INVERGORDON WIN DORNOCH FIRTH LEAGUE FOR FOURTH TIME

Dornoch Firth League winners Invergordon: Team captain Glen McAlpine (left) and club captain David Janieson share the delight with their players (left to right) -  John Mackay, Leigh Simpson, Andrew Gilmour, Craig Cameron, Alan Gilmour, Craig Harris and Derek Baker. Picture by Robin Wilson

By ROBIN WILSON

lan Gilmour, was present in all three of Invergordon's Dornoch Firth League championship wins stretching back to his club's  first success in 1986 and the former seven time club champion was once more an inspiration when his club enjoyed home advantage to win the League Targe for a fourth time.

Gilmour played twice over the two days, winning both his games as Invergordon survived a Sunday afternoon when the holders, Royal Dornoch fought their way back into contention.

Over the four-match series the holders were the only club to have registered a win over Invergordon, 4-3 in the opening  match on Saturday morning, but the home challenge was recharged  on Saturday afternoon when they put up a great show against Ross-shire neighbours, Tain.

Invergordon's pool of eight consisted of Craig Cameron, Derek Baker, Glen McAlpine, Alan Gilmour, Andrew Gilmour, Leigh Simpson, Craig Harris and John MacIver.
When they beat Tain 6½ to a ½, where each point earned goes into the league table, Invergordon overnight had 9½ points,  increasing this to 15½ with a 6-1 result over Golspie on Sunday morning when Alan Gilmour replaced John MacIver in the line up.

Meanwhile Royal Dornoch played their second tie and enjoyed a 5-2 win against Brora. With three of their seven-man team holding unbeaten records, Dornoch's points' tally rose to eight and they were still favourites to retain the title with two games to play in Sunday afternoon's  three-ball match against Golspie and Tain where another 14 points were at stake.

Craig Cameron became the first player to go through the weekend unbeaten when he helped Invergordon to a final 5-2 result over Brora on Sunday afternoon. This took the home side's  weekend total to 20½ and then the anxious wait for the Dornoch results to come in.

The pressure rose when Dornoch picked up 6½ points against Golspie before neighbouring Tain members, Ross Jack and  Alan Everett, one win each , and Munro Ferries and Mike Sangster, two hard-earned half points, came to Invergordon's rescue for a final 4-3 result to Dornoch but leaving the holders one point short of retaining the Targe. 

Dornoch's Lyle McAlpine, Dean O'Brien and Daniel Holden joined Craig Cameron with unblemished records over the weekend, Holden a repeat of his same four wins in last year's matches.

Final League Results and Points

Saturday morning

Dornoch 4, Invergordon 3

Tain 4, Brora 3

Saturday afternoon

Tain ½, Invergordon 6½

Golspie 1½, Brora 5½

Sunday morning

Dornoch 5, Brora 2

Invergordon 6, Golspie 1

Sunday afternoon

Invergordon 5, Brora 2

Golspie ½, Dornoch 6½

Golspie ½, Tain 6½

Dornoch 4, Tain 3.

FINAL POINTS

Invergordon 20½

Dornoch 19½

Tain 14

Brora 12½

Golspie 3½. 

Ross-shire Leagues

The seven Ross-shire clubs commence their own match-play league programme at Muir of Ord on Sunday, May 20 when six clubs will be in action.

Tarbat Golf Club, who will host the semi-finals and final on Sunday, September 2, have received a bye from the first round.

The three games on show are: Muir of Ord v Tain, Strathpeffer Spa (holders of the Highland Fabricators Cup) v Fortrose and Rosemarkie, Alness v Dornoch Firth League winners Invergordon.

Moray and Nairn Golf League Weekend

The Nairn Golf Club, 18 times winners of the G R Thomson Trophy, have home advantage this week when the scratch league matches against Elgin, Forres, Nairn Dunbar, and Moray Golf Clubs are played on their home course.

The series begins on Thursday evening when the hosts will open their defence with a local derby against Nairn Dunbar.
The Nairn are not in action on Friday and will play their three remaining games over Saturday and Sunday.
The weekend fixture list is:
Friday evening
Elgin v Moray
Saturday morning
Forres v Nairn Dunbar, Elgin v Nairn
Saturday afternoon
Moray v Forres, Nairn Dunbar v Elgin.
Sunday morning
Nairn v Forres, Nairn Dunbar v Moray
Sunday afternoon
Forres v Elgin, Moray v Nairn.   

Senior Northern Counties Cup

An inter-club competition for the over 55s gets under way at Brora next week, May 16 to18, when the Moray Golf Club come to defend the B D Fraser Senior Northern Counties Cup.

Nineteen teams have entered the double foursomes format competition with two teams from Fortrose and Rosemarkie and one each from Strathpeffer Spa and Tain representing Ross-shire.

Fortrose's second team are one of six teams involved in Wednesday morning's preliminary round and play the Royal Dornoch second team. Their first team have been drawn against the Holders in the afternoon second round where also Strathpeffer play the Brora second team and Tain take on  Nairn Dunbar's second choice.
The full draw is:
Wednesday
8.30am.
Round 1 - Elgin v Forres, Fortrose and Rosemarkie v Royal Dornoch 2, Nairn Dunbar 1 v Duff House Royal.
Noon
Round 2 - Moray v Fortrose and Rosemarkie 1, Brora 2 v Strathpeffer Spa, Brora 1 v Elgin or Forres, Inverness v Fortrose and Rosemarkie 2 or Royal Dornoch 2, The Nairn v Nairn Dunbar 1 or Duff House Royal, Ellon v Royal Dornoch 1, Tain v Nairn Dunbar 2, Cruden Bay v Deeside.