Mens Tournaments - Season 2010-2011

Reay Gala Open - 06 June 10

A flat calm spring day greeted golfers from the far flung corners of the county and some from further afield for the annual Gala Open at Reay Golf Club.

Unusually for such a still day, the low handicappers struggled leaving the door of opportunity open in category one for those at the higher end of single figures.

An eclectic mix of golf clubs were represented in the race for third place in category one, with local stalwart Sandy Chisholm sneaking onto the podium ahead of Thurso's George Munro and Invergordon's Mike Moran; all players recording net 68s with Sandy taking the bronze on countback.

Second place in category one went to local leviathan Murray McGlasson with a finely crafted 75 net 66 off his recently inflated handicap of 9. The key to Murray's score was playing Reay's array of par threes in level par, including a birdie 2 at the fifth.

However, 66 proved to be one too many skelps of the little white ball as travelling Thurso member Ronnie Gray and fellow nine handicapper took the category 1 honours and the overall Reay Gala Open title with the days lowest gross score of 74 for a net 65.

Ronnie's brace of steady halves of 37 each punctuated with a birdie 3; one at the 3rd and one at the 17th proved too good for the chasing pack.

In category two local Reay members Danny O'Hagen (net 68) and Tim Hawes (net 69) took third and fourth places respectively but could do nothing to stop the Thurso members taking the top two spots.

In second place pipping Danny O'Hagen on countback was Kevin Morris. And in first place was Andrew Main with a particularly fine net 67; both players demonstrating their dexterity in adjusting to the baked fairways of the links after mudskipping across Thurso's parkland course at the end of Caithnesses own monsoon season.

In the ladies section of the Gala Open it was a battle of the Alison's, with the oft frequenting Alison Campbell taking the honours with a net 69 and Reay member Alison Ross taking second place just one shot back on net 70.

End-of-Document