Alan Cameron's hot putter helps win
Inverness 4-day Open
By ROBIN WILSON
Fortrose and Rosemarkie member Alan Cameron had a
prosperous seven days last week when, in the build-up to the Inverness Courier
and Orion Group-sponsored Inverness Four Day Open, he won the first scratch
voucher of £325 in Nairn Golf Club's King Trophy with a three-under par card of
69.
By midweek Cameron, pictured, was safely into the 16 scratch
qualifiers at Inverness with cards of 76 and 72;
then overcame two prominent qualifiers on his way to of the final, leading qualifier
Bruce Thomson at the 22nd hole, then fourth seed Ruaridh Greenwood,
before facing last season's Inverness club champion Jonathon Keith in the
final.
It was a final that, as in all his previous ties, Cameron's
putter proved his most rewarding club.
Beginning on the first green he holed from thirty feet to go one ahead
while his opponent missed from a third of that distance. A pitch and single putt birdie four two holes
later put the Fortrose visitor two in front after three.
From the fourth tee Cameron had his first entanglement with
Culcabock's tree-lined fairways. A push to the right left no shot to the green
and he lost the hole to a par figure, remaining one up.
He followed with a long draw from the 5th tee
that cleared more trees and found the fourth fairway. After his second shot struck
the top branches he was still short left of the green but almost holed his
third shot. Keith missing an eagle attempt to win the hole, but on the next
hole he gifted it to Cameron when he overshot the green with wedge and Cameron
recovered his earlier two hole lead.
This the Fortrose golfer held until Keith birdied the tenth
and then the 12th holes to level but after sharing bogey figures on
the short 13th Cameron's stopped any further recovery recovery with three
single putt greens The 14th for a winning par four, the 15th beside the Curling
Pond matching Keith's birdie two and then unleashing a 300 yard drive down the
16th fairway leaving a short wedge to the green for his holed birdie
three to give him a dormy situation.
A
questionable choice of driver from the 17th tee to a green only 323
yards away gave Cameron another visit to trees to lose the hole but with complete
composure he split the 18th fairway, leaving only an eight iron to the green,
made all the easier when Keith's ball twice stayed in play following his drive
and second shot hitting trees. Keith's putt for four remained above ground and
he conceded Cameron's two foot putt for the winning two hole result.
It was Cameron’s second Rosswood Trophy success, the first
in 2011, and the £300 first prize voucher boosted his week's family holiday
pocket money to £625.
In the Class 1 Handicap Section final the Johnstone Trophy
was won by Greg Bennett. There was only a two stroke difference in handicap
between him and Willie Hutchison but a much bigger age gap.
Bennett (21) won three of the first four holes but was
brought back to only a one hole lead after nine by the experienced Hutchison.
Bennett enjoyed a birdie three foot putt putt on the tenth green to go two
ahead but then lost the next hole before another inspired run. Winning two and
losing one of the next three holes he went to the penultimate tee in dormy
position to secure the required half on the 17th green for 2 and
1.
Mike Lyle had previously won the Tom Sutherland Trophy in
Category two and was making a good job regaining it by taking a one hole lead
to the 10th tee. But bunkered at the par three 15th hole
he fell back to three behind by losing the previous hole to Neil Urquhart's
nett par. But Urquhart could not finish
the job off in regulation time losing the final three holes before becoming the
new trophy winner at the first extra hole.
Into the final handicap section for the Fraser Smith Trophy
was the only member, Julian Innes making a defence. He faced another retired
Northern Constabulary Police Officer, Colin Sutherland, who was the section's
leading qualifier so the jury was out on this needle match. Taking the loot
home again after commanding a two hole lead at halfway then winning by 3 and
2 was the holder.
Labels: Amateur Men
