KYLE GODSMAN FLIES BACK FROM US COLLEGE TO WIN NORTH DISTRICT TITLE

By ROBIN WILSON

Robert McKerron, President of the North District, gave up his place in the draw to allow 22-year-old Kyle Godsman (Moray),  just home earlier in the week at the end of his third year at the  University of South Carolina-Aiken, to compte in the North District Championship at Royal Dornoch on Sunday.

When the field of 75 completed the 36-hole tournament,  McKerron presented Godsman with the Association Cup.

The first-time winner broke par by two shots with a 68 (32-36)  to lead after the morning round from former champion and Scottish international Bryan Fotheringham (Inverness) 35-35.

Lyle McAlpine, from the host club, also had a first-round 70 and Carnegie Shield holder John Forbes (Invernesss) a 71.

Inverness's Cameron Nelson, after a first-round 72, took the clubhouse lead with a second-round 71 for 143 before Fotheringham took over with a second-round 72 to eventually finish in second place on 142.

Godsman had a run of bogeys on his second-round outward half but came back with a birdie on the eighth hole for an outward 37. A three-birdie inward card over the second eight holes allowed him to take 5 up the last after he drove into the rough to sign off with 34 and 71 for a total of 139 and a three-shot margin. 

Lyle McAlpine (Royal Dornoch) won the Under-21 youths title for the Murray Trophy  with rounds of 70-74 for 144, one shot ahead of Jeff Wright (Forres).

The best net not was returned by David Grindell (Inverness) with 143 (72-71) off eight of a handicap.

LEADING CHAMPIONSHIP TOTALS

Par 140 (2x70) CSS 74 74

139 Kyle Godsman (Moray) 68 71.

142 Bryan Fotheringham (Inverness) 70 72.

143 Scott Dingwall (Grantown on Spey) 73 70, Cameron Nelson (The Nairn) 72 71, John Forbes (Inverness) 71 72.

148 Jordan Milne (Elgin) 75 73, Bruce Thomson (The Nairn) 73 75.

150 Neil Hampton (Royal Dornoch) 76 74, Daniel Holden (Royal Dornoch) 77 73, Graham Burnett (Nairn Dunbar) 75 75.

151 Allan Cameron (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) 77 74, Douglas Thorburn (Tain) 72 79, David  Grindell (Inverness) 76 75.

152 Ewan Forbes (Inverness) 74 78, Darren Leith (Garmouth and Kingston) 76 76.

153 Ian Rennie (Royal Dornoch) 79 74, Chris Gaittens (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) 77 76, Darren Hexley (Golspie) 78 75, Nail McWilliam (Elgin) 78 75.

154 Cameron Franssen (Inverness) 79 75, Jordan Shaw (Kingussie) 83 71, Ewan Barras) Loch Ness) 79 75, Euan Chancellor (Inverness) 74 80.

155 Munro Ferries (Tain) 74 81, Mike MacDonald (Fortreose and Rosemarkie) 73 82, Neil Munro (Royal Dornoch) 78 77, Ross Coupland (Torvean) 78 77.

156 Kevin Matheson(Royal Dornoch)78 78.

157 Malcolm MacLeman (Moray) 79 78, Ali Begg (Muir of Ord) 78 79, Graeme Anderson (Nairn Dunbar0 80 77.

158 Rory Franssen (Inverness) 77 81, Ross Munro (Reay) 81 77 Colin MacRitchie (Stornoway) 79 79, Jamie Treasurer (Inverness) 80 78, Ian Geddes (Moray) 80 78, Kieron MacKay (Inverness) 78 80, Michael Schinkel (Orkney) 80 78.

159 David Pearson (Royal Dornoch) 81 78, Ross Proctor (Forr3es) 83 76.

160 Malcolm M MacLeman (Moray) 77 83, Lewis Reid (Forres) 76 84, Colin Taylor (Elgin) 84 76. 

UNDER-21 YOUTHS CHAMPIONSHIP

144 Lyle McAlpine (Royal Dornoch) 70 74.

145 Jeff Wright (Forres) 72 73.

149 Mark Dingwall (Nairn Dunbar0 78 71.

150 Sean Burgess (The Nairn) 76 74.

LEADING HANDICAP

143 David Grindell (Inverness) (4) 72 71.

144 Daniel Holden (Royal Dornoch) (3) 74 70, Euan Barras (Inveness) (5) 74 70.