Steven Buchan retains Invergordon Championship

Steven Buchan's week of golf was complete when, seven days after winning his club's open tournament, he successfully defended the Invergordon club championship by beating David MacCormick in the final, writes Robin Wilson 

Following the stroke-play qualifying rounds, Buchan was only the fourth seed. Leading the scoring with 71 and 70 was Jock MacIver while Buchan opened with a 77 but made it into the match-play with a second round 68. 

Sixty-eight was also the score on the first round card of several times champion, Andrew Gilmour, but as he inadvertently had left his card unsigned he was disqualified from the championship

Buchan breezed past Ally Mackenzie in the quarter-finals, then put out the leading qualifier, MacIver,  by 4 and 3 in the semis to come up against David MacCormick in Saturday evening's final.  MacCormick was a comfortable 5 and 4 semi-final winner over the club captain, John Fraser.

The final was heading to be over even more quickly than Buchan's match against Mackenzie when he was six holes to the good through 11. But MacCormick rallied and it took a 17th hole birdie from Buchan to clinch his fourth championship by 2 and 1.

Fenton Ogley became a first time handicap champion, beating Jim Mackay 3 and 2 in this final while Liam Skinner clinched the junior championship by beating Ryan Patterson 5 and 4.

In the women's championships Donna Sinclair was crowned scratch champion after defeating Jill Sharp in the final and Margaret MacLeod won the handicap title by beating Shuna Webster in the final game. 

Results   

Men's Scratch

 Quarter-finals – J MacIver bt A R Campbell 4 and 3, S Buchan bt A Mackenzie 8 and 6, D MacCormick bt L Simpson 1 hole,  J Fraser bt D Baker 1 hole.

Semi-finals  – Buchan  bt MacIver 4 and 3. MacCormick bt Fraser 5 and 4. 

Final - Buchan bt MacCormick 2 and 1.

Handicap Final – R Gillespie bt J Patterson 4 and 3.

Senior Final – F Ogley bt J Mackay 3 and 2

Junior Final – L Skinner bt R Patterson 5 and 4. 

Women's Championship Finals

Scratch -  D Sinclair bt J Sharp 5 and 3. 

Handicap – M MacLeod bt S Webster 6 and 5

Fortrose and Rosemarkie Championships

Over on the Channory Point Michael MacDonald, pictured above, won the Fortrose and Rosemarkie club championship for a record eighth time, beating the unlucky Chris Gaittens who has now lost four finals.

Two Gaittens, father Ken and son Chris, spearheaded a family challenge in this season’s championship, both reaching the semi-final stages.

Only Chris made it through by beating Alan Cameron while Ken fell to the defending champion and club secretary, MacDonald.  

Young Gaittens took up the challenge in the final and could so easily have been two holes up in the early stages but for some saving putts from MacDonald. 

Over the next three holes and through to the end of the game MacDonald’s edge on the greens proved decisive. He won the 5^th, 6^th and eighth holes to progress to the 10^th tee with a two-hole lead after Gaittens holed out in birdie two on the ninth green.

When Gaittens made a mistake from the 15^th tee MacDonald moved to dormie three in front. 

Both players putted for birdies on the next green, Gaittens first from 16 feet and holing out, but MacDonald matched the birdie from closer range  to end the tie at 3 and 2.

Del Newbigging won the handicap championship final after overcoming Davie Tuach in the final by 4 and 3 The leading qualifier, Robert MacKay was in his third successive senior final, having won the last two, but when he came up against the number two seed Willie Donnelly, MacKay relinquished his title by one hole. 

The senior handicap championship was won by relatively new member, Mike Morrison, who played well below his 24 handicap to overwhelm Alan Murray in the final by 6 and 5. 

Karen Johnstone was taken to the last green in defence the women's scratch championship but won the hole and retained her title against Stacy Simpson. 

In the women's handicap final it was a cruise to the trophy by Meryl Marshall who won after just 12 holes against Anne Brown.

Men's Scratch Results.
Quarter-finals
M MacDonald bt G Moore 4 and 3. K Gaittens bt L Reid I hole. C Gaittens bt A Brown 4 and 3. A Cameron bt P Cameron 2 holes.
Semi-finals
MacDonald bt K Gaittens 5 and 3. C Gaittens bt A Cameron 2 and 1. 
Final
MacDonald bt C Gaittens 3 and 2.