The men's Braid winners at Brora - left Chris Mailley, right Robert MacDonald. Picture by Robin Wilson                              

James Braid Open

Home club member Robert MacDonald, handicap winner twelve months ago of the sponsor's Royal Marine Hotel Trophy, launched a strong bid to record his first 36 hole scratch win when playing in the James Braid Open at Brora last Saturday, writes Robin Wilson.

MacDonald, a plumber in his father's business, showed his best form in round one to shoot a three under par 67 and lead the Sutherland county champion, Chris Mailley (Royal Dornoch) by one shot before Mailley came back at him in round two to lift the Howey Cup with a 36 hole aggregate of 139 (68-71).

MacDonald's free flowing first round card featured birdies on the fifth and ninth holes. He was two under par for the first four inward holes that included a repeat birdie 2 at the short 13^th hole to take him home in 33 to add to his outward 34.

Mailley, on a rare sunny and warm June summer's day, scorched his way to the turn in a three under count of 32, his birdies arriving early through the opening four holes then cooling off with an inward 36 for his 68. 
But out of form on returning to Brora after winning the North District Championship on his last visit was Inverness's Bryan Fotheringham, who had a miserable run of five bogeys from the third to seventh holes and only salvaged an under-40 outward count with a birdie two putt on the ninth green.

The North champion and former Scottish international showed some form with an inward run of par, eagle, birdie, birdie to give himself a launch pad of 71 (39/32) for round two. 
  But it was not to be Fotheringham's day as his lacklustre play continued into round two and he fell back to fifth place with a 75.

MacDonald leaked a shot at the opening hole of his second round but after managing his card to an outward 37 the burst of dropped shots began with a bunker-driven double bogey six at the tenth hole and more spillages at the 14^th and 15th holes to crawl back home in 40 to leave him ten more than his morning count. 
The redemption for the Marine Hotel Trophy holder was that after his first round nett 63, off 4, he still had a stroke in hand to retain his trophy with a nett total of 136 from Gary Davidson (Wick) who compiled nett cards of 67 and 70 for 137.

 Davidson went back over the Ord as winner of the Class 1 section Dunrobin Cup while local past captain, Billy Bell relieved, of his administration duties of the past three years, relished with two nett 69's, off 16, to win the Kidd Cup from the Class two section.

Results
CSS Home 70/ 70 Visitors 71/72
Scratch
139 C  Mailley (Royal Dornoch)  68 71.
144 R N MacDonald (Brora) 67 77. 
145 L MacDonald-MacLeod 71 74
146 G Urquhart (Alness)  76 70, B Fotheringham (Inverness) 71 75.  
147 G Steven (Wick) 72 75. 
149 G Davidson (Wick) 73 76. 
150 J G MacBeath (Brora) 78 72, D Mackay (Royal Dornoch) 76 74, D M B Brown (Prestwick)  73 77. 
Handicap 
Class 1 – G Davidson (Wick) (6) 136. J Corbett (Royal Dornoch) (7) 140. I Murray (Falkirk) (6) 141, A Fraser (Deeside) (8) 141.  Class 2 – B Bell (Brora) (16) 138. R Selkirk) (13)  141 A Herbert (Williamwood)  (13) 149   

    

Sunday's group from the Mixed Foursomes  left to right - Neil and Fiona Hampton ( handicap trophy winners), Marlene Bokas and James MacBeath (scratch trophy winners), Lynda Mackay and Mike MacKintosh, Lady Captain Anne Clark and past Captain Angela MacBeath who presented the prizes. Picture by Robin Wilson

 Marine mixed fours win for Dornoch couple

The Braid weekend at Brora spilled over into Sunday when Royal Dornoch pair Neil and Fiona Hampton returned both the best scratch and nett card to take home the sponsor's Royal Marine Hotel  Trophy.

The Hampton's gross 75 reduced to nett 68.5 to pip the local combination of Mike MacKintosh and Lynda Mackay by a half shot. The committee rules only allow one trophy can be won which allowed the second best scratch score of 80 from James MacBeath and Marlene Bokas take the scratch Links Trophy.

Prizewinners
Links Trophy - J G MacBeath and L Mackay 80; M Stanton and S  Cackett (Longniddrey) 81.

Royal Marine Hotel Trophy – N D and F Hampton (Royal Dornoch) (6.5) 68.5; M Mackintosh and L Mackay (Brora) (15) 69;  R G Sim and A Clarke (Brora) (11.5) 70.5; D Sutherland and A MacBeath (Brora) (18) 71