Mens Tournaments - Season 2007-2008

Isauld Trophy - 11 August 07
Neil proves he can still produce the goods

Neil McDonald

The Isauld Trophy produced the strangest set of statistics this season with a CSS of 69 and a total of 10 birdies the hardest par was the 14th hole. There will be many scratching their heads to find the 1st was the easiest par.

Ian Ritchie 80-9-71 clearly upset the golfing gods by starting with a par at the first; a steady round ensued but was unravelled by a double bogey on the 14th when a par would have forced a countback at least. Fred Groves also doubled the 14th but a bad start to the back nine killed off his chances.

Young Hugh Tunn made birdie at the 12th fresh from success in the Thurso Junior Open but found the home stretch a problem particularly the 14th which was proving to be very troublesome. Grant Coghill was delighted to get a two at the 15th to smarten up his card and Willie Steven got on the birdie trail at the 6th hole.

Colin Stewart 82-11-71 will be ruing a triple bogey on the 3rd but recovered to produce a birdie two on the 7th for 4th place, but for those three shots he would have won the trophy. Bob Earnshaw is another that came close picking up third with 79-9-70 with a smart birdie two at the 5th. A seven at the 14th was the major blot on the card in an otherwise very steady round.

The Trophy had to be settled by the dreaded countback which is never satisfactory. Jock Eunson had a great par round going out in 39 and home in 41 for 80-11-69. From the fourth Jock went 6-2-6-2-6 for a great pair of birdie two'Fs at the 5th and the 7th and had to settle for second berth. Rolling back the years the Trophy went to Neil McDonald who proved he can still produce the shots that count despite not playing much golf. Neil was out in 38 and home in 35 for 73-4-69 also grabbing the best scratch score and a triple birdie haul at the 9th, 13th and the Achilles' heel on the day the 14th. Neil bogeyed the first three holes but then settled into steady shooting to edge out Jock Eunson with the birdies at the 13th and 14th and par figures of 35 on the back nine making the difference in the countback. 

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