Flying start helps local trio on their way to RJ McLeod Open Scramble win at Reay
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Following a week when the Reay golf course had been closed due to snow and frost, the contrast could not have been greater last weekend with players enjoying sunny skies and light winds for the scheduled competitions.
On Saturday, an excellent entry saw a total of 39 teams of three compete in the RJ McLeod Open Scramble. On a day of extremely low scoring, the local trio of Ryan Sutherland, Euan Munro and Adam Gunn posted a winning score of nett 56 following a round of 65.
They got off to a flying start, with a birdie at the first, and further birdies at the sixth and seventh helped them to reach the turn in 32. Two more birdies at the 16th and 17th saw them home in 33, and this was good enough to win by a single shot.
The Wick trio of Michael Steven, Michael McAllan and Mark McAllan took second place on countback with a nett 57, following a round of 61. They bagged no fewer than nine birdies during their round but a solitary bogey at the first hole cost them dearly in the final analysis.
The Reay trio of Jake Anderson, Graeme Gray and Tom Ross finished in third place after their round of 63 was also good enough for nett 57. They posted five birdies and a rare eagle three at the 14th hole, but a bogey at the last hole scuppered their chances.
Another trio of Wick golfers, Alan Forbes, Nicky Klimas and Ali Mackay, finished fourth, following a fantastic round of gross 58 for their nett 57. They managed no fewer than 11 birdies and seven pars but again came up just one short of the winning score.
The event also saw Reay club champion Michael Smith post a hole in one at the 18th hole which helped him and his team-mates, Bruce Mackay and Cammie Ross, to a score of nett 62. Despite Smith's efforts, this score was only good enough to secure 24th place, which illustrates the high standard of golf displayed by many of the teams.
On Sunday players were competing for the Corfin Bogey, in a format where players use their handicap allowance to play a form of matchplay golf against the course. Bruce Mackay was the only player in the field to get the better of the course, finishing on a winning score of 3up, with a birdie at the sixth hole providing the highlight of his round.
Cammie Ross took second place, finishing all square with the course after a round of 75 which included birdies at the fourth, 13th and 16th holes. A trio of players, Donald Mowat, Evan Sutherland and Brent Munro, finished one down on the course.
Meanwhile in the seniors, Stuart Grieg won the weekly Stableford with an excellent haul of 38 points, ahead of Alistair Gunn on 37. Alex Anderson and Billy Moore shared third place on 35 points.
This weekend the club hosts the Ronnie Wallace Open sponsored by Norbloc on Saturday, and the Parry Trophy on Sunday.
