Mary Smith lowers Bonar Bridge record

and then Ann Macrae equals it

By ROBIN WILSON

Tain's Northern Counties team player Mary Smith lowered the women's course record of the Bonar Bridge-Ardgay golf course by one shot when spearheading her club to an eighth consecutive scratch win in the Ross–Sutherland women's inter-club team competition.
The previous record at Bonar Bridge was 77, set last year by Thurso's Eileen Manson in a similar event between the clubs of Caithness and Sutherland.
To Smith's 76 was added her sister Anne Ryan's 80, and their niece Sammy Vass's 79, for a three-score total of 235 to beat the Brora team total of 247 by 12 shots and win the G A Gordon Trophy.

Julie Vass completed the Tain team of four but her score of 82 did not count.
The Brora team members' total of of 247 for runner-up place came from Brora club champion Lesley Beaney (78), Ann Robertson (81) and Susan Smith (88). Fourth member Pat Ashe's card of 89 did not count.
Later in the day Golspie's Ann Macrae's equalled the new record for a net 65 of a handicap of 11 to help Golspie win the A B Connon Trophy for the first time since 1999.

Macrae's team-mates were Sheila Robertson, net 68 of 12, and Helen Ewan, also a net 68 off 16, for their three-score total of 199. Golspie's fourth player was Fiona More whose net 75 off 21 was not required.

Royal Dornoch were runners up with a net total of 208. Scorers: Moira Rennie (19) 72, Margo Smedley (22) 72 and Irene Hart (24) 64. Their non-counting score was Pam Moscati's 73 off 19.

++The Scottish Ladies Golf Union has confirmed that the first 76, from Mary Smith, gets recorded as the course record and Anne Macrae's later 76 equals it.
Smith's figures for the nine-hole course were:

5-4-2-5-4-3-4-3-5: 35
4-4-4-5-6-4-6-4-4: 41
Total 76.
Macrae's equalling scorecard read:

4-4-4-4-6-4-4-3-5: 38
4-5-3-5-5-5-4-3-4: 38
+Above picture (by Robin Wilson, all rights reserved): Tain's Mary Smith and Anne Ryan (back) with the handicap trophy winners Golspie in front of them. Golspie line-up, left to right, Sheila Robertson, Ann Macrae, Fiona More and Helen Ewan.