ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF CARNEGIE SHIELD AT ROYAL DORNOCH

         By ROBIN WILSON 

The Royal Dornoch Golf Club, whose course ranks number twelve in the World are celebrating 100 years of Carnegie Shield competitions  this week.

The trophy is symbolic with the club after being presented to them by Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie of Skibo in 1901, play was suspended during the years of the two great wars hence the number 100 has been reached only this year.

All former winners were invited to play and they were each presented with a commemorative quaich on the eve of the event, inscribed with the year that they won. Brora's Jim Miller the most prolific living winner, ten wins in a period  from 1965 to 1983.

This week former British amateur champion  Garth McGimpsey (Bangor)  marked his competitive return to Royal Dornoch since his triumph on the Sutherland Links in 1985 and safely negotiated his way through the first round.

Also easily through to today's second round is the Holder, John Forbes (Inverness) who required just 13 holes to beat the club's general manager Neil Hampton while the big upset came in the first game when leading qualifier and silver medallist Alec MacDonald was beaten by his club mate and Skibo Course manager Gary Gruber on the 17^th green.

First Round Results

(All Royal Dornoch unless stated)  

 G Gruber bt A MacDonald 2 and 1. 

T Wilkinson (USA) bt K Mackay (Inverness) 6 and 5

J D Forbes (Inverness ) bt N D Hampton 6 and 5.

G McGimpsey (Bangor) bt N Macleod 3 and 2. 

G Bell (Bathgate ) bt S Deery (West Lancs) 1 hole. 

S Harper (Castle Royle) bt S Thornhill (Broadway) 4/2. 

R A L Cameron (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) bt C Sutherland 2 holes. D Pearson bt M McMurray (Bangor) 4/3.

 E Barras (Loch Ness) bt J Calberg (USA) 3/1. 

Chisholm (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) bt N McQueen (Mellor & Townscliffe) 3/2. 

C Mailley bt S Wilson (Inverness) 4/3. 

J Bunch (Prestwick) bt  A Easterbrook (USA) 6/5. 

J P Paulus (Germany) bt  A A Mackay (Haggs Castle) 6/5. 

C Nelson (The Nairn) bt N MacDonald (Muckhart) 4/3. 

P O'Hagen (Broadway) bt R MacKinnon (Mellor & Townscliffe)  4/3. 

A J Biggadike (USA) bt I Pether (Dale Hill) 5/4.