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 12th 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 19th; L. Patience and Keith bt Cameron and Carpenter
(Inverness) 3 and 2; Final - Patience and Keith bt Cornwall and R McIntosh 1 hole.
Labels: Amateur Men