Bryan Fotheringham wins Carnegie 

Shield at first attempt

Left to right - Alexander Rothnie (E C Fraser Trophy), Richard Sutherland (Davidson Trophy), Bryan Fotheringham (Carnegie Shield) and Trevor MacKay Ken Murray Trophy). Pictures by Robin Wilson

By ROBIN WILSON 

Inverness Golf Club's reigning North District golf champion, Bryan Fotheringham, became his club's ninth name to be inscribed on the North's most desired trophy, Royal Dornoch's Carnegie Shield, after winning it at his first attempt

It was the 102nd time of playing for the magnificent trophy gifted to the Dornoch Golf Club in 1901 by the Dunfermline philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie who once owned Skibo Castle

Over the past 45 years eight other members of Inverness Golf Club have won, teeing off  in 1970 with Brian D Fraser. 

The others who have the same bragging rights are Gordon Fraser (1974), Fraser Urquhart (1987), Billy Maclennan (1996), Stewart Wilson  (1998 and 1999), Scott Chisholm (2000) and John Forbes in 2012, before Fotheringham this year.

Fotheringham won the North Championship at Brora in May but after leading the qualifiers in the Brora five-day tournament the previous week he made a shock exit in the first round to the 16th qualifier.

Recovering from this, he registered a qualifying total of 149 at Dornoch and then more encouragement when he beat two American visitors in the early match-play rounds, three time winner Andrew Biggadike in round two, then in the next round, Trey Wilkinson, the 2013 beaten finalist.

Fotheringham then sealed his place in the final at Dornoch with a comfortable win over English Channel visitor, Tim Aggett, from the Staddon Heights golf course that overlooks Plymouth Harbour.

An all-Inverness final was in the offing when the 2012 winner, John Forbes, held a three-hole lead through 11 holes in the other semi-final before Graham Bell (Bathgate) fought back to win with a single-putt par four on the final green. 

In the final Bell made a slightly fortuitous birdie on the first green when Fotheringham's approach to the pin was halted after striking his opponent's ball on the green but the tie was levelled by the Inverness member with par at the fourth hole. He went ahead with the first of his two outward half birdies, the fifth and ninth holes and with a seventh hole win he turned for home with a comfortable three hole lead.   

Fotheringham's lead increased to four after 13 holes but Bell, by winning the 14^th and halving the 15^th ,was able to extend the game   The 16th hole was also halved to allow Fotheringham to become champion by a 3 and 2 margin..

The bragging rights in a Helmsdale home were balanced up after the final of the Class 1 handicap Davidson Trophy.  Both members of Brora Golf Club, elder brother Donald Sutherland (37) won the handicap Clynelish Shield at Brora the previous week, before younger brother Richard (33) beat Brora's Prestwick member Mike Brown in the semi final. 

Then in the final of the low handicap Davidson Trophy with two outrageous strokes with his putter Sutherland beat Campbell Moffat (Edinburgh Thistle).

Sutherland holed a monster putt the length of the 12^th green to square his final tie but lost the 14^th to return to one down before producing his amazing recovery at the next hole. 

Bunkering his approach to the 15^th green he bladed out of the sand almost onto the 16^th tee. Selecting his putter for the return he holed out for a winning birdie!. 

With his opponent taking a penalty drop at the 16^th Richard led by one with two holes to play and a three-putt bogey 5 was good enough for a 2 and 1 win when Moffat took four from the edge of the 17th green.

 

Davidson Trophy winner Richard Sutherland (Brora) is flanked by proud parents Caroline and Donald Sutherland. Picture by Robin Wilson

 

STUDENT FROM INSCH WINS E C FRASER TROPHY
When Stirling's Jim McIntyre first started visiting the "Carnegie," he was qualifying for the Shield and then saw his two sons taking his place in the scratch section. 

Some 40 years onward and now with a medical condition that requires him to use a mobile buggy McIntyre senior now plays in the Class 2 handicap section where he reached this year's final. Giving away more years than he was able to, he failed to win the E C Fraser Trophy when student Alexander Rothnie (18) from Insch won after 14 holes.

So the Carnegie Week ended with no home club winner this year other than Denmark's Jorg Paulus, a non-resident member winning the Silver Medal as leading qualifier

But, there was a local highlight when Niall Campbell, son of past Captain Jim Campbell, holed out in one at the tenth hole during the qualifying rounds but lost in his first round match against the defending champion, Chris Mailley.

Present Captain Jim Seatter invited the Lady Captain, Denise McBride to present the trophies.

