filling second and third places.
Before his move to Thurso, ex-Invergordon member Bryan Ronald, winner of the first fixture at Durness, was expected to be Thurso's main threat in Invergordon but while Ronald was still feeling his way round with a new set of irons, Thorburn was taking advantage of good approach shots to shoot his first birdie at the second hole and match par for the next seven for an outward one under par 34.
The birdie was not given back to the course until the 15th hole but a double birdie finish at 17 and 18 rounded of an inward 33 for 67 and a four-shot win over Ferries.

In the field of 43 two further Caithness members broke 80, Bryan Ronald and Wayne Mowat (Reay) both returning 77s. Mike Sangster's gross 74 turned into a net 72 for a share of first handicap place in the Category 1 section with local Jock McIver and Reay's Mowat.

There was another Caithness winner in the high handicap section, Gavin Gunn (Reay) a net 68, off 11, one stroke better than Tain's Ali Melville before a three-way tie for third place that comprised of Durness pair Martin Mackay and Alistair McCowan joined by S Barnes (Ullapool).

The next venue is Thurso on Sunday November 7.
RESULTS
Scratch
67 D Thorburn (Thurso).
71 M Ferries (Tain).
74 M Sangster (Tain).
77 B Ronald (Thurso), W Mowat (Reay).
78 J Harper (Wick).
79 J MacIver (Invergordon).
Handicap
Class 1 - J McIver (Invergordon) (9) 70; M Sangster (Tain) (2), W Mowat (Reay) (5), F Sparling (Thurso) (7) 75. C
Class 2 - G Gunn (Reay) (11) 68; A Melville (Tain) (12) 72; M Mackay (Durness) (10), A McCowan (Durness) (12), S Barnes (Ullapool) (16) 74.