DOUGIE THORBURN WINS NORTH ALLIANCE QUAICH FOR FIRST TIME

By ROBIN WILSON

Not for the first time, but  for the last this season, when the final fixture of the North Golf Alliance  was played over Royal Dornoch's world-rated championship course last Sunday, Thurso pair  Bryan Ronald and Dougie Thorburn shared the best scratch returns.

The winter course at Dornoch is considerably shorter than its summer length but its par for the 5,363 yards remains the same at 70 (35-35). Thorburn cut the outward half of 2796 yards down to 33 shots with birdies at the seventh and ninth holes but his finishing gross 72 was hampered with four bogeys over the final six holes, 13^th, 15^th, 16^th and 18th for an inward 39.

The highlight of Ronald's card in an outward level par 35 was an eagle 2 at the 260yd eighth hole, driving the green from the forward tee and holing the putt. His two under par eighth hole advantage was handed back to the course with a double bogey 5 at the first of the inward holes and was quickly followed by another dropped stroke.

However, picking up a birdie against the card at the 15^th hole, he was home in 37 for his 72 and on the second half count back ended his season as he had begun last October in Durness with a first scratch place.

But Thorburn, with six first places out of nine events and his four lowest scores totalling 281, carried away for the first time the Alliance Quaich after being second 12 months ago. Thorburn is pictured above with his trophy (picture by courtesy of Robin Wilson). 

Ronald finished in a tie for second place on 289 with Tain's Mike Sangster but the Thurso member lost out on the runner's up voucher on a best individual score out - with his home county. 

Sangster's early season gross 70 at Thurso bettered that of the Thurso member's winning 72 at Dornoch.

Thurso Golf Club members doubled up on the individual trophies when David Dunbar won the MacKintosh Salver for four best net scores. Again there was a tie. Francis Keith (Durness) was caught on 273 by Dunbar who lowered his previous total by two from his net 70 at Dornoch where the Durness player did not improve his total.

The same away scores separating rule was applied but Keith was disadvantaged with only a 68 at Invergordon amongst his four counting scores while Dunbar recorded a 68 at Brora and then a 69 at Tarbat.

With the foundation laid by their three low handicap players, Dunbar net 70, Ronald net 70 and Thorburn net 73, it only required a net 74 from Gregor Munro to confirm Thurso Golf Club retained the team Alliance Shield with a total of 287. Joint runners up were Tain and Reay on 289.

Tarbat greenkeeper Mike Keay had the best net return of the the day at Dornoch, a 67 off six, to head the low handicap returns. In second place came David Dunbar with Wullie McLean from Wick improving on previous finishes in Class 2 to a first place at Dornoch with nett 70, off 15 in the next handicap section.

LEADING SCORES AT ROYAL DORNOCH

Scratch

72 B Ronald (Thurso) 35-37, D Thorburn (Thurso) 33-39.

73 S Morrison (Tain) 36-37, M Keay (Tarbat) 35-38.

75 D Dunbar (Thurso) 37-38.

Handicap

Class 1- M Keay (Tarbat) (6) 67; D Dunbar (Thurso) (5) 70; W Mowat (Reay) (6), R Lockie (Tain) (9), S Sutherland (Bonar-Ardgay) (7) 71. 

Class 2 – W McLean (Wick) (15) 70; A Mackay (Reay) (10) 71; A Melville (Tain) (11), I Ross Reay( (11) 71.