TAIN GOLF CLUB'S PARADE OF CLUB CHAMPIONS 2011
By ROBIN WILSON
Tain Golf club climaxed their J and I Carpets Club Championship week with two thrilling finals and semi-finals. Leading the way to the presentation table was the club captain, Munro Ferries, and a Vass family sister act of teenagers Julie (17) and Sammy (19).
Ferries regained the scratch championship; Sammy Vass won the women's club championship for a second time, while her younger sister Julie won the junior championship.
Ferries was extra proud of his fifth championship success as he now believes he has become the first club captain in office to also reign as champion. Up against him in the final was Gordon Bell, the son of the Tain Secretary, Joanna Bell .
It was Bell's first appearance at this stage in the championship which had been running all week since the previous weekend's qualifying rounds. Bell was unfortunate to come up against Ferries, the club's only holder of a plus handicap and was quickly overpowered, losing four of the first five holes. Unable to make any impression on the previous four times winner, he went under by 5 and 4.
But Ferries had to show his best form all week as the championship entry had a new look to it this year with non-resident and country members entitled to play and two of them were the leading qualifiers.
Alness youth member Ross Jack was first seed with 142 followed by Nairn's Fraser Fotheringham on 148, the same total as Ferries but seeded second on the better second round. Both made it through to the last four with Jack losing his semi-final to Bell which gave rise to a titanic struggle in the other semi- final between Ferries and Fotheringham.
Alness youth member Ross Jack was first seed with 142 followed by Nairn's Fraser Fotheringham on 148, the same total as Ferries but seeded second on the better second round. Both made it through to the last four with Jack losing his semi-final to Bell which gave rise to a titanic struggle in the other semi- final between Ferries and Fotheringham.
Arguably the two best players in the last 16, Ferries winning his first championship in 2002 and rarely missing a last four place in all years since. New member Fotheringham is a former North youths champion and best remembered for reaching the final of the British boys' championship of 2007.
Fotheringham took the early lead but saw his two-hole advantage cut to one hole after seven holes and after 11 the tie was all square.
Fotheringham went ahead again from winning the par five 13th but two holes later he missed a short putt on the 15th green and Ferries drew level again. It remained this way over the final three holes with the match drawing a large crowd from the clubhouse to witness the climax at the extra hole.
Both players came up short with their second shots and were putting from the front fringe from where the club captain delighted his members by holing out the vital third shot for a birdie win.
Sammy Vass's semi-final had the same result as her 2009 championship final, again beating her aunt, Anne Ryan, who was also the defending champion. Sammy Vass, on her summer vacation leave from Carolina's Gardner Webb College, then faced her other aunt and a former champion, Mary Smith, in the women's scratch final. Between them they produced a thriller with a feast of birdies. Five of their combined eight over the 18 holes came in the last nine holes.
The three decisive birdie strikes were made by the college student on the run-in, winning the 16th, 17th and 18th holes to seal the victory against her aunt by two holes. Sammy's sub-par putts on the final three greens varied in length from 18 feet on the 16th , three feet on the 17th to ten feet on the final green.
Fotheringham went ahead again from winning the par five 13th but two holes later he missed a short putt on the 15th green and Ferries drew level again. It remained this way over the final three holes with the match drawing a large crowd from the clubhouse to witness the climax at the extra hole.
Both players came up short with their second shots and were putting from the front fringe from where the club captain delighted his members by holing out the vital third shot for a birdie win.
Sammy Vass's semi-final had the same result as her 2009 championship final, again beating her aunt, Anne Ryan, who was also the defending champion. Sammy Vass, on her summer vacation leave from Carolina's Gardner Webb College, then faced her other aunt and a former champion, Mary Smith, in the women's scratch final. Between them they produced a thriller with a feast of birdies. Five of their combined eight over the 18 holes came in the last nine holes.
The three decisive birdie strikes were made by the college student on the run-in, winning the 16th, 17th and 18th holes to seal the victory against her aunt by two holes. Sammy's sub-par putts on the final three greens varied in length from 18 feet on the 16th , three feet on the 17th to ten feet on the final green.
The champion's younger sister, 17-year-old Julie's scratch junior club championship trophy was won by beating Andrew Bell (17) in the final. A week earlier Andrew Watt became men's senior champion for the first time with victory over Tony Watson.
Tain Championship Results
MEN
Scratch:
Semi-finals – G Bell bt R Jack 3 and 2, M Ferries bt F Fotheringham at 19th.
Semi-finals – G Bell bt R Jack 3 and 2, M Ferries bt F Fotheringham at 19th.
Final - Ferries beat Gordon 5&4.
