Forbes beats Brotherston in final to win 

Carnegie Shield for second time

By ROBIN WILSON

John Forbes, a member of Inverness Golf Club and  secretary of Ross-shire’s Muir of Ord Golf Club, won the Carnegie Shield at Royal Dornoch GC for a second time  on Saturday with a final green win over former Scottish international and senior cap  Ian Brotherston (Dumfries and County).

Brotherston, presently occupying 11th place in the Scottish Senior Order of Merit, has been attempting to win the Shield for a number of years but  this  was his first appearance in the final.

He made the ideal start, winning the first hole with birdie 3. His lead lasted only one hole after bunkering his tee shot at the short second.,

With holes exchanged freely over the outward half, Forbes’ first birdie came on the par-5 ninth hole to see the 2012 winner start the inward half all square.

A rising wind was a telling factor over the back nine and it was Forbes who struck first  with a winning par at the 11th. Bunkered at the par-3 13th, Brotherston managed to win the hole with  a par to square the contest before leading once more with a fine par putt at the 14th. 

 The Dumfries player holed from some distance for his second birdie of the round on the next green but Forbes matched it from much closer.  It proved a vital half for the Inverness golfer who was able to reach the 16th green with an iron to draw level once more

After a half at the 17th, Forbes won the 18th and the final with a par after Brotherston pulled his approach putt left of the green and left his putt to save par short

In four or five years, if plans are approved, the small village of Embo may have a neighbouring golf courser on Coul Links.  The old fishing village certainly has crop of young golfers coming through as witnessed by 17- year-old schoolboy Connor MacKay  who had to work hard to beat the star of the weather-hit week, 77-year-old American Tom McCutcheon from The Old Hawthorn GC (Missouri), by 4 and 3  in the final of the E C Fraser Trophy

The final of the Davidson Trophy was an all-American affair between  Kirk Stark from Poppy Hills GC, California, and Adrian Easterbrook of Two Fairways GC, Los Angeles. Stark won on the 16th green.

CARNEGIE SHIELD

Semi-finals - I Brotherston (Dumfries and Co) bt J Brooks (Pleasington) 2 and 1, J Forbes (Inverness) bt A Inglis (Roehampton) 3 and 2. 

Final - Forbes bt Brotherston 1hole

DAVIDSON TROPHY

Class 1 -  K Stark (Poppy Hills) (4) bt W Melville (Golspie) (6) 4 and 3, A Easterbrook (Two  Fairways) (4) bt G Bethune (Royal Dornoch) (5) 2 and 1. 

Final - Stark bt Easterbrook 3 and 2.

E C FRASER TROPHY

Class 2 - T McCutcheon (Old Hawthorn) (11) bt A Godfrey (Crieff) (10) 1 hole,  C MacKay (Royal Dornoch) (11) bt W Fleming (Mill Ride) (10) 7 and 6.
Final – MacKay bt McCutcheon 4 and 3.