Reay Open (36) - 02 July 05
'e Magician does it again

The biggest event in the golfing calendar at Reay took place at the weekend with the UKAEA, Orion Group UK Ltd and D.Gow & Son Ltd sponsored 2005 Reay Open. We were nicely teed up the day before when Simon Watson of the Scottish Turf Research Institute commissioned by the R&A and the Scottish Golf Union conducted a survey of the course and reported the greens were the best natural links greens he had seen in a very long time and that they were in excellent condition. He commended the Greenkeeper James Macadie who had done a superb job in preparing the course and presented it in immaculate condition fit for the Reay Open Championship. The weather began in tropical warmth with clear blue skies and very calm. As the day progressed the clouds appeared and the wind got up and by the afternoon was blowing fiercely with some heavy rain reflecting in the CSS for round one being 69 and for round two going up to 72. It definitely felt as if there were two vastly different courses being played which added to the challenge.

Raymond Taylor (right) - Reay Open winner Ian Ross - Hebdon Challenge Cup winner Graeme Dunnett (centre) - club captain more pictures at foot of page

In Division two in the first round we had three golfers sharing the lowest gross of 84 namely Grant Coghill, Ian Ross and Andy Whitelaw all representing the home club. Stephen Fidler of Thurso GC a long standing visitor to the links had a nice birdie at the 12^th; Steve Lucas of Reay notched one at the 15^th and David Chisholm from Garmouth & Kingston GC had a nice two at the 5^th. Andy Whitelaw 84 -13 - 71 shared second spot with Ian Ross 84 - 13 -71 who got a birdie at the 14^th but leading the way was Grant Coghill 84 - 15 - 69 and a quality birdie at the 6^th with the best score of the morning demonstrating the importance of straight hitting and keeping it on the fairway.

In Division one we were having a veritable feast of birdies and top man was David Sutherland (Elmwood GC) with three birdies at the 6^th, 11^th and 15^th. David is currently home on holiday and assisting James Macadie, and he had set up the pin positions on the day very well taking advantage of a bit of local knowledge. The lowest gross of 73 was shared by Don A.Mackay with birdies at the 14^th and 16^th and Raymond Taylor who also birdied the 16^th. Steve Efemey birdied at the 5^th, Sandy Chisholm at the 16^th and a brace of birdies for Joe Wilson with superb 2's at the 5^th and the 15^th. Jock Eunson birdied the tough 7^th, and James Henderson, David Mackay, Lee Parnell and Gavin Gunn all went under par at the 14^th. Sandy Stewart from Thurso Golf Club also got in on the act at the 14^th and went one better with a birdie at the 13^th also. The greens were clearly as good as Simon Watson from STRI said they were as there were more birdies yet to come.

Three men made par figures in Gavin Sutherland 74 - 5 - 69 notching a birdie at the 16^th, Raymond Taylor 73 - 4 - 69 fresh from his triumph in the Strokeplay Championship and hunting titles also birdying the 16^th and young Brent Munro of Thurso 76 - 7 - 69 bagging birdies at the 2^nd and the 17^th. Colin Paterson of Reay 74 - 6 - 68 was building a steady challenge and made birdie at the long 4^th. Pride of place went to a young man from Thurso Golf Club with excellent figures of 78 - 12 - 66 seeing Michael Henderson make his mark and set the target for the field to aim at in round two.

Ian Ross - Hebdon Challenge Cup winner

Round two saw the course baring its teeth with the breeze blowing strongly from the west and any wayward shots being severely punished, with most shots needing an extra two clubs from the morning as conditions began to deteriorate for a spell with driving rain. The only birdie of the afternoon in Division two went to John Disbury with a two at the 5^th. Stephen Fidler of Thurso battled bravely unrecognisable as his traditional shorts were abandoned for waterproofs for 89 - 15 - 74. Grant Coghill slipped back with 88 - 15 - 73 to share third with Andy Whitelaw playing in the worst of conditions for 86 - 13 - 73. Up into second place came Steve Lucas with an honourable 83 - 13 - 70. Getting the lowest gross of the afternoon was Ian Ross with 82 - 13 - 69 to equal par and first place and the score being remarkable as Ian had the worst of the weather to contend with.

The CSS going to 72 in round two demonstrated how tough play was and most visitors surrendered for the delights and comforts of the bar and the hospitality of hard working Bar Steward James Gibson as the course started to claim its many victims. Only nine birdies were made in round two a famine compared to the morning feast. Michael Henderson the leader from round one found the afternoon costly as he couldn't maintain his challenge but did have the satisfaction of a rare birdie two at the 9^th. Lee Parnell made birdie at the 1^st into the jaws of the wind but sadly joined the growing group who floundered to a no return. Leading a pack of players with a net 72 was Joe Wilson making a birdie at the 4^th and 84 - 12 - 72. Sandy Chisholm and David Dunbar being the other two on 72.

Familiar names were appearing at the top of the leaderboard and making a real pitch for glory was Gavin Sutherland with 76 - 5 - 71 and three magnificent birdies in poor conditions at the 9^th, and back to back at the 12^th and 13^th. With a birdie at the 12^th Raymond Taylor returned 74 - 4 - 70 to secure second place. John O'Brien playing out of his skin had the lowest gross of 73 which included nice birdies at the 13^th and the 17^th to set up 73 - 6 - 67 and the only man to break par in the afternoon which was a tremendous achievement. The question is how did John hit the Clubhouse window with his third shot from the first fairway trying to find the eighteenth green in the morning by going over the clubhouse? That will take some thinking about and a bit of explaining. John's 67 at least made up for his disastrous first round.

The prize winners were Steve Lucas (Reay GC) for the best scratch in Division 2 with 170. Third nett went to Steven Fidler (Thurso GC) with 148, second to Andy Whitelaw (Reay GC) with 144 and first nett was won by the youthful Grant Coghill (Reay GC) with a professional 142. Best scratch in Division 1 went to the rapidly improving Gavin Sutherland (Reay GC) with 150. Fourth nett was Joe Wilson (Reay GC) with 143 nudged out by the evergreen Sandy Chisholm (Reay GC) in third also on 143 but courtesy of the better back 9 in round two. David Dunbar (Reay GC) with a solid all round performance on 142 picked up second nett and first nett went to Michael Henderson (Thurso GC) with 141 and his nett 66 in the morning the best individual round of the day was enough to give him the edge.

The Hebdon Challenge Cup for the best Handicap Golfer over the two rounds with scores of 71, 69 - 140 went to the Club Treasurer Ian Ross for the biggest win so far of his golfing career. The Reay Open Trophy for the Champion Golfer of 2005 with scores of 73, 74 - 147 went to a popular winner in Raymond Taylor, a man well versed in collecting titles and trophies. Raymond also made a good speech at the presentation Ceremony where he received the Trophy from Graeme Dunnett representing UKAEA one of our Sponsors for the day. Thanks to Campbell Catering for keeping everybody well fed and to Lynne Whitelaw from the Ladies section who did a great job managing the tournament and the onerous duty of compiling the scores and running the leaderboard.

Photos

ALL Winners on the day
Raymond Taylor - Winner	Ian Ross - Hebdon Cup Winner
Barry Cann - Torvean	Billy Dunbar
David Dunbar	Don Mackay Jnr
Grant Coghill	Jock Eunson
Mike Savage - Torvean	Martin Flett - Orkney Golf Club
Stephen Fidler - Thurso Golf Club
Keith Buxton on the 18th

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