Tain Golf Club team with the trophy. Left to right: back row - Gary Urquhart, Billy Ferries, Alan Everett, David Vass Ian Cowper; front row - Munro Ferries, Graeme Ross (Club Captain) Sean Kennedy.

 

Tain, at home, win Dornoch Firth League for fifth time
 

By ROBIN WILSON

Tain Golf Club men's section went undefeated through all their four matches against Brora, Royal Dornoch, Golspie and Invergordon to win the Dornoch Firth League on their home course.

The home side ended the weekend with 23.5pts, a point awarded for each individual individual game won in the seven-a-side matches to win the Targe Trophy for a ninth time, their last win coming three years ago at Invergordon.

Tain's top four were outstanding. Lyle McAlpine, Munro Ferries, Alan Everett and Gary Urquhart were unbeaten over the two days, contributing 16 of their 23.5pts, which dropped Royal Dornoch into second place.

The winners had two whitewash 7-0 results, their first against Invergordon and then their most impressive against the holders, Brora, which dropped the Sutherland club, who hold the record  most number of wins, 20 , since 1973, to third place.

Royal Dornoch, after their two Saturday matches, a 6-1 win over Golspie and then losing 4-3 to Tain, carried nine points before entering Sunday afternoon's final round-robin matches against Brora and Invergordon requiring 14pts from the two ties to match Tain's already posted 23 pts.

When Billy Ferries holed a three foot putt on the final green to earn a half with Golspie's Muir Ross that put the title beyond Dornoch's reach and the Tain celebrations began.   

In the round robin Dornoch beat Brora 5.5 to 1.5 and Invergordon 6-1 while Brora beat Invergordon 4-3 to leave the final league table positions - Tain 23.5, Royal Dornoch 20.5. Golspie 10.5, Brora 9.5, Invergordon 6.

Next year's league fixtures will be played at Brora and the league will return to Tain in 2023.      

 McAlpine wins Global Port Services Open

 

On the eve of the North District Association championship at Tain two weeks ago local +3 handicapper, Lyle McAlpine, matched the course par of 70 and bettered the competition CSS by three to beat clubmate Munro Ferries by three shots and Inverness's David Joel by five in the  Global Port Services 18 Hole Open competition.

 The home club members doubled up in the two handicap sections. Ryan Semple (8)  won Class 1 with nett 72 and Jonathon Bell (13) led Class 2 with nett 71 with club mate John Au (15)  second with nett 75  by way of  count back over  R Selkirk (Inverness) (14).

 

SHORT PUTTS

On a visit last week to Tain from Scottish Golf's Senior Tour to stage the North of Scotland Senior Championship, Fortrose and Rosemarkie head greenkeeper George Paterson shot 72 and 75  and Robert Smith (The Nairn) the same total by way of 71 and 76 but both lost out on the gold medal which was awarded to Niall Lamond (Tantallon) on the final better second round score of 72 for the tie on 147.

David Pearson (Royal Dornoch) (77-72) was in a four-way tie for third place with 149 while home member Munro Ferries (Tain) (75-78) tied in fifth place with Laurie Chancellor (Inverness) (74-79) on 153.

Appointed team captain and selector Alan Cameron brings the Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club up to three players in the North District team travelling to Alyth Golf Course on Sunday for the Inter- District Invitational match against the North-east and Perth and Kinross.

Chris Gaittens and Lewis Reid are the two other Fortrose members and the team of eight is completed with Jeff Wright (Forres), Michael Shinkell (Royal Dornoch), Logan Gillies (The Nairn), Jamie Mackintosh (The Nairn) and Dougie Thorburn (Wick).