Both players have still to fulfil the mandatory two scores at fixtures outside Caithness, and when they do they can challenge the current leader for the Alliance Quaich. The trophy is based on the aggregate of four scratch scores, two from venues in Caithness and two at courses south of the Ord.

After his excellent cards of 69 at Thurso and 71 at Reay, Thorburn scored 73 at Tain in the October fixture for a present 54-hole total of 213. A score anywhere below 80 at Tain this weekend would lift him ahead of Tain member Billy Ferries, who currently sits on 293 from four scores, although Ferries is liable to improve his total should he better a 76 he counts from the Invergordon fixture. Ferries has on record rounds of 72 at Tain, 70 at Reay and 75 at Thurso.

Ronnie Taylor, the holder of the scratch trophy, has the same incentive. He has a three-round total of 216 made up from 69 at Thurso, 72 at Wick and 75 at Tain, having missed the Invergordon fixture.

Through Mike Keay, the Tain club is currently providing the challenge for the MacKintosh Salver. The Tarbat greenkeeper is playing his first Alliance season and currently holds the best 72-hole nett aggregate of 282, three shots ahead of the scratch leader Ferries, who, when his two handicap is applied, reduces his handicap figure to 285.

Tain has a third member in the hunt for the handicap salver. Steve Holmes is on a nett total of 290 with handicap scores of 71 at Tain and Invergordon, a 72 at Wick and a 76 at Durness. (Durness, although in Sutherland, counts as a Caithness venue.)

Reay's Richard MacDonald is well placed to challenge for the handicap prize.

His running total of 291 is burdened by an 84 at Invergordon and a repeat of his October score of 71 at Tain would make a big impact on his four-score aggregate when combined to his two best North scores of 67 at Thurso and 69.

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