ROBIN WILSON'S NORTH OF SCOTLAND NEWS ROUND-UP

  Left to right: David Grindell, North District official Ali Paterson, Cameron Franssen (picture by Robin Wilson).

INVERNESS BOYS TO THE FORE 

IN NORTH JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Inverness Golf Club's rich crop of young golfers filled four of the top six places in the J and C Fotheringham-sponsored North of Scotland boys' championship at Torvean golf course, Inverness last Sunday.

Euan Munro from the Caithness course at Reay prevented an Inverness 1-2-3 finish as winning the Spence Trophy for the first time was 18-year-old Cameron Franssen.

The clash of dates with the SGU's Scottish Hydro Junior Tour at Moray GC on Saturday and Sunday  reduced the entry for Torvean and subsequently there were no entrants from the North-east District whose juniors are also entitled to play for the Spence Trophy. 

But after missing the Scottish Hydro Junior Tour's Saturday 36-hole cut over Moray's New course with two cards of 78, Franssen was given a belated entry for his more familiar Torvean course on Sunday.

Returning a first round, one-over-par card of 70 (35-35), Franssen (18), the elder of the two Inverness golfing brothers, found himself holding only a one-shot first-round lead from clubmate and defending champion David Grindell, also 18.  Elgin's Andrew Moir had the best of the outward counts with a one under par 33 but three bogeys over the last four holes raised his inward half to 39 for a share of second place.

Reay's Munro and Franssen had the best of the second-round scores, both 71. It elevated Munro to third place after his opening 77 while Grindell fell back to 75, leaving the in-form Franssen cruising to a comfortable six-shot win on 141.

Moir added a second-round 72 to lead the Under-16 years section on 147, followed by Finlay Asher (The Nairn) (76-76), and third was his clubmate Hamish McColm, who showed the most improvement of the day - a first-round 86 cut down to 72 on the second circuit.

Twenty-five handicapper Steven Pears (Nairn Dunbar) found the much shorter Torvean course very much to his liking. He had a net 59 in the first round and followed it up with a nett 65 to lead the handicap scores. 

The  distant travellers from the West, Kyle Pirrie (Isle of Skye) and Scott Lawrie (Fort William) followed the winner with 125 and 127 respectively.

NORTH of SCOTLAND BOYS' CHAMPIONSHIP

Torvean GC, Inverness

CSS Rd 1 69. Rd 2 68

Scratch Aggregate (H R Spence Trophy) 

141 C Franssen  (Inverness) 70 71.  

147 D Grindell (Inverness) 72 75 

148 E Munro ( Reay) 77 71

155 J Penwright (Inverness) 83 72, M Schinkell (Orkney) 79 76, E  Gill (Inverness) 78 77

Under 16

Scratch

147 A Moir (Elgin) 72 75

152 F Asher (The Nairn) 76  76

158 H McColm (The Nairn) 86 72

Handicap 

S Pears (Nairn Dunbar) (25) 124;  K Pirie (Isle of Skye) (23) 125;  S Lawrie (Fort William) (18) 127 

ALAN CAMERON BACK ON NORTH DUTY

In form Fortrose and Rosemarkie golfer, Alan Cameron (pictured by Robin Wilson), one half of the duo that won the recent Black Isle Foursomes, gave the North District selectors a reason to approach the forthcoming Scottish area team championship with optimism after an outstanding score over The Nairn championship course last weekend to win the Finlay Cup.

The Cup is a handicap one yet scratch player Cameron won it with a gross and nett 66, bettering the next best gross score by six. 

Cameron's iron play and putter were the key to his play.  Two birdie 2s on his outward card plus further birdies at the second and seventh and eighth holes and just one dropped shot added up to a four- under-par outward half of 32. 

After his sixth birdie of the round at the 10th hole he collected another birdie 2 on the 11th green. With one inward half dropped shot at the 14^th he repaired this with a following hole birdie 3 to get him home in two under par 34 for an outstanding round of 66.

After a lengthy absence from the North team Cameron will accompany North Alliance champion Bryan Fotheringham (Inverness), his namesake Fraser Fotheringham (The Nairn), and the trio of Jordan Milne  (Elgin), Jordan Shaw (Boat of Garten) and Jeff Wright (Forres)  at the Scottish area team championship from May 16 to 18.

Ranfurly Castle and Old Ranfurly golf courses will host the three-day event with the 16 area teams reducing to eight after two stroke-play rounds for Saturday and Sunday's match play. 

Fife are the current champions. North have not won the title since 2000.

FINLAY CUP SCORES AT NAIRN

Handicap ( CSS 73 home and away) 

R A L Cameron (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) 66; T Hinde (The Nairn) 67; N MacKenzie (Inverness), M MacLeod ( The Nairn) 69.

Scratch – S Ritchie (The Nairn) 72; B Thomson (The Nairn), K  Donnelly (Nairn Dunbar) 73. 

Over-50s – C MacLeod (The Nairn) 6.