Thorburn leads field to lift County title
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THURSO Golf Club hosted the county championship for the Scottish Golf Union medals on Saturday.
As seems to be the norm for this two-round competition, the entry was low – comprising 11 from Thurso, three from the Wick club and one from Reay.
The standard of play was high with the course standard scratch being reduced by one for both rounds to 68.
In the first round Douglas Thorburn led the field with a gross 66. Jim Sangster and Wick’s Gordie Stevens were tied for second after scoring 73, one less than Nicky Klimas, also from Wick.
Nicky Doherty was next best on 76 with four players – Donald Sutherland, Peter Sangster, Steve Spargo and Angus Cameron – on one shot more.
In the second round defending champion Klimas matched Thorburn as both took 68 shots. Sutherland produced a six-shot improvement to return a score of 71, one shot better than Stevens.
With a total score of 134, Thorburn lifted the County Championship Cup and medal. Klimas took second spot with 142, three shots ahead of his club-mate, Stevens. Sutherland’s second-round improvement took him to fourth place, one shot ahead of Jim Sangster.
The battle for the county championship nett cup was a close-run affair. After the first round Ian Macdonald was in the lead following a terrific nett 64. Thurso club captain Ali Simpson was second on 66 – one shot better than Cameron and Thorburn. Keith Dreaves was on 68, two ahead of four players – Stevens, Spargo, Doherty and Sutherland – who all managed 70. Sutherland’s six-shot improvement gave him a nett 64 and a total of 134, a total matched by captain Simpson. However, Dreaves, who covered the first nine holes in each round at three over par, improved on his first-round score to return a nett 65 for a winning total of 133. Macdonald returned a creditable second-round score of 71 to take fourth spot on 135, one ahead of Thorburn.
On Tuesday Ian Manson became the eighth winner in nine rounds played of the EGGS Summer Stableford. Manson had the day’s best outward nine of 20 points and added 18 more for a winning 38-point total, one ahead of Sandy Reid who had a point fewer than the winner on his outward nine.
Alan Simmonite, Bob Black and Ronnie Gray were next best on 35 points with Donald Jack a further point back. Paul Giggle’s inward nine of 21 points also deserves a mention.
Black and Giggle both completed the mandatory five rounds in the competition and moved into first and second places with 173 and 170 points respectively. Jim Buchan and Pat Valentine share third place on 168 with Jim Telfer on 167 and Jim Hawthorn on 166. On Tuesday the ladies played for the June Extra Medal. The round also counted as the final qualifying round for the club championship.
Winner of the medal, with a nett 71, was Eleanor Tunn. Jean Clasper was second on nett 73.
