Sinclair Cup joy for MacDonald
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FORMER Sutherland County Champion and Carnegie Shield winner, Embo-based Alex MacDonald, added his name to his club’s most sought after stroke play silverware, the Sinclair Cup at Royal Dornoch last Saturday with the best score of his life over the magnificent course.
In the first round MacDonald came within a stroke of matching the championship course amateur record of 64, set by SA based Jimmy Gunn before he turned professional, after MacDonald, the head greenkeeper at Golspie GC began his day with a morning birdie on the first hole which, when followed by strict par figures, got him to the turn in one under par 34.
But better was to come over the inward holes beginning with a birdie two on the tenth, following up with another two on the 13th green. This came after his birdie four on the 12th hole which then took his card to four under par. This became six under after back-to-back birdies at 15 and 16 before his bogey-free round was spoilt at the 17th for an inward 31 and 65.
Enough to win any tournament but with the reigning North District champion, Bryan Fotheringham and Carnegie Shield holder Chris Mailley in the field, MacDonald could not afford to be too lax in the second round. A second-round 73 was at the end of the day a three-shot win from Fotheringham who came into the fray with a second-round two-under-par 68 to add to his opening 73. The Inverness member’s second round card featured four birdies, the 2nd, 9th, 12th and 15th holes which was pulled back to 68 with two bogies, the 1st and 14th holes.
Helping to fight off the expectant north east inclusion amongst the scratch winners was Fortrose & Rosemarkie’s Alan Cameron in third place (73/71), then the holder, local Chris Mailley (74/73) and with an improvement of eight shots in round two from his first-round 79 was the club’s Danish member Jorg Paulus who got the fifth scratch voucher with 150.
The scratch winner had previously won the Taylor Bullock Salver which is confined to RDGC members and he now has his name on this trophy for a second time, while Robert Sluming from West Lancashire, who had the fourth best scratch aggregate total with 75 and 71, ended up leading the nett scores with 72 and 68 for nett 140. He was ahead of local Mike Thomson by four shots. Thomson moved above Grant Stevenson (Pollock) on a better second round nett card. He was followed by two other local members Naill Campbell (146) and Craig MacKay (147).
Sinclair Cup Results (all RDGC unless stated) – CSS, members 73 & 75, visitors 74 & 75: Scratch winners – 138 A MacDonald (65/73). 141 B Fotheringham (Inverness) (73/68). 144 R A L Cameron (F&R) (73/71). 147 C Mailley (74/73) 150 J Paulus (Bad Abbach/RD) (79/71). Handicap – R Slumming (West Lancashire) (3) 140. M Thomson (4) 144, G Stevenson(Pollock) (7) 144. N Campbell (5) 146. C Mackay(2) 147.
