Carnegie Shield winner back at Dornoch to win Sinclair Cup
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A FIRST-time winner of Royal Dornoch’s Carnegie Shield last season, ex Forres internationalist Bryan Fotheringham followed up last Saturday in a return visit to Dornoch to record his first success in the Sinclair Cup.
The best of local and north and north-east district golfers were drawn to the world famous links to take part in Dornoch’s premier 36 hole stroke-play competition. Amongst them were John Forbes (Muir of Ord) and Fotheringham who currently top the north’s Order of Merit while Oldmeldrum’s Graeme Hogg was attempting to join several other Aberdeenshire golfers who have won the cup six times in the past nine years.
But topping the scratch leader board after round one was the local winner of 2014, Chris Mailley, with a level par 70 after coming home in two under 33.
Fotheringham at plus-3, the highest rated golfer in the field, was in a tie for second place with Easter Moffat’s Mark English. Fotheringham put together halves of 35&36, and in the mix just off the pace were locals Craig MacKay (72) and Bryan Urquhart alongside the Muir of Ord pair of Forbes and Jamie Whittet, all with 73s.
At the start of the second round in a move to go top Fotheringham and Forbes opened with birdies and both reached the turn in 34. Oldmeldrum’s Hogg matched the outward par of 35 but made his move over the first four inward holes – par, par, birdie, birdie and with no dropped strokes returned an inward score of 33 for 68 to add to his opening 75, (37/38) eventually finishing in runner-up place.
Forbes came home in 36 to record a second round 70 for 143 and drop to third place on second round count back while Mailley fell back to fourth after dropping all his strokes in an outward nine of 39 for 74. Mailley’s consolation, the Taylor Bullock Salver for best local. Club mate Bryan Urquhart recovered a second round 72 from an inward 34 for fifth place.
English after his handicap slashing nett 67 in round one where the visitor’s CSS was 74 was best nett with 140, off 4.
Sinclair Cup Scores. (CSS members am 73, pm 73. Visitors am 74. pm 73)
Scratch: 142 B F Fotheringham (71/71). 143 G Hogg (Oldmeldrum) (75/68), J Forbes (Muir of Ord) (73/70). C Mailley (RDGC) (70/74). 145 B Urquhart (RDGC) (73/72). Handicap: M English (Easter Moffat (4) 140 (67/73). M Laird (Hindhead) (2) 142(73/69), J Whittet (Muir of Ord) (3) 142 (70/72). S Deery (West Lancs/RDGC) (4) 142 (69/73). S Wylie (Mount Ellon) (3) 144 (75/69).
Best Scratch Round: J Goodward (Mac Donald) 69. Best Nett; A Russell (Clydebank Overtoun) (4) 68. Talyor Bullock Salver (Confined): C Mailley (RDGC) 144 (70/74).
n Although billed the next day (Sunday) as an Open Foursomes competition the local members enjoyed an almost clean sweep in the G K MacKay Foursomes competition.
A former double Carnegie Shield winner Gary Bethune (1989&1991) partnering his son Graeme matched the course par of 70 to win with the G K MacKay Trophy with their net card of 66. Like the Previous day’s winner they also received a specially crafted 400th anniversary commemorative hickory putter each from the Royal Dornoch Golf Club.
Results:
Gary Bethune & Graeme Bethune (Royal Dornoch) 70 (4) 66 BIH
Scott Aitchison & Alex Gunn (Royal Dornoch) 80 (14) 66
Gary Gruber & Chris Welsh (Royal Dornoch) 75 (8) 67
David Pearson & Sandy Morrison (Royal Dornoch) 80 (10.5) 69.5
Scratch Prizes: Darren Hexley (Golspie) & Craig Sutherland (Royal Dornoch) 71 BIH
Jim Seatter & Bryan Urquhart (Royal Dornoch) 71
Scratch Craig Wilkie (Stirling) & Billy Mitchell (Royal Dornoch) 75
