Meiklejohn scoops shield honours at Thurso
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THE weather was fine at Thurso golf course for the latest rounds of the Newsbeat Summer League last Thursday and Friday.
On Thursday first place was decided on countback after three players – Stephen King, Steve Spargo and Jordan Youngson – all scored 39 points.
King secured first place with an inward nine holes of two over par for 22 points. Spargo also had an inward half of two over par, with birdies at the 10th and 18th, for 20 points and second place.
Youngson did his best scoring on the first nine holes where an eagle at the long fourth enabled him to score 21 points.
Adrian Williams secured fourth spot with 38 points. He will be ruing his double bogey, triple bogey finish which yielded only a single point. Sandy Reid was two shots further back with 36 points while Sid Campbell, Alan Swanson and Alastair Bell all scored 35 points.
On Friday Ewan Mackenzie was best on the day with 38 points. He had a steady round with nothing worse than a five on his card.
Roddy Harper had a round of two over par, including four birdies, for 37 points and second spot.
Iain Boyd beat Norman Innes on countback after both scored 35 points. Boyd scored 20 points on the inward half after two no-scoring holes on the first nine holes reduced his total. Innes scored on every hole apart from the last.
Nicky Doherty was next best a shot further back.
It was the final round of the Ulbster Arms Challenge Shield on Saturday. There was a noticeable breeze, a forerunner of what was to come later in the day. Ronald Mackay required a good inward-nine-holes score of 39 to beat John Bain after both returned scores of nett 70.
Three former or present captains – Martin Beaumont, Ali Simpson and John Morrison – all scored nett 72 and finished in the same order. Stuart Bell, Alan Simmonite and Alan Coghill were two shots further back.
The overall winner of the challenge shield was Jimmy Meiklejohn with a nett 58. Stanley Ross and Bryan Ronald were equal second on 59 with Mark Mackay fourth with 59.5.
On Friday evening the final of the ladies’ club championship was played. The scratch final was contested by Eileen Manson and Laura Durrand.
Manson had accounted for Anne Simmonite on her way to the final while Durrand had beaten Angela Williamson.
Manson won the first hole with a par after Durrand found the small drainage ditch running adjacent to the second tee.
The next five holes were halved before Durrand squared the match at the seventh with a birdie.
The eighth hole was halved in par before Durrand caught the rough on the ninth to lose the hole to par. Manson went two up at the 10th where she shaved the hole for an eagle but won with a birdie. Durrand won the 11th with par.
Both players missed the green at the 12th but Manson got up and down to take the hole. At the next hole both drives were pushed right but Durrand’s was far enough to be close in behind the trees. Manson took the hole with par.
The short 14th was halved after Durrand missed her putt to win the hole. On the 15th both players hit their drives right but Durrand’s ball kicked further right and went out of bounds. Manson duly closed out the match to retain the championship.
In the handicap club championship the evergreen Isobel Kirkpatrick beat the still youthful Anne Youngson.
This weekend Thurso hosts the Ulbster Cup, the knockout competition for Caithness golf clubs.
The quarter-finals start on Saturday, tee off at 9am. The semi-finals and final will be played on Sunday.
