NO PLACE LIKE HOME FOR RONNIE TAYLOR AT NORTH ALLIANCE
By ROBIN WILSON
The North Golf Alliance's most prolific winner over the past three decades and six time winner of the Quaich since it was introduced in 1997, Wick's Ronnie Taylor put on another show when the latest fixture was played over his home course last Sunday.
Now eligible to play senior golf and aged 57, Taylor in his prime a regular choice for the North District, and still with a plus 1 handicap, was making only his third appearance of the season having previously taken a second place at Reay in January and he also had an outing last November. On home turf last Sunday he was back in the winner's paddock with the excellent score of 66.
He achieved his three under par score from an outward half of 36, two bogeys, at the fifth and sixth holes and one birdie at the long par-5 eighth hole. It was on the home stretch that his noted pinpoint iron play came into action. Almost a hole in one at the par three 11th hole was nearly followed by an eagle 2 on the next hole and with two more birdies, the 13th and 17th, the Caithness doyen was home in 30 and carding a 66.
In one of the lowest entries of the season, just 30, Taylor enjoyed a three stroke win over the current holder of the Quaich, Tain's Munro Ferries who after a level par 69 is setting himself up for a final push on Thurso's Doug Thorburn, to retain his scratch trophy. Ferries 's card of 69 from par halves of 35 and 34, finished with a bogey five,but it trimmed four shots from his aggregate total and is now seven behind his Thurso rival who only managed a 74 last Sunday.
It was Thorburn's club mate Alan Swanson who found himself in third place with a one over par 70, equal halves of 35, and with his two handicap the winner of the Class 1 section with 68. His Thurso club match and handicap secretary, Ewan Mackenzie made a long overdue appearance in the handicap list with a second place after a nett 72, off 7. Beaten down to third place on the count back was Wayne Mowat (Reay) and Thurso's Fraser Sparling made it three times in succession into the Class 1 list with nett 73.
Scoring in the next handicap section was led for the second week by the Tarbat fixture winner Willie Allen (Reay) with nett 71. The trio in this section all benefited from a helping wind on the inward holes, the winner home in 41 after an outward 45, second placed Angus Cameron (Thurso) home in 42 and third Alister Simpson with the tail wind improving eight shots on his outward 50.
Starting times have been issued for the fixture at Brora this weekend and there may also be a fixture fitted in at Golspie next weekend before the season's final fixture at Tain on March 20th.
Results at Wick:
Scratch – R W Taylor (Wick) 66 (36/30). B Ferries (Tain) 69 (35/34), A Swanson (Thurso) 70 (35/35). 74 D Thorburn (Thurso). 77 W Mowat (Reay), J Sangster (Thurso) . 78 W Murray (Wick), R Barker (Wick) 79 E Mackenzie (Thurso), B Ronald (Thurso).
Handicap
Class 1 – A Swanson (Thurso) (2) 68. E Mackenzie (Thurso) (7), W Mowat (Reay) (5) 72. F Sparling (Thurso) (7) 73.
Class 2 – W Allen (Reay) (15), A Cameron (Thurso) (11) 71. A Simpson (Thurso) (7) 75
The North Golf Alliance's most prolific winner over the past three decades and six time winner of the Quaich since it was introduced in 1997, Wick's Ronnie Taylor put on another show when the latest fixture was played over his home course last Sunday.
Now eligible to play senior golf and aged 57, Taylor in his prime a regular choice for the North District, and still with a plus 1 handicap, was making only his third appearance of the season having previously taken a second place at Reay in January and he also had an outing last November. On home turf last Sunday he was back in the winner's paddock with the excellent score of 66.
He achieved his three under par score from an outward half of 36, two bogeys, at the fifth and sixth holes and one birdie at the long par-5 eighth hole. It was on the home stretch that his noted pinpoint iron play came into action. Almost a hole in one at the par three 11th hole was nearly followed by an eagle 2 on the next hole and with two more birdies, the 13th and 17th, the Caithness doyen was home in 30 and carding a 66.
In one of the lowest entries of the season, just 30, Taylor enjoyed a three stroke win over the current holder of the Quaich, Tain's Munro Ferries who after a level par 69 is setting himself up for a final push on Thurso's Doug Thorburn, to retain his scratch trophy. Ferries 's card of 69 from par halves of 35 and 34, finished with a bogey five,but it trimmed four shots from his aggregate total and is now seven behind his Thurso rival who only managed a 74 last Sunday.
It was Thorburn's club mate Alan Swanson who found himself in third place with a one over par 70, equal halves of 35, and with his two handicap the winner of the Class 1 section with 68. His Thurso club match and handicap secretary, Ewan Mackenzie made a long overdue appearance in the handicap list with a second place after a nett 72, off 7. Beaten down to third place on the count back was Wayne Mowat (Reay) and Thurso's Fraser Sparling made it three times in succession into the Class 1 list with nett 73.
Scoring in the next handicap section was led for the second week by the Tarbat fixture winner Willie Allen (Reay) with nett 71. The trio in this section all benefited from a helping wind on the inward holes, the winner home in 41 after an outward 45, second placed Angus Cameron (Thurso) home in 42 and third Alister Simpson with the tail wind improving eight shots on his outward 50.
Starting times have been issued for the fixture at Brora this weekend and there may also be a fixture fitted in at Golspie next weekend before the season's final fixture at Tain on March 20th.
Results at Wick:
Scratch – R W Taylor (Wick) 66 (36/30). B Ferries (Tain) 69 (35/34), A Swanson (Thurso) 70 (35/35). 74 D Thorburn (Thurso). 77 W Mowat (Reay), J Sangster (Thurso) . 78 W Murray (Wick), R Barker (Wick) 79 E Mackenzie (Thurso), B Ronald (Thurso).
Handicap
Class 1 – A Swanson (Thurso) (2) 68. E Mackenzie (Thurso) (7), W Mowat (Reay) (5) 72. F Sparling (Thurso) (7) 73.
Class 2 – W Allen (Reay) (15), A Cameron (Thurso) (11) 71. A Simpson (Thurso) (7) 75
Labels: Alliance
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Tuesday, March 01, 2011
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