Bryan Fotheringham's fifth North District title

 

Left to right: Fraser Owenson (Nairn), handicap winner, Bryan Fotheringham (Forres), scratch champion, Matty Wilson (Forres), youths' title winner, Jamie MacKintosh (Nairn) youths title runner-up

 

 By ROBIN WILSON

Bryan Fotheringham (Forres) won a fifth North District championship title at Nairn Dunbar on Sunday while his younger clubmate, Matty Wilson (17), added the Youths' title to his North of Scotland Boys' Spence Trophy he lifted at Maverston GC in April.

Fotheringham recorded two sub par cards of 70 for his one stroke win over the teenager Wilson (69-72) who took the Murray Watt Youth Trophy home with a three-stroke win over second placed youth Jamie MacKintosh (Nairn) (71-73).

The leading morning first round score, a four-under-par 68, came from Lyle McAlpine (Tain) while Wilson, in the last group, came off the course with birdie on nine and eagle at the 16th to post a 69 (35-34).

Bryan Fotheringham was alone on the 70 mark with an opening and closing birdie in matching halves of 35.

Defending champion Fraser Fotheringham (The Nairn) was in the group of four with Jordan Shaw (Boat of Garten), Grant Murray (Moray) and Jamie MacKintosh (The Nairn) all returning one under par cards of 71.

But the winning burst came in round two from Bryan Fotheringham, a four-birdie run from the 13^th to the 16th holes to take him home in 34 and add a second 70 for his winning aggregate of four-under140,  seven below the two-round CSS of 74 and 73 to take him to within two wins of the record, seven time winner in the 1970s and 1980s, Jim Miller (Brora).

Wilson, with the Youth Trophy won, was placed finished second overall in the championship with the outgoing champion Fraser Fotheringham finishing third with his repeat 71.

First-round leader McAlpine slipped back to fourth (142) from his second round 74, David Joel (Inverness) 143 (73-70) tied fifth with Shaw (71-72) then the remaining scratch vouchers won by Jake (Moray) (76-71) and Robert McKerron (Forres) (75-73).

The junior talent in the Nairn Golf Club was emphasised in the youth section returns: Jamie MacKintosh 144 (71/73), Finlay Asher 149 (72/77) and Hamish McColm 152 (81/71). The clean sweep was interrupted by Inverness's Cameron Franssen with 148 (75/73).

Also from Nairn, Fraser Ownsen topped the nett returns with 140  (71-69) off five of a handcap, then Mattew Clark (Inverness) (7) 141 (69/72) 143 and Morty Ross (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) (6) 143 (73/70).