WRIGHT ON! JEFF IS NORTH CHAMPION 

OF CHAMPIONS AT BRORA

Picture line up at Brora left to right: Bryan Fotheringham Forres, Donald Sutherland (Captain ,Brora Golf Club) and  Jeff Wright (Forres). Picture by Robin Wilson.

Jeff Wright (Forres) won the North District champion of champions' 36-hole tournament at Brora Golf Club today (Sunday).

Wright had two rounds of four-under-par 66 for an impressive total of eight-under 132 to head a field of 19 players.

He won by eight shots from his clubmate Bryan Fotheringham who scored 71 and 69.
Two other players, Jamie MacKintosh (Nairn) and John Forbes (Inverness) also totalled 140. Fotheringham had a better second round than both while MacKintosh had a better last six than Forbes.
MacKintosh and Forbes both scored 69-71.

ALL THE TOTALS
par 140 (2x70) Yardage: 6,211. CSS 70 70
132 Jeff Wright (Forres)  66 66

140 Bryan Fotheringham (Forres) 71 69 (better second round), Jamie Mackintosh (Nairn) 69 71 (better last 6),  John Forbes (Inverness) 69 71
142 Jonathon Keith (Inverness) 72 70
143 Darren Hexley (Golspie) 72 71
146 Chris Gaittens (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) 76 70, Jordan Milne (Elgin) 75 71 
147 Keven Bartlett (Strathpeffer) 73 74
149 Kieran MacKay (Tain) 78 71 
150 Douglas YThorburn (Thurso) 74 76, Steven Rendal (Kirkwall) 73 77
152 Alan Larnach (Wick) 77 75
155 Calum Scott 81 74. 
157 Jake Williamson 79 78
158 David Pearson (Royal Dornoch) 79 79, Andrew Moir 82 76.
167 John Dingwall (Kinloss) 85 82
No show: David Borthwick (Kingussie)

 Wright missed chance of new Brora record

By ROBIN WILSON

Jeff Wright (Forres) ticked off another successful season when he won the inaugural North District Champions of Champions tournament played over James Braid's classic links at Broraon Sunday.

Most of the district's champions were in attendance and also entitled to take part were individual club champions although the representation of these was disappointing, just 13 champions accepting the invitation from a possible 61 – Jonathon Keith (Inverness), Kieran MacKay (Tain), Darren Hexley (Golspie), Alan Larnoch (Wick), John Dingwall (Kinloss), David Borthwick (Kingussie), David Pearson (Royal Dornoch), Bryan Fotheringham (Forres) Douglas Thorburn (Thurso) Kevin Bartlet (Strathpeffer Spa), Jordan Milne (Elgin) Steven Rendal (Kirkwall)  and Chris Gaittens (Fortrose and aRosemarkie) were those who played. 

The North executive will continue with the competition in the hope it will rise in stature as it will entitle the winner qualification into the prestigious annual Scottish Champion of Champions' event.

Earning his place into next season's Scottish event is the Brora winner from Sunday, Jeff Wright (Forres). His participation at Brora was the reward for winning the North's 72 Hole David Blair Championship last month at Inverness. 

At Inverness Wright broke par in three of his four rounds and at Brora, playing the course for  the first time, he broke par twice, two 66s for an eight-shot win over his club mate and Forres club champion, Bryan Fotheringham.

Fotheringham is a joint course record holder at Brora, his 65 set earlier in the season in the James Braid tournament with Chris Mailley (Royal Dornoch). Wright just missed matching the record in the first round with his five birdie and one bogey card of 66 (34-32) but in round two he had a new record in his grasp at seven under par with just two holes to play.

Wright was one under par through six holes and two under after nine before staring his inward half by almost holing his second shot from the rough at the 10^th hole. His eagle did come at the par five 11^th hole after holing from twenty feet and he proceeded to seven under par with successive birdies on the 14^th and 15th holes. 

Parring the 16th, he missed the green with his second to the 17^th to take a bogey 5 but still only required a final hole par three to set a new record of 64.

Unfortunately Wright's  tee shot came up short and ended up in the deep hollow below the green. Like so many other before him his half-hit wedge rolled back to his feet for him to result in the inevitable double bogey 5 for his second 66 in two halves of 33.

Forres champion, Fotheringham, bogeyed the last three holes in his opening 71 (33-38) but broke par in round two with a 69 ((34-35). His improved second round claimed second place on 140 aggregate count back over the North's Under-18 Order of Merit winner Jamie MacKintosh (The Nairn) (69-71). He pipped the North Order of Merit winner John Forbes (Inverness), also 69 and 71, the separation going down to their final six holes, MacKintosh 21 to Forbes' 23.