INVERNESS FIRST-TIME PAIR WIN BLACK ISLE FOURSOMES

Left to right -– David Sanderson (Inverness) in the blue shirt, Lewis Patience (Fortrose and Rosemarkie)  - holding the handicap trophy - in the grey trousers, Ryan Keith (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) – playing partner of Lewis Patience – Handicap Section) and John Forbes (Inverness) who partnered Sanderson to win the Scratch Trophy.

By ROBIN WILSON

Inverness Golf Club's reigning County Champion, John Forbes, and a former County Champion David Sanderson paired up for the first time to break the monopoly of former winning couples to lift the Munro and Noble Black Isle Foursomes at Fortrose and Rosemarkie last weekend. 

A first time union of the two low handicap players beat the establish pair of Neil Hampton (Royal Dornoch) and Colin Taylor (Elgin), five time previous winners, by the comfortable margin of 4 and 3 in the final after qualifying rounds of 72 and 70.

Hampton and Taylor had posted their notice of becoming record equal winners by leading the scratch qualifying couples with two scores of 68 and they were joined in Sunday's match play eliminators by the local holders, Michael MacDonald and Chris Gaittens ( 74/69) and first time qualifiers, Dougie Thorburn (Reay) and Munro Ferries (Tain) 71 and 73.

The experienced Hampton and Taylor ousted the newcomers Thorburn and Ferries by 4 and 3 in their semi final while Forbes and Sanderson covered the back nine holes in three under par to put out the holders, MacDonald and Gaittens.  

The final started with a bit of a surprise for Forbes and Sanderson, a  lost ball from Forbes's opening drive but they quickly levelled at the next hole and in a three hole winning run from the 6th to 8th holes they took a comfortable three hole lead. Hampton and Taylor then won the first inward hole but again they lost the next hole and when the Inverness duo took the 12^th hole to go four ahead they proceeded to their emphatic 4 and 3 win.

Home club members dominated the handicap final with Louis Patience and Ryan Keith emerging as one hole winners over club mates, Tam Cornwall and Roy McIntosh on the final green.

RESULTS

Players from Fortrose and Rosemarkie GC unless stated

SCRATCH QUALIFIERS

136 N D Hampton (Royal Dornoch) and C Taylor (Elgin) 68 68.

142 J D Forbes (Inverness) and D Sanderson (Inverness) 72 70,

143 M MacDonald and C Gaittens 74 69. 

144 M Ferries (Tain)  and D Thorburn (Reay) 71 73.

 HANDICAP QUALIFIERS

133 T Cornwall and R McIntosh (12.5) 64.5 68.5).

140 D Cameron (Inverness) and K. Carpenter (Inverness) (14)  71 69.

143 L Patience and R. Keith (7.5) 73.5 69.5; D. Ewen (Carrickvale) and T Beattie (Carrickvale) (1.5) 72.5 70.5).

Best Nett Score outside the Qualifiers

68.5 T Hillis  and P. Thorn (17.5) 68.5.  

Best Handicap Aggregate outwith the qualifiers

143 S Chisholm and K Williamson (4.5) 67.5 75.5.

 

MATCH-PLAY

Scratch

Semi-Finals – N D Hampton (Royal Dornoch) and C Taylor (Elgin) bt M Ferries (Tain) and D Thorburn (Reay) 4 and 3,  J D Forbes (Inverness) and D. Sanderson (Inverness) bt M MacDonald and C Gaittens 3 and 2.

Final – Forbes and Sanderson bt Hampton and Taylor 4 and 3.

Taylor (Elgin) 4  and 3.  

Handicap 

Semi-Finals – Cornwall and McIntosh bt Ewen and Beattie at 19^th; L. Patience and Keith bt Cameron and Carpenter (Inverness) 3 and 2; Final - Patience and Keith bt Cornwall and R McIntosh 1 hole.