Sutherland wins out in fierce open battle at Wick
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WICK Golf Club’s major event of the season, the Old Pulteney Open, was played on Saturday and Sunday and attracted the best entry for some years.
The course was in excellent condition but heavy rain prior to the competition and strong winds on both days made for difficult scoring conditions.
Competition for the Wick Open Challenge Cup, awarded to the player with the best scratch scores over both rounds, was fierce with Gavin Sutherland, of Reay, coming out on top with a six-over-par total of 144, beating Wick’s two best players, Ron Taylor and Nicky Klimas, on a better second round.
Taylor led the way with a two-over-par 71 on Saturday, a terrific score in the testing conditions. He played his best golf of the season over the first nine holes, going out in one-under-par 33 with a birdie at the third and an eagle at the eighth. Unfortunately he started to three-putt and dropped four strokes to par from the 10th to the 13th to come back in four-over-par 38.
Klimas has been playing well this season and continued this rich vein of form going out in level-par 35 with a birdie at the seventh and back in 38.
Sutherland made the best of starts with a birdie at the first, covering the first nine holes in 37, and played fine golf into the wind to come back in 37 with a birdie at the 15th.
On Sunday, Taylor’s putting woes continued and he went round in four-over-par 73, a poor round by his high standards. Klimas made a tremendous start with birdies at the first, third and fifth holes but lost a ball at the sixth to go out in level-par 35. Starting back he lost another ball at the 10th but made some amends with a birdie at the 15th to come back in 36 for a two-over-par 71, a superb effort.
Sutherland got off to a flying start with a birdie at the first, but a double bogey at the fourth left him at one over par. He then played terrific golf over the next five holes to go out in one-under-par 34 with further birdies at the sixth and eighth holes. He then was the model of consistency covering the last nine holes in two-over-par 36 to finish with a one-over-par 70 to claim the Wick Open Challenge Cup.
The best scratch score over the two days was returned by John Harper, of Wick, on Sunday with a magnificent one-under-par 68. After having a no-return on Saturday, Harper started with a birdie at the first followed by another birdie at the eighth to go out in two-under-par 33. Starting back he bogeyed the 10th but recovered with a birdie at the 12th to come back in one-over-par 35.
The Old Pulteney Trophy is awarded to the player with the best handicap scores over both rounds and this went to David Walker (23), of Wick, with a total of 137.
On Saturday, Walker played well below his handicap going out in 42 but found it tough playing back into the wind, taking quadruple bogeys at the 10th and 11th followed by triple bogeys at the 13th and 15th holes to eventually struggle home in 55 for a nett 73. Walker’s handicap was cut to 23 for Sunday and he again played some fine golf to go out in 41 and back in 46, which included a 10 at the 16th hole for a tremendous nett 64.
Overall handicap winner on Saturday on a better inward half was Richard Thain (15), of Lybster, with a nett 70, a super effort in the conditions. He went out in 43, despite a triple bogey at the eighth, and came back in 42.
Winner of handicap category one (0 to 12) on Saturday was Gavin Sutherland (4) with a nett 70, followed by Gordon Steven jnr (3), of Wick, with a nett 71. Steven went out in 36 with a birdie at the third and back in 38. Third was Alan Forbes (5), of Lybster, with a nett 72, beating Jim Sangster (2), of Thurso, on a better inward half.
Wick’s vice-captain, Hamish McLean (15), claimed first in handicap category two with a nett 73, beating Stewart Busby (16) and Walker, both of Wick, by virtue of a better inward half.
McLean was showing great consistency, going out in 43 and back in 45, with his only blemish being a triple bogey at the 17th. Busby made a great start with a birdie at the first, going out in 42, but also ran up a triple bogey at the 17th to come back in 47. C. MacLean (14), of Fortrose, was fourth with a nett 75.
The overall handicap winner on Sunday was Gibby Banks (18), of Wick, with a magnificent nett 64, beating Walker on a better inward half. Banks had 41 shots for both nines despite triple bogeys at the sixth and 12th holes.
Winner of handicap category one (0 to 12) was Greg Shearer (11) with a fine nett 65. Shearer, who has been terrific this season, continued this fine form to go out in 37 with a birdie at the second and back in 39. Gavin Sutherland (4) was second with a nett 66 followed by Ian Thomson (5), of Wick, with a nett 69, beating Alan Forbes (5), of Lybster, on a better inward half.
Despite bogeys at the first and second, Thomson went out in 38 and back in 36, finishing in style with a birdie at the 18th.
Forbes birdied the ninth to go out in 36 but four dropped shots over the last three holes took him back in 38.
Walker was first in handicap category two (13 to 28) with a nett 64, followed by Willie Wydmuch (23), of Wick, with a nett 71. Wydmuch made a welcome return to form with halves of 49 and 45.
Third was Ryan Sutherland (14), of Wick, with a nett 72, and fourth Hamish McLean (15), of Wick, with a nett 73.
The CSS on Saturday both for home and visiting players was 72 and on Sunday the CSS it was 71.
Alan Larnach, of Lybster, won a bottle of Old Pulteney for nearest the pin at the second on Saturday, and veteran Rob Sutherland, of Wick, took the prize for nearest the pin at the 14th on Sunday.
The next competition is the August Medal which is being
