Mens Tournaments - Season 2010-2011

Spring Open Texas Scramble - 25 April 10

Sunday saw the return of an ever popular team event - the Texas Scramble.

In this competition teams of three players all tee off, select the best shot, all play from this spot and so on until the ball is holed out. Things are complicated by the fact that each team must utilise at least 5 of each team members tee shots.

Scoring in this format of the game is always lower than whale's business. Any net score above 60 just doesn't cut the mustard. And on the day three teams even managed to go under the net three's mark of 67.

In third place were a travelling trio from Lybster: George Groat; Alastair Boyd and the wiliest of the wily Mr John Gunn. After a steady start the Lybster lads leapt into gear with birdies at the 5th, 6th and 9th to reach the turn in 31 strokes. However, a brace of birdies on the back nine wasn't enough to undo the damage done by a bogie at the 11th. This gave our friends from the east a gross 65 and, off their combined handicap of 8.2, a challenging net score of 56.8.

Thurso members Sid Campbell and bang in form Neil Jackson teamed up with Reay member Lee Parnell in the hope of garnering some local knowledge.

The Thurso players were beginning to wonder what they'd taken on as the team stumbled through the front nine in just one under and having used none of Sid's drives, things looked bleak. And the picture wasn't getting much brighter around the turn as Parnell's approach to the 10th green shanked off fully 90 yards down the 11th fairway. However, while Lee was pretending to chase his trilby across the links in a vain attempt to cover up his less than impressive iron play, Jackson was calmly rolling in a twenty footer to get the boys going. A further 4 birdies in the final six holes gave the team a gross 63 for net 56.6, edging out the Lybster team by the smallest of margins.

Taking the Texas Gold on the day were Thurso members Gav Souter, Terry MacKay and Donald Sutherland.

Having struggled on their previous visit to the links the team quickly hit their straps and picked off three birdies on the front nine. And when the boys started to struggle on the back nine with a few missed greens up stepped Terry MacKay and his wand-like flat stick.

Holing putts from off the green twice, there were reports of other players across the course being able to physically feel the heat coming from Terry's now white hot putter! And when outside putting range, Terry simply transferred the feverous heat to his wedges chipping in for birdie. All in all the Thurso team took just 61 strokes for a fantastic Texas Winning score of net 54.6.

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