Fabricators Cup in jeopardy if clubs fail to turn up
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Lyle McAlpine - hopeful
ROSS-shire clubs will have to get their act together if their inter club knock-out competition for the Highland Fabricators Cup is to continue in existence.
For the second year in succession the competition was spoilt by a club not turning up for a tie, with no apology or notice given, leaving Fortrose and Rosemarkie waiting on the first tee with no one to play last Sunday morning at Alness Golf Club.
Tarbat had already pulled out of the three scheduled first round games to give Invergordon their place in the September semi finals at Strathpeffer Spa, to be joined by Fortrose and Rosemarkie who received the walk-over from Muir of Ord, and Tain who had received a first round bye.
In the one tie that was played, Strathpeffer booked their home place in the last four with a resounding 4-1 win over hosts Alness to give a semi finals line up of Tain v Fortrose and Rosemarkie, and Invergordon v Strathpeffer Spa.
Around Ross-shire this weekend there is a men’s 18 hole open at Fortrose and Rosemarkie on Saturday, a similar event for men at Strathpeffer Spa on Sunday and late entries are still being taken for a mixed Texas Scramble at Tain on Sunday. #
For women there is a Northern Counties, County Open at Gairloch on Sunday. In a recent Northern Counties Adult/Girl greensomes competition at Torvean, Royal Dornoch mother and daughter Claire and Rebecca (13) Riddell won the second handicap prize.
Meanwhile tomorrow, Saturday, following the Senior Northern Counties Cup, the North District stage their first major championship of the season for the Association’s cup and medals.
Royal Dornoch have two very good chances of providing a winner in Neil Hampton and Lyle McAlpine.
Twenty years after winning the championship at Brora in 1991 Hampton, who became the club’s Secretary/Manager last September, is having another go at claiming the title and has a first tee off time in the 36 hole event of 9.10am partnering Munro Ferries (Tain) and Allan Cameron (Inverness).
Played in conjunction with the championship is a Youth’s championship for the Murray Watt Trophy and Hampton’s new Dornoch club mate, and 2010 club champion, Lyle McAlpine, who has already won the Youth’s trophy two years ago at Fortrose and Rosemarkie when still aged only 17, must start as favourite to win again.
McAlpine is currently in a rich vein of form having just left the under-18 ranks to recently win the Scottish Youth’s Championship. He cannot be ruled out of pulling off a double at Elgin this weekend, so emulating his Dornoch club mate Chris Mailley who won both trophies at Tain in 2002.
Mailley is not playing in Elgin, leaving Hampton and McAlpine the County’s only entrants.
