Summer league round nine and Stewart Cup contested at Thurso
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THE summer league at Thurso Golf Club is at the round nine stage and conditions were ideal, as was the course. Donald Bain (15) dropped six shots in the first four holes but he then played the remaining holes in five over par, helped by a birdie at the fifth. This saw him return 42 points.
Also on 42 points was Andrew Taylor (13), who birdied the seventh to reach the turn in two over par. A steady return of five over par for the back nine saw him home in six shots under his handicap.
Stephen King (16) had a birdie at the eighth which he bettered with an eagle at the 18th after he holed his second shot from 107 yards with his pitching.
Iain Dunnett (8) had birdies at two and four as he reached the turn in three over par. Another birdie at 13 saw him return in three over par for 39 points.
Davie Irvine (18) gave a reminder of how good a player he can be when he had a birdie at the fifth as he also returned 39 points.
Gavin Souter (13) is finding consistency off the tee with his new driver and despite a no-score at the seventh he returned 38 points after a back nine of three over par.
John Bain (13) had a birdie at the eighth as he also had 38 points, as did Brian Hutcheon (29) and Innes Mitchell (7) who birdied the sixth.
Stephen Fidler (13) led the way on 37 points but would have hoped for better after reaching the turn in four over par.
Nicky Doherty (7) was in the same boat after reaching the turn in one over par after birdies at the sixth and ninth.
Jim Macleod (12) also had a better front nine, reaching the turn in four over par, as did Jocky Begg (12) who birdied the eighth. The theme continued with Neil Rigg (13) who birdied the fifth as he reached the turn in three over par but he also failed to keep the scoring going on the back nine.
Rory Hadden (17), Hamish Boyd (9), Dean McDonald (12), David Bain (20), Andy Macgregor (10), Darren Wood (36), Alan Coghill (10), Iain Boyd (12), Jimmy Florence (21) and Steve Spargo (8) all had 36 points.
On Saturday once again the course was there for the taking with the Stewart Cup the reward.
Jordan Youngson (10) posted an early nett score of 66 after birdies at the seventh, eighth and 13th. He held this for most of the day until the second-last pairing went out.
For half the round there was rain but this did not deter Iain Dunnett from posting a winning score. Birdies at the sixth and seventh saw him reach the turn in one under par.
It wasn’t until the 14th that he dropped a shot and he followed this with another at the 15th. The 16th cost him two shots as things started to unravel.
However, birdies at the 17th and 18th represented a brilliant end to the round and he posted the lowest gross of the day with a 70, nett 62, to win the cup by four shots.
His playing partner Steven Lowe had birdies at the seventh and ninth as he returned a nett 66 for third place.
Angus Cameron had double bogeys at the first and 10th but in between played steady golf to record 79 (12) 67. Adam Higgins also had a nett 67 despite a 6, 7, 6 finish, as did Callum Mauchlan (18) who also had a poor finish, dropping eight shots in the last four holes.
Jamie Riddell (16) was the player of the week as he recorded a hole in one at the third. This helped him to the turn in one over par.
The back nine proved more difficult as he also returned a nett 67.
Garry Calder (10) saw a return to form as a birdie at the fifth saw him return a nett 68. Nicky Doherty (7) led the group on nett 69 after coming home in two over par, followed by Steve Spargo (8), who had birdies at seven, 13 and 18, Keith Dreaves (12), Chris Sinclair (28), Ian MacDonald (13) and Ian Macphee (11).
Tuesday was a fine day for round 10 of Thurso Golf Club’s EGGs Summer Stableford.
The course was in excellent condition and this was reflected in the dozen scores of over 30 Stableford points.
Donald Jack played the first nine holes in one over par for 21 points but this was surpassed by Ronald Mackay with 22 points for his two-over-par effort. Bob Robertson was on 20 points with Walter Duff, Davie Alexander and Grant Coghill a point further back.
Mackay added a further 17 points to his tally to return a winning total of 39 points. Jack and Duff tied on 37 points but a no-score hole on the inward half relegated Jack to third place on the better inward half ruling.
Norman Innes had the best inward half score of 19 points to tie Coghill on the 36-point mark.
Ronnie Gray was on his own with 35 points, one ahead of Stuart Bell.
Robertson fell away with two no score holes on his second half, leaving him on 33 points, with Alexander, Davie Calder and Ronnie Dunnett a shot further back.
The ladies’ season is well under way with Lyndsay Stott winning the Gunnach trophy and 3 Club Goblet. Jean Sutherland was second in the Gunnach, while Emma Durrand was runner-up in the 3 Club Goblet.
In the April Medal Aileen Simmonite (16) won with a nett 68. Second place went to Karen Hannah (36) on nett 69, with a tie for third spot between Emma Durrand (21) and Sarah Meikeljohn (23) on nett 71.
The May Medal was won by Jane Grant (26) with nett 69. Eileen Manson (8) and Laura Durrand (6) both had nett 70.
Morag Mackay (21) won the May Extra Medal with a fine nett 66, with Sarah Meikeljohn (23) and Laura Durrand (6) both on nett 69.
In the Captain’s and Vice-Captain’s prize Joy Fraser (36) took the Vice-Captain’s prize on nett 71 while Anne Simmonite (22) bagged the Captain’s Prize with nett 70.
The Coronation Fours was won by Emma Durrand and Anne Simmonite with 33 Stableford points. In second place were Aileen Simmonite and Isobel Kirkpatrick.
In the most recent competition, the June Medal, Emma Durrand (21) was first on nett 66. Laura Durrand (5) was second on nett 72 with Isobel Kirkpatrick (25) in third on nett 73.
