Bryan Fotheringham wins Sinclair Cup, then 

heads for Balgownie

By ROBIN WILSON

A first time winner of Royal Dornoch's Carnegie Shield last season, Forres Golf Club's former international Bryan Fotheringham made a return visit to Dornoch at the weekend to record his first success in the Sinclair Cup before he set off to play in the Scottish amateur championship at Royal Aberdeen.
That's Bryan pictured above with Royal Dornoch GC captain Jim Seatter

The best of local and North and North-east District golfers were drawn to the world famous links celebrating this year 400 years of golf in the Royal Burgh to take part in Dornoch's premier 36 hole stroke-play competition.

Among them were John Forbes (Muir of Ord) and Fotheringham who currently top the North's Order of Merit while Oldmeldrum's Graeme Hogg was attempting to join several other Aberdeenshire golfers who have won the cup six times in the past nine years.

But topping the scratch leader board after round one was the local winner of 2014, Chris Mailley, with a level par 70 after coming home in two-under 33. 

Fotheringham, at +3 the highest rated golfer in the field, was in a tie for second place with Easter Moffat's Mark English. Fotheringham put together halves of 35 and 36 and in the mix just off the pace were locals Craig MacKay and Bryan Urquhart alongside the Muir of Ord pair of Forbes and Jamie Whittet, both 73.

At the start of the second round in a move to go top Fotheringham and Forbes opened with birdies and both reached the turn in 34. Oldmeldrum's Hogg matched the outward par of 35 but made his move over the first four inward holes – par, par, birdie, birdie and with no dropped strokes returned an inward card of 33 for 68 to add to his opening 75 (37-38), eventually finishing runner-up. 

Forbes came home in 36 to record a second-round 70 for 143 and drop to third place on second round countback while Mailley fell back to fourth after dropping all his strokes in an outward nine of 39 for 74. 

Mailley's "consolation" prize was  the Taylor Bullock Salver for the best local performance.  He is picture with the trophy and Jim Seatter on the right.
Clubmate Bryan Urquhart recovered a second-round 72 from an inward 34 for fifth place.

English after a handicap-slashing net  67 in round one, where the visitors' CSS was 74 was best nett with 140, off four

 SINCLAIR CUP LEADING TOTALS

 CSS: members - am 73, pm 73. Visitors - am 74, pm 73)

Scratch

142 B F Fotheringham (Forres) 71 71. 

143 G Hogg (Oldmeldrum) 75 68, J Forbes (Muir of Ord) 73 70, C Mailley (Royal Dornoch) 70 74.  

145 B Urquhart (Royal Dornoch) 73 72.

Handicap

140 M English (Easter Moffat (4) 67 73.

142 M Laird (Hindhead) (2) 73 69, J Whittet (Muir of Ord) (3) 70 72; S Deery (West Lancs/Royal Dornoch) (4) 69 73. 

144 S Wylie (Mount Ellen) (3) 75 69.

Best scratch round: J Goodward (McDonald Ellon) 69. 

Best net round:  A Russell (Clydebank Overtoun) (4) 68. 

Taylor Bullock Salver (Confined): C Mailley (Royal Dornoch ) 144 (70 74).

Although billed the as an open foursomes competition the local members enjoyed an almost clean sweep in the G K MacKay Foursomes.

A former double Carnegie Shield winner Gary Bethune (1989 and 1991), partnering  his son Graeme, matched the course par of 70 to win the G K MacKay Trophy with their net card of 66. Like the previous day's winner they also received a specially crafted 400^th anniversary commemorative hickory putter each from the Royal Dornoch Golf Club. Gary Bethune, Jim Seatter and Graeme Bethune picture above.

G K MacKay Trophy – Gary Bethune and Graeme Bethune (Royal Dornoch) 70 (4) 66 bih

Scott Aitchison and Alex Gunn (Royal Dornoch) 80 (14) 66

Gary Gruber and Chris Welsh (Royal Dornoch) 75 (8) 67

David Pearson and Sandy Morrison (Royal Dornoch) 80 (10.5) 69.5

 Scratch Prizes

Darren Hexley (Golspie) and Craig Sutherland (Royal Dornoch) 71 (bih)

Jim Seatter and Bryan Urquhart (Royal Dornoch) 71

Craig Wilkie (Stirling) and Billy Mitchell (Royal Dornoch) 75