The RECENT spell of cold and wet weather had a lot to blame for the poor entry of just 35 at the North Golf Alliance fixture played over the Tain links last Sunday, where resilient Caithness golfers headed the leader boards in all three categories.
In the opening fixture of 2012, Thurso duo Dougie Thorburn and Bryan Ronald went head to head for the honour of winning the scratch section, and it was Thorburn who marked up his third win of the season.
The plus-one handicap-rated Thurso member has now won the last three fixtures. At the beginning of November he won on a better inward half count, at Brora, from Wick's Ronnie Taylor and then, at the end of the same month at Wick, he beat Tain's Mike Sangster to first place by one shot.
The six week gap in fixtures, due to weather postponements, has not affected Thorburn's form when again last Sunday he was involved in another tie for first place following his excellent score of 73.
When it came to the card comparison, Thorburn's inward half count of one under par 34 edged out his Thurso clubmate Bryan Ronald.
Ronald was home in 35 but denied recording a second win of the season, after winning the opening fixture at Durness, with an erring three putt for bogey on the final green.
Out on the course when the morning wind and rain was at its most miserable, local club captain and champion, Munro Ferries had a 76, while his clubmate Mike Sangster failed to take the opportunity to post another score to maintain his aggregate Scratch Quaich challenge by failing to return a card on his home patch.
Playing with a handicap of two, Ronald's nett score of 71 headed the Class 1 returns by a two four margin from Thurso clubmate Malcolm Morrison before Tarbat's Hamish Skinner got a prize for third place with nett 76, off 7, with Invergordon's Mike Moran (7) and local Andrew Watt (8) both a shot more.
Spread eagling the Class 2 section was eleven handicapper Ian Ross (Reay) who matched the gross 76 from the Tain champion with a sparkling finish of birdie 2, par 3, and birdie 3 to take him home in 36 and nett 65.
For the fifth fixture in succession Francis Keith maintained a Durness presence, winning a second place with his nett card of 71, off 12, and - added to his previously posted nett scores of 69 and 73 - he launched his bid for the end of season MacKintosh Salver.
Weathered to the prevailing conditions on Sandside Links, Reay members filled the next two places.
See this week's 'Northern Times' for results
