Mens Tournaments - Season 2008-2009

Thurso Open - 09 August 08
Top Prize goes to Orkney's Sean

Once again there was a full field of 120 players for the Central Hotel sponsored Thurso Open on Saturday with visitors from 'a' the 'airts' including the regulars from Alyth, Inverurie and Muir of Ord together with the usual Orcadian contingent who joined players from the local clubs to give the event its unique feel that some pretty dismal weather failed to dispel.

Perhaps the luckiest, for the first round at least, were the higher handicap players who were out in the early part of the draw and got round dry.

Ivan Paterson, first off at 5.15am set the standard for the first round with a nett 68 that was only bettered by five players; Donald Sutherland with the day's best nett score of 65, Alan Kennedy, Orkney's Sean Fotheringhame on nett 66 and Clark Grant a further shot back.

On the scratch front, Fotheringhame's gross 71 was the best of the first round leading Brent Munro by a couple of shots with Roddy Harper and Sutherland two shots back with 75's. Some of the big names including Doug Thorburn and Jim Sangster, both with no returns, were effectively out of contention at this stage.

Conditions certainly deteriorated for much of the second round with a strong wind added to the heavy rain proving to be too much for some of the competitors and adding about half a shot to each hole's average score.

The general clubhouse opinion was that Munro, with plenty of experience over the course he helps to maintain in such excellent condition, would prevail in the scratch section but that was not the way things turned out as Fotheringhame, an apprentice greenkeeper at his home club, showed that his morning form was for real as he returned a fine 72, again the best of the round to emerge a worthy champion on an aggregate of 143.

Munro had another 73, good going in the conditions, for an aggregate of 146 and runner up spot in the scratch section.

Orkney's Steven Rendall was next best on 150, two clear of Harper.

Michael Henderson, now playing out of the Loch Ness club, shared a total of 154 with Peter Sangster, an excellent performance by the youngster, Reay's Richard Macdonald and Stromness's, 'I always get 77' Brian Corsie.

Could Donald Sutherland hang on and become the first recipient of the Robert M Black trophy presented by the popular and long serving secretary of the Thurso club for the handicap champion?  The answer was in the affirmative as he carded a second round nett 71 for an aggregate of 136, beating Kenny Watson, from the Balmore club near Stirling, by a couple of shots.

Another visitor, Craig Steadman, who plays at Thurso on a fairly regular basis, came out on top of the Category 1 prize list with nett 139 for his two rounds.

Peter Sangster edged Macdonald out of second place on count back after both scored nett 140.

Fittingly, Bryan Sutter, one of the elegantly turned out brigade claimed a Cutter and Buck windcheater as his prize for fourth position with a total of 141, a shot ahead of Corsie and Orkney's, John Thomson who finished in fifth and sixth positions repectively.

Kennedy added an afternoon nett 74 to the morning's 66 for a two round aggregate of 140 to become the impressive winner of Category 2 by three shots from Alan Simmonite.

Ian Macphee, Gordon Morris and Clark Grant finished in third, fourth and fifth places respectively with nett 144's and young Mark Parsonage did very well to add a nett 74 to a morning 71 to claim sixth place.

Nearest the pin prizes went to Thurso's Match Secretary Ewan Mackenzie who hit a six iron to 1.2 metres from the pin on the third hole and Ronnie Gray who got half a metre closer on the fourteenth using a five wood.

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