Club Championship & Monthly Medals - Season 2010-2011

Club Championships Round 1/Mowat Mug/Stewart Cup - 22 May 10

Two trophies were contested at Thurso Golf Club on Saturday. The Stewart Cup was for players up to 18 handicap and the Mowat Mug for the others. There was also a significant sub-plot as the round was the first of three to sort out this year's club championship qualifiers.

Current club champion Bryan Ronald was a very early starter on Saturday and began his round with a bogey five at the opening hole. It was to be his only one though as he had an eagle three at the seventh, from a couple of three woods and a putt, followed by a birdie at the next hole on his way to an outward total of 33 shots, two under par. Only one more birdie was to follow, at the thirteenth, but 33 more shots gave him a gross 66, nett 63, that earned him the Stewart cup by three shots from Walter Rutherford.

Perhaps excited at getting back to back birdies at the second and third holes, Rutherford ran up a triple bogey eight at the fourth hole, but didn't allow it to upset him and got round in gross 77 for his nett 66.

Ronnie Gray spoiled an otherwise tidy card with sixes at the sixteenth and seventeenth holes but still claimed third place from Innes Mitchell on count back after both returned nett 67's.

Mitchell eagled the eighth hole in an outward 34 but slipped to an inward 40.

Terry Mackay's inward nine separated him from Peter Sangster, Peter Knight, Bob Roberrtson and Bob Black after all scored nett 68's.

Nett 63 was also the winning score in the Mowat Mug and it belonged to Stuart Bell who earned a cut of three to his handicap for his efforts. Bell had a fine inward nine of 40 shots and won by five shots from Ian Fraser who scored 44 for each nine.

Paul O'Rourke was a shot further back in third place.

The situation with club championship qualifying should become clearer after tomorrow's second round but Ronald, Jim Sangster and Doug Thorburn, who both shot 70, and Peter Sangster who had a 71 would appear to be well placed already.

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