Carnegie Shield 

 (all Royal Dornoch unless stated)

FIRST ROUND

N Murray bt J Paulus 4 and 3. T Aggett (Staddon Heights) bt B Templeton (Gullane) 1 hole. C Martin (USA) bt P Cook (Worthing) 4 and 3. C Mailley bt N Campbell 5 and 4. G Sutherland bt D Pearson 1 hole. T Wilkinson (USA) bt H Green (Harkley Common) 6 and 5. B Fotheringham (Inverness) bt R Coupland (Nairn Dunbar) 1 hole. A Biggadike bt J Johnstone (Whittington Heath) at 19^th. 

W Harden (USA) bt N MacDonald  (Muckhart) 2 holes.  C Jackson (Mellor and Townscliffe) bt B Urquhart 4 and 3. G Bell (Bathgate) bt A Frood (Ranfurly Castle) 2 and 1. I Rennie bt K Fraser 5 and 3. D McIntosh bt D Martin (Ranfurly Castle) 5 and 4. J Forbes (Inverness) bt C Sutherland 2 and 1. A Cameron (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) bt G McIntyre (Stirling) 3 and 2.  A MacDonald bt C Stewart (Dunbar) 6 and 4.   

SECOND ROUND

Aggett beat Munro at 19^th. Mailley bt Martin 2 and 1. Wilkinson bt Sutherland 5 and 4. Fotheringham bt Biggadike 3 and 2. Jackson bt Warden 1 hole. Bell bt Rennie at 20^th. Forbes bt McIntosh 1 hole. MacDonald bt Cameron 4 and 2. 

QUARTER-FINALS

Aggett bt Mailley 2 and 1. Fotheringham bt Wilkinson 4 and 3. Bell bt Jackson 4 and 3. Forbes bt MacDonald 1 hole. 

SEMI-FINALS

 Fotheringham bt Aggett 5 and 4. Bell bt Forbes 1 hole. 

FINAL

Fotheringham beat Bell 3 and 2

LINDSAY RETURNS TO WIN AT DORNOCH

The Royal Dornoch Ladies section held their Open Tournament in the week before the Shield for their prized Silver Medal and making a return to win the medal once more was former Scottish International and still a Royal Dornoch member, Lindsay Anderson, now Mrs Garden and living in Edinburgh and golfing at Gullane.

Garden returned a one-over=women's par score of 77 to win the silver medal and Millburn Challenge Bowl by two from last year's winner, local Cara Gruber, whose nett score of 78 placed her third in the Silver Division. 

The Silver Handicap Division winner was Barbara Hudson-Reed (Easthampstead Ladies). The Lovell Salver for home members was won by Fiona Hampton nett 77 off 12, while the Bronze handicap winner was local Sue Helal with nett 81, off 26,  followed by her club mates Vicky Sutherland and Anne Gunn.

Royal Dornoch Golf Club teenager Rebecca Riddell was the only Sutherland golfer to win in a prize in last weekend's North of Scotland Girls championship played at Boat of Garten. Playing off 16, Rebecca,  the elder daughter of Royal Dornoch's Head Greenkeeper, Eoin, and his wife Claire, the club's assistant secretary,  won the handicap title with a nett 69. 
She was three shots better than Carinne Taylor (Forres) who had a nett 72 off three of a handicap
Taylor has been chosen to visit America in October as part of the Grampian Houston 2015 Junior Tour.
 The scratch championship was won by Carnoustie's Claire Robertson with what is believed to be a women's course record  score of five under par 67

Dane sets course record Golspie Golf Course.

The winner of Golspie's Sinclair Cup two years ago, Royal Dornoch's Danish member Jorg Paulus returned to claim the scratch cup for a second time and in the process set a course record for the extended Golspie course.

Paulus is a regular summer visitor to Dornoch and he bettered course Head Greenkeeper Alex MacDonald’s previous 66 by one in the first round of the recent August Open Tournament. 

His card figures for a 65 were

OUT: 5 3 4 4 4 2 3 4 4 = 33

    IN: 3 3 4 3 5 4 3 3 4 = 32

To his 65 Paulus added a second round card of 71 for a 136 aggregate and leave previous cup winner MacDonald in second place on 137 (68/69). 

MacDonald made inroads into Paulus's first round lead but he bogeyed the final hole while the winner finished with a birdie to head the scratch scores. 

After his previous day's Clynelish Salver win, Brora's Roddie Cameron found the stamina to finish third at Golspie with 72 and 73 for 145.

Winning the low handicap Argo Cup was local Michael Bonner who matched his handicap in both rounds with nett 68's, off six, to finish one ahead of Deeside junior Ross Powell with same handicap and cards of 68 and 69.  Third  was another Brora Clynelish winner, Golspie's Billy Melville (7) 70 and 72 for third handicap in the low section..

A second home member Dave Roberts won the Clydesdale Bank Shield in section two with two nett 69's off nine, while Alexander Rothnie (Insch) tuned up for his Dornoch success and finished second with nett 72 and 70 for 142.  Raymond Jack (Golspie) filled third place in this section with 69 and 77 for 146.