Urquhart enjoys double success
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BRYAN Urquhart has become a scratch golfer after an impressive performance at last Saturday’s Gardner Trophy and Fraser Shield competition at Royal Dornoch.
Urquhart, arguably Sutherland’s most improved golfer of the season, had lowered his handicap from four to one before the weekend competitions and recorded two more handicapping breaking cards to win both trophies.
Urquhart, now 33 and a junior product of Golspie Golf Club, has been a late developer. He is best known as a five time winning team member of the Burghfield Team competition.
But in June he kickstarted his season with a first round share of the County Cup at his native Golspie before his first individual 36 hole success at Royal Dornoch last weekend.
With 18 holes over each of the two Dornoch golf courses, Urquhart again had a first round morning share of the lead from a card of 74 over the Struie course where, as a boy after moving to Dornoch, he played most of his early golf.
He shared this score with Scott Dickson (Windyhill) (36/38) and two strokes back was last year’s double winner of the trophies, local David Pearson (39/37).
The afternoon move up to the championship course featured Urquhart birdieing the eighth hole for an outward one under par 34.
A second birdie came his way on the par three 13th before the course took three strokes back at the 16th with a triple bogey seven followed by a closing bogey for an inward 38 and 72.
The gross aggregate of 146 was sufficient to see him win both the Gardner Trophy and confined Fraser Shield for a first time, the shield with nett 144.
Scratch runner-up was Dickson, who repeated his first round 74 for 148, followed by last year’s winner Pearson who improved three shots over his Struie 76.
Results: CSS Struie 73 (home and away) Championship 74 (home and away):
Scratch Gardner Trophy — 146 B Urquhart (RDGC) 74.72. 148 S Dickson (Windyhill) 74/74. 149 D Pearson (RDGC) 76/73. 152 B Currie (Clydebank) 75/71. Handicap and Fraser Shield — B Urquhart (RDGC) (1) 144. R Fergus (Swanston New) (3) 144. K Milne (Pitreavie) 95) 145. S Dodd (RDGC) (8) 146, N Munro (RDGC) (3) 152. Individual rounds — Championship: M Kpedekpo (Dalmahoy) 75. Handicap C Ross (RDGC) (8) 70. Struie Scratch: E Farquharson (Auchterarder) 73. Handicap C Murray (RDGC) (5) 70.
