Hexley is top scorer but Tain take trophy
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LOCALLY born Darren Hexley, who now resides in Beauly and is a greenkeeper at Inverness’s Torvean golf course, responded to a late call into the Golspie Golf Club team that went to Tain Golf Club to defend the Miller Quaich on Sunday.
The one-handicapper, Golspie’s 2014 Sutherland county champion and the first lefty to have become champion, responded to his call by giving his club an early lead in their defence of the competition, where 12 scores are used from a team of 14 comprising 10 men and four women.
Our golf correspondent, Robin Wilson, played with the one-handicapper for the first time and was hopeful of a good score in the bright and breezy conditions over a course still wearing its winter coat.
Untroubled Hexley holed putts from eight and 10 feet to save par on the opening two greens before, from a difficult sandy lie at the sixth hole, he landed his wedge approach six feet from the pin for his first birdie.
His outward card totalled 34 before an easy downwind birdie came at the par five 13th hole.
But the wind was in his face at the next hole and three shots were required to reach the green for a bogey five. The next green was missed to take another bogey, before closing with three pars for 36 and an excellent level par 70.
The stableford conversion was 37 points and, added to Golspie captain William MacBeath’s opening 26 points, the holders were in an early lead.
But with home advantage prevailing, the Tain team triumphed for the 10th time in 18 years.
In the hosts’ team of 14 their best scorer was Bryan Campbell with 32 points, with Fiona Brand adding the best women’s card of 31 points to help their total up to 338 points.
Their remaining points came from captain Ewan Forrest 26, David Vass 25, Barney Mackie 28, David Clark 30, David MacLeod 26, Gary Brand 31, Graeme Ross 27, Gordon Smith 29, Robin Nairn 28 and Anne Ryan 25.
Cards outwith the top 12 came from Deirdre Wlodarczyk 23 and Audrey Duncan 14.
After Hexley’s best of the day 37 points, Golspie finished in second place with 328 points: W MacBeath 26, A MacDougall 24, G McHardy 27, J Yuill 29, R Richardson 23, D Bremner 30, A Waddell 29, A MacRae 24, S Robertson 24, N MacKay 32, C Logie 23.
Out of the top 12 were C Sutherland 8 and J Smith 22.
Brora came third with 327 points: D Sutherland (captain) 24, R Wilson 23, D J Sutherland 33, K Lorimer 28, T Barker 29, D Lawson 27, A Smith 25, T Tracy 27, J Sutherland 28, B Ledwith 30, A Clarke 28, J Lawson 25.
Outwith the top 12 were C Barker 21 and A Grant 18.
Royal Dornoch: J Seater (captain) 22, C Mackay 27, V O’Brien 31, A Godfrey 23, R Boyce 28, T Bartlet 23, C Chessor 25, J Alford 24, I W Irvin 31, M Kingston, 23, C Callingham 25, J Todd 24.
Outwith their top 10 were F Hampton 21 and M Kingston 14.
The competition in 2017 will be played over the Brora course.
