Munro wins Dave Lyall Trophy at Thurso while Lowe gets first ace
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The A&A Mackay Builders Summer League at Thurso Golf Club started its own “back nine” last Thursday, with round 10 being played. Conditions were, as seems to be the norm these days, testing with a brisk southerly wind and a few showers about.
Seventy-seven players competed and, surprisingly, only two of them managed to break par.
George Munro continued his excellent recent run of form to take fourth place with 36 points. A front nine of 19 points followed by 17 points on the homeward stretch gave Munro his total.
Andrew Rathie also had 36 points but took third place by virtue of a spectacular back nine of 22 points.
Alan Swanson had three birdies and three bogeys on his way to 38 points and second place.
Swanson was pipped to first position by the last player out on the course, Tyler Gordon. Gordon’s two halves of 18 and 21 points gave the winning total of 39 points.
Steven Lowe played the shot of the day when he holed his 6-iron tee shot at the 186-yard third hole. It was Lowe’s first ace and is the third hole in one at Thurso this year so far.
Summer League round 10 results: 1 Tyler Gordon, 39 points; 2 Alan Swanson, 38; 3 Andrew Rathie, 36; 4 George Munro, 36.
Saturday’s competition was the Dave Lyall Trophy. Dave is remembered as someone who made a huge contribution to the club over a long period and was club captain for five years. He also filled many other positions.
Dave is held in the highest esteem by the members at Thurso and this was reflected in an excellent turnout to compete for the trophy.
The competition got under way in excellent conditions and this led to much better scoring than in Summer League round 10.
Ronnie Dunnett’s 78 (11) 67 was good enough to take fourth place. Dunnett’s only blemish was an ugly eight at the tough 16th hole but this was countered by consecutive birdies at 13 and 14 previously.
David Dunbar, who has been spotted practising regularly, came in third with a fine 72 (5) 67. Dunbar had four birdies, also including two consecutively at eight and nine.
Bryan Suttar, who has not really fulfilled his potential this season yet, took the runner-up spot with a fine 70 (6) 64. Suttar also had consecutive birdies, on seven and eight.
The deserved winner of the Dave Lyall Trophy was George Munro with 76 (12) 64. Munro has also been spotted practising a lot lately and this is clearly paying off with an excellent run of form.
He reached the turn in 39, good but not spectacularly so. But a superb back nine of 37, including a trophy-winning birdie at the last, secured the win.
Peter Sangster had the lowest gross score of the day with a level-par 69.
Dave Lyall Trophy results: 1 George Munro, 76 (12) 64; 2 Bryan Suttar, 70 (6) 64; 3 David Dunbar, 72 (5) 67; 4 Ronnie Dunnett, 78 (11 )67.
The final competition of a busy weekend was Sunday’s Two Man Russian Stableford.
This format sees players playing in teams of two and is both a team and individual competition. The team score is derived from the product of each player’s score at each hole.
There were some excellent individual scores, including Alan Coghill and Keith Foubister, each of whom shot a three-under-par 39 points, but Darren Sinclair took the individual honours with an excellent 40 points.
A total of 18 teams competed and, with 72 points being equivalent to par, no fewer than five teams managed to better this score.
Nicky Doherty and Donald Sutherland were in fourth place with 75 points, with two no-scoring holes not helping their cause.
In third place were veterans Jim McLeod and Davy Irvine, who went one better with 76 points. McLeod and Irvine scored at every hole, the highlight being nine points at the sixth hole.
Runners-up were Andy Lannon and Michael Macgregor who had a very up-and-down round for 78 points. Two nine-point holes, including the first, were the highlights but they also had three no-scoring holes.
The winners were Alan Coghill and Alan Swanson with an excellent 10-under-par 82 points. A steady 38 points to the turn was followed by 44 points on the back nine.
The pair scored at every hole, including a nine-pointer at the par-five seventh hole.
Russian Stableford results: 1 Alan Coghill and Alan Swanson, 82 points; 2 Andy Lannon and Michael Macgregor, 78; 3 Davy Irvine and Jim McLeod, 76; 4 Nicky Doherty and Donald Sutherland, 75.
This year’s club championship matches are being played this week with the finals in the scratch, nett and seniors’ competitions scheduled for Friday evening (after Monday’s quarter-finals and Wednesday’s semis). Members are invited to come up and spectate and support the players.
This weekend’s competitions are a two-man Texas Scramble on Saturday followed by the McVitie and Price on Sunday.
