Thurso Gala Open trophy triumph for 13-year-old Arron
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Thirteen-year-old Arron Johnson is a keen golfer who, after going to a "come and try" session at Reay, was coached by Evan Sutherland and over the past few years has been a regular on the Thurso course with his father Terry helping hone his skills.
On Saturday, playing off 13, he started his round in the Gala Open with a bogey but soon settled down into a good rhythm, parring four of the next five holes.
He followed this with back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth and a par on the ninth to reach the turn level par.
With his confidence elevated he continued scoring, dropping only one shot around Thurso’s Amen Corner. At the 13th he drove to the side of the green and sank the putt for an eagle.
A bogey at 14 was followed with a birdie at the 15th, only to drop a shot on the hardest hole on the course, the 16th. He parred 17 and, as Arron said later: “I got a bit nervous at the 18th because I was thinking about my score as I was level par at this stage. This made me drive into the trees, resulting in taking a dropped shot."
He ended up with five which was not too bad after his drive. This gave him the Gala Open trophy with a nett 57 and also the lowest gross of the day, a 70.
Graeme Henderson (7) reached the turn in level par after a birdie at the ninth offset the bogey at six. He was steady on the back nine and a further birdie at 13 saw him return a nett 65 for overall second place.
Kenny Farmer (17) from Reay pipped Jocky Begg (13) on countback for third after both returned nett 66. James Howden (7) from Wick was next best with 68, alongside James Moodie (28). Derek Manson (10) was on his own with net 69.
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Round 10 of the A&A Mackay Builders Summer League was won by Jordan Youngson. He had 14 pars with dropped shots at five, 10, 12 and 16 for a winning total of 39 points.
Innes Mitchell had birdies at eight and 14 as he returned 38 points alongside Sid Campbell who also had two birdies, at four and eight. Mark Foubister, Andrew Main and Ian Macdonald all had 37 points, one ahead of Ronald Mackay.
The Seniors' Open was contested last Wednesday with 54 golfers vying for the trophy. Jocky Begg (14) turned it on at the seventh and eighth with consecutive birdies to reach the turn in 21 points. He could even afford a six at the 18 as he was the comfortable winner with 41 points.
Jim Buchan (21), Reay’s Fred Groves (12), Michael Forbes (18) and another visitor from Reay, K A Farmer (14), all had 36 points.
