Northern Open at Royal Dornoch next week

By ROBIN WILSON 

Royal Dornoch members and county golfers have plenty to focus on next week when, after an absence of 22 years, the Northern Open championship returns to its world favourite golf course as part of its 400 Year celebrations.

Now retired, Kevin Stables was the professional winner in 1994 but the locals will be keeping a watch not only on their own professional stable under Andrew Skinner but their top amateurs who will be seeking the same success as Jimmy Gunn did in the competition when it twice visited the Skibo links in 2005 and 2007.

Dornoch young professional Sean Fay leads off the play on Tuesday morning in twith ex-Dornoch assistant Stuart Morrison (Tain) A second ex-Dornoch assistant, Greg McBain, goes out shortly afterwards. 
Then, current Royal Dornoch number two Gary Dingwall and finally at 13.18 head pro Andrew Skinner complete the Dornoch professional involvement. 
Making his return to the professional tour scene for the first time since becoming Brora's new professional is Malcolm Murray who tees of at 7.39am

Sutherland's last two county champions Chris Mailley and Alex MacDonald spearhead the home amateur challenge and they have four in support, David McIntosh, David Pearson, Bryan Urquhart and Craig MacKay.

Other familiar faces to watch out for are David Grindell (Inverness), Gavin Hay (Grantown) and amateur Fraser Fotheringham (The Nairn).

Ross-shire gets new county champion

Ross-shire have a new county champion in Chris Gaittens of Fortrose and Rosemarkie. Gaittens beat off a recovery from defending champion Lyle McAlpine (Tain) after McAlpine led him by two shots from a first-round level par 70 over the Tain golf course

McAlpine lost all his chance of winning the cup for a fourth time when, at the third hole of his second round, he took nine shots after twice visiting the bushes on the left. 

Gaittens, pictured right, surged into the lead with a birdie 3 at the same hole and held onto a two-stroke lead until he three-putted the 17^th green. His lead now one stroke, he responded with a closing birdie to clinch his first Ross-shire championship.