Thorburn back at the top of the pile
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AFTER slipping back to a fifth-place finish closer to home at Reay Golf Club three weeks ago, Thurso’s Dougie Thorburn went back to top of the pile, albeit a small one of just 34 entries, in the North Golf Alliance rescheduled fixture at Tarbat in Ross-shire last Sunday.
Not for the first time this winter, Tain’s Munro Ferries had to play second fiddle to a Thorburn sub-par round.
The Thurso member’s one-under-par card of 67 rewarded him with his fourth scratch win of the season and he’s well on the way to winning the scratch aggregate trophy in two weeks’ time at Royal Dornoch. Ferries, the quaich holder, returned a one-over-par 69.
Tarbat’s nine-hole course has a par of 34 which the consistent Thorburn bettered by one first time around from one birdie and eight par figures for 33.
He began his second round with his second birdie of the day and got to three under with another birdie three holes later, but his two bogies in 18 holes, at the 12th and 14th, took him back to a second-round par count of 34.
After dropping an early shot at the third hole, Ferries recovered with birdies at the fourth and sixth before a double bogey on the ninth for a first round of 35.
He began his second nine with a birdie but then dropped the advantage at the fifth hole to complete his second round in par 34 and a second-place 69.
Not having any trouble with the ninth hole was Tain’s Alex Gunn who holed his second shot for eagle two. But even this bit of good fortune could not get him into a first place in the Mackintosh Salver event for aggregate nett scores. His nett 68 off six handicap was beaten by Sean Sutherland (Bonar Bridge/Ardgay).
Sutherland, a former salver winner, grossed 74 for nett 67.
Gunn and club mate Raymond Lockie tied for second place but Gunn’s better second nine holes put Lockie back to third and one ahead of the Reay fixture’s scratch winner David Dunbar, who, after his nett 66 at Reay and 69 at Tarbat is now the frontrunner to win the salver with two fixtures remaining.
Frances Keith did not improve on his revised total of 276 but after a nett 68 at Tarbat the Durness member has been joined by Tain’s Raymond Lockie on the four-score total of 276.
Dunbar’s recent rich vein of scores has now reduced his total to 275.
Best handicap score of the day came from Thurso’s Ali Simpson to win the class two section with a nett 66, off 19, followed by David Ross (Durness) before two more Caithness visitors, Stanley Ross (Thurso) and Wick’s Wullie McLean, completed the list. Ross was third by virtue of his better last nine.
Invergordon Golf Club stages the penultimate competition of the season this weekend and
two weeks later the final fixture is at Royal Dornoch.
Results – Scratch: D. Thorburn (Thurso) 67. M. Ferries (Tain) 69. Handicap class one: S.R. Sutherland (Bonar Bridge/Ardgay) (7) 67. A. Gunn (Tain) (6), R. Lockie (Tain) (9) 68. D. Dunbar (Thurso) (5) 69. Class two: A. Simpson (Thurso) (18) 66. D. Ross (Durness) (14) 68. S. Ross (Thurso) (14), W. McLean (Wick) (15) 70.
