JOHN FORBES WINS CARNEGIE SHIELD AT ROYAL DORNOCH

By ROBIN WILSON

Inverness's John Forbes won the Carnegie Shield at Royal Dornoch for a first time on Saturday and to go with the adage “you have to lose a final first before you win one”.

Twelve months ago Forbes lost in the the final where in all honesty he played the best golf against Englishman, Paul Dolton (Frilford Heath). On Saturday he came up against the leading qualifier, Jorg Paulus of German origin but living and working in Copenhagen.

The member of Sollerod Golf Club enjoyed qualifying scores of 68 and 77 and might have won the silver medal had he been a Royal Dornoch member but the medal went to Chris Mailley for a fourth time after his two cards of 75 and 73.

Overcoming a stiff hurdle in Round two by cruising past formed Scottish Internationalist Ian Brotherston (Dumfries and County) Paulus was quickly installed as favourite and when he beat the last local and 2010 winner Alex MacDonald on the 17^th green in the semi final the Danish visitor  confirmed his rating.

Forbes arrived in the final by a similar route as he took twelve months ago, again beating an Inverness club-mate in the semi final. This time Stewart Wilson, the last Shield winner to have back to back wins in 1998 and 1999.

SMALLISH GALLERY

Void of a local player, the smallish gallery accompanying the final were treated to birdies from each player on the opening hole and followed by two cast iron par figures before Forbes took the lead when holing his birdie attempt on the fourth green.

The Inverness golfer could never have expected to be handed the next three holes so easily but after bunkering his drives from the 5^th and sixth tees Paulus lost all feel for the Dornoch sand which had become quite heavy to play out of after early morning rain. From the bunkers at the fifth 5^th and then the sixth holes he skinned his recovery shots over the greens to lose both holes. 

A penalty drop from a whin bush at the next hole and the visitor was four down before another  skinned bunker shot flew the ninth green and he was five behind on the tenth tee.

Forbes was still below par but a three putt on the tenth gave Paulus a little hope. He cut the deficit to three when he won the par five twelfth hole with birdie but 

PAULUS LOST BALL

Forbes got into a four hole dormie position when Paulus lost a ball from the 14^th tee and with the winning half on the next green the memory of last year was erased and Forbes became the fourth Inverness Golf Club member to have his name on the Carnegie Shield since the resumption of the competition after World War Two. The four Inverness winners have been,  Brian D Fraser, Fraser Urquhart, Stewart Wilson and Scott Chisholm.

There were no local members through to the last four of the Class 1 Davidson Trophy and contesting the final was Lorne Smith from Northamptonshire County GC (7)against American Kevin MacGillivray (Palm Springs) (6). Evenly matched on handicap it took twenty holes to separate them, Smith finding the par three second green in the extra holes to secure the win after MacGillivray missed the green on the right to make bogey four.

The Class 2 handicap E C Fraser Trophy final was guaranteed a local face in the final. Grant Mackay (16) beating former club captain Jim Campbell in the semi final to play Alan Botterill (Sandy Lodge) (8) in the final. In receipt of eight strokes Grant led for most of the way until a run of three losses over the 12^th 13^th and 14^th holes put him two behind. With his stroke Mackay's nett three won the 16^th hole, the next hole halved and the final hole won by by Botterill for the two hole win and take the Trophy to North London.

RESULTS 

CARNEGIE SHIELD

Semi finals

J P Paulus (Sollerod, Denmark) bt A MacDonald (Royal Dornoch) 2 and 1.

J Forbes (Inverness) bt S Wilson (Royal Dornoch) 4 and 3.

Final

Forbes bt Paulus 4 and 3.

DAVIDSON TROPHY

Semi-finals

L M Smith (Northamptonshire County) bt R Yates (The Wisley) 3 and 2.

K MacGillivray (Palm Springs) bt N MacLeod 6 and 5.

Final

Smith bt MacGillivray at 20^th.

E C FRASER TROPHY

Semi-finals

G Mackay (Royal Dornoch) bt  J M Campbell (Royal Dornoch) 1 hole.

A Botterill (Sandy Lodge) bt R E Sheffield 1 hole.   

Final

Botterill bt Mackay 2 holes.