Mens Tournaments - Season 2007-2008

Reay School PTA Open - 19 May 07
Alec is triumphant in bad conditions

Alec Anderson

There was a very stiff breeze greeting the golfers on the first tee and the conditions were very tough but it did not deter the field and those that battled through the worst the weather could throw at them. Sponsors CHM2HILL played in the afternoon and really suffered in the weather but to their credit the stayed the course and returned the best scores. We had two eagles and sixteen birdies and only one player made par at the notoriously difficult second hole. The 6th hole with some wind assistance took a battering from the field giving up no less than 6 birdies but a few cricket scores as well. The hardest hole was the 18th playing into the teeth of the wind and the easiest par was the 15th giving up three birdies. The CSS for the competition was 72 which is three over par so the course had a resounding victory and clearly very tough.

Only three ladies braved the conditions and all three are to be congratulated for finishing and returning a score. Morag Mackay came in third with 136-34-102 with Alison Ross second on 112-27-85. The clear winner was Kathy Lehew returning figures of 100-24-76.

Scoring was tough and at one stage four shared the best score of nett 72. In Division two there were birdie two's for George MacDonald and Tom Sinclair at the 5th. Jeff Benjamin of the Colorado Golf Club did well having to borrow a set of clubs to play for a net 82. Jeff was very complimentary about the course having recently played Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham and found Reay the toughest challenge, the left hander has vowed to come back with his own clubs to tackle the links again and what he described as quality Scottish golf.

Club Captain Ian Ross took to the field with the added handicap of recovering from a minor operation to battle through to third place with an 88-13-75 proving when it's tough the tough get going. With the lowest gross of 87 George Prince with 87-13-74 made second place his own. David J.Mowat 92-20-72 was the comfortable winner in Division two with a birdie at the 12th. For the second week running David has nearly tasted glory as his was the best of the four nett 72's until the last game came in with the winning score.

In Division 1 competitors were also finding conditions difficult. Jock Eunson was grinding out a good score with birdies at the 5th and the 6th but faded badly on the back nine. Alistair Gunn had the distinction of a wonderful eagle 3 on the par 5 fourteenth hole but was not up to his best. Making birdie at the 6th were Murdo MacDonald, Bruce Mackay and Evan Sutherland, Bruce had a second birdie with a two at the 15th. Fred Groves playing steadily made birdie at the 16th.

The best scratch score went to Brad Smith with a 77. Brad visited the out of bounds on the second opening up with two double bogeys but making birdie at the 3rd.

Another birdie came at the 6th and then the icing on the cake an eagle at the 14th. It was a great recovery to get back to a 77 in the conditions.

John O'Brien 78-5-73 with a birdie at the 12th came home fifth. Three shared the second best score of nett 72 and after the count back was applied Murray McGlasson 81-9-72 settled for fourth and a birdie at the 6th. Never far away from the prizes these days was Grant Maxwell 80-8-72 in third and Gavin Gunn making birdie at the 13th shot 81-9-72 to be the runner up. By three clear shots and the only man with par figures winning comfortably was Alec Anderson. Alec played in the worst of the weather and still managed a birdie at the 10th to return figures of 80-11-69 to take the mantle of Reay School PTA Open Champion.

In the evening prizes were presented by John Lehew of Sponsors CH2MHILL which included a cheque to the Reay School PTA funds.

ALL Winners and sponsors

Brad Smith - Scratch Winner	Jeff Benjamin - Colorado GC
Kathy Lehew - Ladies Winner

End-of-Document