REAY TRIO'S THREE-BALL ALLIANCE
VICTORY AT BRORA
By ROBIN WILSON

Teams from the Caithness golf clubs of Thurso and Reay claimed the lion’s share of prizes in the North Golf Alliance Christmas tournament at Brora on Sunday.
In the three-ball, better-ball format played over 15 holes, a Reay trio won by the closest of margins over a Durness team.
Reay’s Colin Stewart, George Robertson and Willie Williamson handed in a card of 49, seven under the par for the Brora 15 hole winter course. to match an earlier card of the same score from Durness members, Alistair Corbett, John Morrison and Steve Mackay.
Comparisons on outward and inward halves were the same, 24-25, as were the last six and three hole figures.
After the two teams remained locked on each of the last six holes, the separation for first and second place was decided on the score at the second inward half hole, Brora’s 12th, a very difficult par-4 into the tough wind and rating stroke index three from the winter tee.
All six players were in receipt of a stroke at this hole but the only nett birdie came from Reay’s Colin Stewart to earn his team the first place.
The three from the Thurso trio reversed the advantage the Durness team had taken at the cut in hole, a par 3, where they got a nett birdie 2.
Two of last year’s winning Thurso team, Steve Cowie and Peter O’Hare, were joined by Steve Osbourne and they finished in third place with a score of 52, their inward half of 25 beating a group of three more teams with the same 15-hole total.
These were Thurso’s Ronnie Matheson, Scott MacDonald and Bryan Sutter, home in 26 followed by a home club trio of Ken Lorimer, Jimmy Murray and Tony Gill, home in 27, and for sixth place Reay’s Alistair Gunn, Gavin Gunn and David Mowat covered the back eight holes in 28. Wick’s Ronnie Taylor, James Taylor and Bill Murray had the same inward count for their 52 but dropped out of the prizes on the last six hole count back.
The individual fixtures will commence again on January 21, 2007 at Tain Golf Club.
Robin Wilson's picture of the successful Caithness golfers above shows: Back row (left to right) Gavin Gunn, Alistair Gunn. Centre - David Mowat, Steve Cowie, Peter O'Hara, Steve Osbourne. Bryan Suttar, Ronnie Matheson, Scott MacDonald. Front row: Willie Williamson, George Robertson, Colin Stewart.

Results
49 G Robertson, W Williamson, C Stewart (Reay) 24-25; A Corbett, J Morrison, S Mackay (Durness) 49 24-25.
52 S Cowie, S. Osbourne, P O’Hare (Thurso) 25-27; R Matheson, S MacDonald, B Suttar (Thurso) 26-26; K Lorrimer, J Murray, A J Gill (Brora) 25-27; A Gunn, G Gunn, D C Mowat (Reay) 24-28 R W Taylor, J Taylor, W Murray (Wick) 28-24.