MACALLAN NORTH DISTRICT OVER-55s CHAMPIONSHIP

 Left to right: David Bunker, Alan Boxx (Boat of Garten captain), Graham Tregaskis (Boat of Garten), Ian Tinker (Moray). Picture by Robin Wilson.
 
BUNKER BEATS NICHOLSON IN TWO-

HOLE PLAY-OFF FOR SENIORS TITLE

By ROBIN WILSON

The Macallan North District Senior Golf Championship was hosted on the Boat of Garten golf course for the first time and won for a first time by Nairn Dunbar's 66-year-old David Bunker after a play off with Bert Nicholson of Muir of Ord.

After a succession of near-misses in recent years it was a long-time goal of Bunker to get his name on to the Macallan Trophy as the winner in the first two years of the championship, 1983 and 1984, was his  uncle, John Duggie, also of Nairn Dunbar.

While most of the North's coastal links courses were shrouded in a sea harr the highly acclaimed Boat of Garten enjoyed  a clear and sunny sky to enable both Bunker and Nicholson to post cards of 73. Bunker halves of 36 and 37, and Nicholson, 37 and 36, against the par of 70.

Nicholson might have won at the first attempt but he bogeyed the final hole and the same hole would  again haunt him in the play off. 

The first and final holes were used  for the play-off and at the par three first although missing the green Bunker made his par three with an eight foot putt while Nicholson three putted from the fringe, missing a four foot par attempt.

They both came up short of the 426yd 18th hole in two shots, Nicholson rather unfortunate in having to have one foot in a bunker to play his pitch which gave him little hope of saving his par while Bunker easily made his bogey five to win.

Inverness's Laurie Chancellor was a shot short of the play-off while the scratch winners of the age categories were Catgory A -  76 Graham Tregaskis (Boat of Garten). Category B – 75  Fraser Sharp (Boat of Garten).  Category C – 77 John Thomson (Inverness).

 PRIZE LIST

                                                                                                                                

CSS  71  Par 70  5876 Yds

 

SCRATCH

Winner –        David Bunker  Nairn Dunbar 73       

 Macallan Trophy + Macallan                

   (D Bunker won 2 hole play off  8 / 9)                                              

Second –         Bert Nicholson           Muir of Ord                73                    Grouse

Third -            Laurie Chancellor      Inverness                    74                    Grouse

Cat A (55 to 64)

Scratch –        Graham Tregaskis     Boat of Garten          76                    Macallan

Hcp 1^st –         Paul Jackson              Nairn Dunbar 68                    Grouse

                                                     

Hcp 2^nd –         Donald Cormack        Inverness                    69 BL9            Grouse

Hcp 3^rd –         Tony Barlett              Royal Dornoch           69                    Grouse

Cat B (65 to 70)

Scratch –        Fraser Sharp              Boat of Garten          75                    Macallan

Hcp 1^st –         James Young              Moray                         72 BL6            Grouse

Hcp 2^nd –          Patrick Smith            Moray                         72                    Grouse

Hcp 3^rd-           Ivan McKenzie          Moray                         73BL9             Grouse

Cat C (71 +)

Scratch –        John Thomason          Inverness                    77                   Macallan

Hcp 1^st –         Ian Tasker                  Moray                         73                    Grouse

Hcp 2^nd -         Charles Stewart        Moray                         78BL9             Grouse

Hcp 3^rd-           Adrian Bagott            Royal Dornoch           78                    Grouse