Early starters pull out after four holes
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Stormy weather welcomed the 44 members of the North Golf Alliance, who began the second half of their season at Brora last Sunday and so bad was it for the early local members, who teed off at 8.30am, they all returned to the clubhouse after just four holes.
Conditions got a little better when the morning sun made sporadic appearances between the squally showers and out of the original entry, 23 returned cards.
Muir of Ord’s plus one handicap holder John Forbes made his début in the North Alliance at the Tain fixture last November, taking a second place, and on his second appearance at Brora he carded two halves of 37 for a very worthy 74 and first place. Forbes’s birdie two at the 13th hole repaired some the damage of his double bogey six at the first inward hole played into the stiff wind, and with the help of the wind at the par five 8th hole he also made a birdie on the outward half.
Only three players broke 80, second placed Billy Ferries (Tain) with the help of a miraculous inward 36 for gross 77, and local member Robert MacDonald whose card of 40 and 38 reduced to a nett of 72 to win the Class 1 section from John Hunter (Wick) nett 75, off 6.
The Durness experience of the conditions was again beneficial to their members and the top two in Class 2 were Donnie Hossack, using all of his 16 handicap allowance to record a nett 74, and, with the same nett score, clubmate Davie Ross, off 14, who dropped back to second place on the count back.
Tain’s Ali Melville broke a one, two, three finish for Durness when he claimed third place and into fourth position came Ali Morrison from Durness, the apprentice greenkeeper at Brora.
On Sunday the twice postponed Reay fixture will hopefully take place, and followed the next weekend by Invergordon.
Brora Results: Scratch – 74 J Forbes (Muir of Ord). 77 B Ferries (Tain). 78 R N MacDonald (Brora). 81 J Hunter (Wick). 84 D Hexley (Muir of Ord). Handicap Class 1 – R N MacDonald (Brora) (6) 72. B Ferries (Tain) (2), J Hunter (Wick) (6), J Forbes (Muir of Ord) (+1) 75. Class 2 – D Hossack (Durness) (16) 74, D Ross (Durness) (14) 74. A Melville (Tain) (13), A Morrison (Durness) (8) 75. P Valentine (Thurso) (10), J Mackenzie (Durness) (17) 77.
