Souter takes win on countback
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THE weather was relatively kind at the weekend and enabled competitive golf at the Thurso course on both Saturday and Sunday.
First up on Saturday was round nine of the Winter League played to the Stableford format.
Steve Osborne managed 19 points during the first half of his round despite having a no score at the long fourth hole. A no score at the 10th resulted in 17 points on his inward nine holes for a total of 36 points.
Osborne’s total was matched by Gavin Souter. Countback was required to determine the winner and with 20 points for his back nine holes Souter took first place. Third place went to Ali Simpson who scored 17 points on both halves for a total of 34.
Harvey Cowe was going well with an outward score of 19 points. His back nine holes were progressing well until no scores at the last two reduced his overall total to 32 points and fourth spot. Mick Ross and Ronnie Gray were next best one shot further back.
The Blargoans February Medal was played on Sunday. Terry Mackay played steady golf to reach the turn in 39 shots. His back nine holes contained four double bogey sixes in a total of 44, giving a gross of 83 and nett 69, which was good enough to take the medal by a clear margin.
Countback was required to separate Trevor Henderson and Saturday’s winner, Osborne, when they both had nett 73. Henderson got the nod largely due to Osborne’s quadruple bogey seven at the 12th hole.
Jockey Begg managed to return a creditable nett 75 for fourth. Ross had nett 76 with W.J. Shearer one shot further adrift.
Meanwhile, last week’s winner in the EGGS Winter Stableford, Gray, almost made it two wins in a row on Tuesday with a first-class total of 41 points but it was Sandy Wright, having his first competitive round since November, who came out on top with a superb 42-point effort.
On a fine golfing morning, Wright got to the turn in 23 points, as did Peter Knight and Alan Simmonite, all a point behind Ian Manson. It was Wright who maintained his form though, with 19 points coming in typified by a very good par at the 17th from a four-iron approach and an up-and-down par to finish.
Gray and playing partner Jim Hawthorn both had 21 points at the turn, with Gray going three, three at holes seven and eight. Last week’s winner then scored 20 points for his inward nine, the second
best of the day behind Sandy Reid’s 21-point
return.
Knight and Manson finished on 39 points, one ahead of Hawthorn and Bill Hossack with Reid and Bob Robertson a further point back.
Gray improved his eclectic total to nett 61.5 to maintain the lead but only by half a shot from Manson. Knight joined Donald Jack in third place on nett 62.
