Junior Tournaments - Season 2008-2009

Thurso Junior Open - 03 August 08
Sangster adds to this seasons silverware

There was an excellent turn out of 44 competitors for Thurso Golf Club's Junior Open on Sunday. Once again the event was sponsored by the John O'Groats House Hotel with support also provided, for the first time, by Nuclear Decommissioning Services Limited (NDSL)

There was a rainy start to the competition for players with senior handicaps but they weren't put off and some first class scores were returned especially by the two main trophy winners in the boy's competition.

Peter Sangster, from the home club, returned a gross 72 to win the scratch award by a couple of shots from club mate Allyn Sutherland but there was ample compensation for Sutherland as he was an impressive winner of the handicap award with a nett 60, three shots clear of Reay's Ewan Crawford who might have been excused that thinking his score could have been a winning one.

Mark Parsonage needed count back to see off the challenge of Lewis Bain for third place after both returned nett 67. This was also the nett score for the only girl in the competition as Reay's Eleanor Tunn added to her recent success in the Thurso Ladies Open.

Playing off the blue tees, James Hawes won the eighteen hole competition with a fine nett 62, with Struan Mackie claiming second place.

The biggest entry of the day was for the seven hole competion that was won by Gregor Munro with Eildh Grant in second place.

The three hole competition resulted in a win for Ian Mackay from Courtney McIvor runner up.

At the prize giving ceremony Ali Simpson, vice captain of the Thurso Club, representing sponsor Donald Gordon, and Mike Napper, NDSL, complimented the young players for their enthusiasm and quality of performance.

Several of the Thurso contingent have been playing in North District events at various locations in the North including Nairn, Loch Ness and Tain. Although the SGU website has still to be updated both Sangster and Parsonage are likely to move up the Order of Merit after their Tain performances.

The next counting event is the Reay Junior Open on 17 August.

Sangster also represented the North under 14 side against their Aberdeen counterparts at Huntly last Friday and after winning his pairs match by three and two, lost his singles tie by one hole.

Scottish Golf Union North District Juniors - 21 July 08
Juniors doing good at SGU tournaments

Two very promising Junior members of Thurso Golf Club were chosen to represent the Scottish Golf Union North District in an Under 14 match against their Angus counterparts at Grantown on Spey earlier this month.

Mark Parsonage and Peter Sangster both acquitted themselves well in the match that was tied at four and a half matches each.

The two were paired together in the morning and lost their match as Angus went up by 2 games to one.

In the afternoon singles Sangster got off to a great start to be five up after seven holes but his opponent put up a great fight before Sangster earned a team point on the eighteenth green.

Parsonage, on the other hand, was three down after seven holes but fought back to all square after 15 holes only to lose by two and one.

Sangster has been selected for the next match to be played by the team against the North East at Huntly on 1 August.

The promising duo, together with Allyn Sutherland, were in action again a few days later in the SGU North District Junior Championship at Brora that was also a counting event for the newly introduced Order of Merit for juniors at both under 14 and under 16 levels.

In windy conditions Sangster had nett rounds of 69 and 68, Sutherland had two 73's and Parsonage 79 and 78.

At the half way stage Sangster is lying in fifth place in the under 14 Order of Merit, two places above Parsonage. One of the remaining four events is scheduled for Reay on 17 August.

Evan Sutherland, Head Coach of the Caithness and North Sutherland Coaching initiative has recently invited the Caithness Clubs to provide players for a Caithness under 14 team. It is hoped that such a team could be the basis for under 16 and under 18 teams in the years to come.

Royal Dornoch Junior Open/North of Scotland Boys Championship, Elgin - April 08
Good experience for Thurso youngsters

Mark Parsonage, Peter Sangster and Alan Sutherland have been flying the flag for Thurso at a couple of Junior competitions recently. Although none of them got in to the prize lists at the Royal Dornoch Junior Open or the North of Scotland Boys Championship at Elgin, they will benefit from the experience of playing away from their home course with players they don't know.

Parsonage will have mixed feelings about his Dornoch experience though. After a fine round of 85 he had the misfortune to be disqualified as a couple of holes were wrongly marked by his playing partner. The good news for the youngster was a handicap reduction of two shots as a result of the Dornoch round and his win in the Summer League the previous day.

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