ROBIN WILSON'S NORTH NEWS ROUND-UP

The North District's young golfers spent a lot of their time during the October school break taking part in the North of Scotland Iunior open match-play championship at Forres Golf Club followed by the Inter-District youths' stroke-play event at Nairn.

It was the seventh year of the match-play championship, sponsored by Forres professional Sandy Aird.

The competitors at Forres play in age categories and Inverness provided three of the leading qualifiers for the match-play stages.

In the under-15 section Lewis Fraser (Loch Ness) had the leading net aggregate of 132 while Rory Franssen (Inverness) was the leading scratch qualifier with gross 150. In the under-18 age section Ben Anderson (Inverness) led the handicap qualifiers with net 132.

On the final green Euan Innes (Nairn Dunbar) won the overall handicap section after beating Keiran Mackay (Inverness) in the semi final and Hector Clarke (Moray) in the final. 

Inverness's Rory Franssen, following a semi final win over  Finlay Asher (The Nairn) in the semi final of the under-15 scratch match play group, lost the North District Cup in the final to winner at the 19^th hole, Sandy Scott (The Nairn).

Andrew Burgess (The Nairn) and Andrew Kenyon (Inverness) were semi-finalists in the under-18 scratch section where home member Mark Dingwall emerged with the Sandy Aird Cup from a 2 and 1 result over Adam Fisher (Inchmarlo) in the final.      

Dingwall, Jordan Milne (Elgin) and Rodger Clarke (Moray) then became the North's leading scorers, all 74, when the North Youth team won the triangular youth's invitational competition against the North-east and Angus districts at the Nairn Golf Club. The North team of eight with seven best scores counting totalled 535 to win by one shot from North-east. 

The other four North counting cards were provided by Jeff Wright (Forres) 75, Andrew Burgess (The Nairn) 76, Greg Forsyth (Inverness) 77 and Ryan Copland (Garmouth) 85. Forres's Ross Proctor's 89 was the discarded card.

A 72 from Sam Kiloh (Porthlethen) was the best individual score of the day, and he was followed into the individual listings by North-east's Ray Gordon (Alford) with 73, then Ross Dallas from Kirriermuir, also 73, the best score from an Angus youth.

Angus slumped to a 560 aggregate behind North (535) and North-east (536).

 Left to right: Alan Cameron, Christine Thomson, Ewan Forbes and Robert McKerron (North District president).

Inverness GC secretary first time winner of new North Trophy

Inverness Golf Club secretary Ewan Forbes became the first winner of the Robin Thomson Trophy when he won the North District's invitational match-play championship over The Nairn golf course.

This was the first time the district has staged a match-play championship and their decision was prompted by the death in October last year of Robin Thomson (Forres), a golfer and teacher who had given many years of valiant service to the North Executive, both on and off the course.

After the decision to purchase the trophy in memory of their 1980 season champion the eight leading players in this season's stroke play championship, played at Inverness in May, were invited to take part in the knock-out event which ran through the summer months, the players arranging their own ties at neutral or mutually agreed venues.

Inverness's Forbes arrived in the final after eliminating Thurso's Dougie Thorburn in round one, then his Inverness clubmate Bryan Fotheringham in the semi final. 
Alan Cameron, fresh from his scratch success the previous day in the North Scottish Alliance fixture at Grantown on Spey, completed the final line-up.

Cameron, the Ross-shire county champion from Fortrose and Rosemarkie,  made his way to the final by eliminating the District stroke play champion, Bruce Thomson (The Nairn),  in round one, then Neil McWilliam (Elgin) in his semi final.

The finalists were very familiar with each others' game, having been foursomes partners over many years and Cameron a former Inverness member, so it was no surprise the tie was evenly matched, neither player ever holding more than a one-hole advantage through the first 17 holes. 

On the final tee they were all square but after Cameron drove into a fairway bunker Forbes emerged a one hole winner with a par 5.

North Scottish Alliance at Grantown on Spey.

Fortrose and Rosemarkie golf club members have been prominent in the first three North Scottish Golfer's Alliance fixtures and at Grantown on Spey the Ross-shire club provided the  scratch winner.

Their Ross-shire county champion, Alan Cameron,  closed with an eagle at  Grantown  to add to four previous birdies. With a three under par scratch card of 67, Cameron finished two shots ahead of Moray assistant professional Andrew Rollo and amateurs John Campbell (Grantown on Spey)  and Robbie Stewart (Torvean).

 Stewart's clubmate Michael Lyall recorded a net 65 off 12 of a handicap to win the high handicap section.

 LEADING SCRATCH SCORES AT GRANTOWN

67 R.A.L. Cameron (Fortrose and Rosemarkie)

69 A.G. Rollo (Moray), J.S.D. Campbell (Grantown), R.H. Stewart (Torvean)

70 B. Cruickshank (Spey Bay), S. Wilson (Inverness), D. Hector (Elgin), P. Masson (Rothes)

71 S. Johnston (Elgin), K. Barnett (Torvean), K. Thomson (Moray), R. Harrower (Boat of Garten)

 72 D. Thom (Grantown), R. McKerron (Forres)

73 G. Hay (Grantown), J. Simpson (Forres)

74 N. McWilliam (Elgin), A.J. England (Moray), J.A.G. Innes (Elgin), D. Macleod (Grantown)

75 T. Dingwall (Nairn Dunbar), G. Mackenzie (Moray), L. MacBean (Boat of Garten)

76 A. Hutchison (Torvean), F. Hutchison (Inverness), A.A. Lees (Moray)

77 M. Douglas (Inverness), M. Lyall (Torvean), K. Williamson (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), W. Hutchison (Inverness), A. Jackson (Rothes)

78 A. Waterson (Boat of Garten), M. Windsor (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), J.K. England (Moray), W. Donnelly (Fortrose and Rosemarkie)

79 S. Duncan (Moray), S. Mullen (Elgin), V. Tilman (Muir of Ord), A.P. Thomson (Inverness)

HANDICAP

Class 1 (seven and under)

63 P Masson (Rothes) (7)

65 R H Stewart (Torvean) (4)

66 K. Barnett (Torvean) (5)

67 S. Johnston (Elgin) (4), D Macleod (Grantown) (7), D. Thom (Grantown) (5) 

Class 2 (eight to 14)

65 M Lyall (Torvean) (12)

66 L. MacBean (Boat of Garten) (9)

67 A. Jackson (Rothes) (10), F Hutchison (Inverness) (9), M. Windsor (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) (11), A.A. Lees (Moray) (9)