Handicap
Semi finals - Graeme Ross bt Rob Hudson 6 and 5, Simon Custerson bt David Macleod 2 holes.
Final - Ross bt Custerson 4 and 3.
Semi finals - Graeme Ross bt Rob Hudson 6 and 5, Simon Custerson bt David Macleod 2 holes.
Final - Ross bt Custerson 4 and 3.
Senior Men
Scratch
Final - Andrew Watt bt Tony Watson.
Scratch
Final - Andrew Watt bt Tony Watson.
Handicap
Final – Stuart Smith beat Dan Patience
Final – Stuart Smith beat Dan Patience
WOMEN
Scratch
Semi finals – S Vass bt A Ryan, M Smith bt C Ross.
Final - Vass beat Smith 2 holes.
Semi finals – S Vass bt A Ryan, M Smith bt C Ross.
Final - Vass beat Smith 2 holes.
Handicap
Semi finals – Jackie Neill bt Linda Thomson, Jean Russell bt Morag Sutherland. Final - Neill bt Russell.
Semi finals – Jackie Neill bt Linda Thomson, Jean Russell bt Morag Sutherland. Final - Neill bt Russell.
JUNIORSScratch
Final - Julie Vass bt Andrew Bell.
Handicap
Final - Cameron Mackintosh bt Shaun Hogg.
Final - Julie Vass bt Andrew Bell.
Handicap
Final - Cameron Mackintosh bt Shaun Hogg.
Tain Members enjoy Holes in One at Royal Dornoch
Whilst playing in the Robbie Grant/Duncan Murray senior open over the Royal Dornoch golf course, two Tain members recorded holes in one.
First to strike with the elusive ace was former Robbie Grant winner Tony Watson who fired his tee shot directly into the hole on the second green. Next up came Dennis Albutt who put a 1 down on his card at the 10th hole assured that his feat would make the press and be well guarded by his playing partners who were the local golf correspondent and Jock McArthur, a prison officer from Peterhead.
Following his eagle at the 10th hole, Albutt, a retired metropolitan police officer, now resident in Dornoch and also a member of the host club, proceeded to card a gross 76 nett 68 and win the Duncan Murray Handicap Cup and Medal.
A bit nervy on the slick Dornoch greens over the outward half, he missed several short putts but still salvaged a gross outward 41. Without having a use for his putter on the 10th green he missed three makable putts at the next three holes but when he found his putting touch at the fourteenth he kept to par figures over the closing stretch and matched the inward par of 35.
His most remarkable par was made at the 17th hole where after a penalty lift and drop from bushes at the top of the hill he fired his third shot to 8 feet and holed a tricky downhill putt for four.
A bit nervy on the slick Dornoch greens over the outward half, he missed several short putts but still salvaged a gross outward 41. Without having a use for his putter on the 10th green he missed three makable putts at the next three holes but when he found his putting touch at the fourteenth he kept to par figures over the closing stretch and matched the inward par of 35.
His most remarkable par was made at the 17th hole where after a penalty lift and drop from bushes at the top of the hill he fired his third shot to 8 feet and holed a tricky downhill putt for four.
Tony Watson a former scratch winner of the Robbie Grant Medal, returned a nett 70, off 8, to win his Class C age section where Invergordon's Jim Dinwoodie took a third place behind Brora's Ronnie Sim.
Paul Mulvey (East Kilbride) with a scratch 76 was the winner of the Robbie Grant Cup and Medal but Royal Dornoch members showed their mettle when they made the short crossing to Tain the following day to play in the Tain Pottery Open Mixed foursomes competition.
Scratch winners were Dornoch's club secretary Neil Hampton and wife Fiona , while club Captain Hamish Macrae,and wife, Irene, were the handicap winners.
Scratch winners were Dornoch's club secretary Neil Hampton and wife Fiona , while club Captain Hamish Macrae,and wife, Irene, were the handicap winners.
Royal Dornoch Seniors
Results
CSS Home 73, Away 74
Results
CSS Home 73, Away 74
Scratch
Robbie Grant Cup and Gold Medal - Paul Mulvey (East Kilbride) 76.
Robbie Grant Cup and Gold Medal - Paul Mulvey (East Kilbride) 76.
Handicap
Duncan Murray Quaich and Silver Medal - Denis Albutt (RDGC) (8) 68.
Duncan Murray Quaich and Silver Medal - Denis Albutt (RDGC) (8) 68.
Class A - Kenny Russell (Moray) (7) 72; Hamish Macrae (RDGC) (7) 74; Peter Hawworth (RDGC) (7) 76.
Class B – Eddie Greenman (Ranfurly Castle (17) 71; Peter McMullan (Dunfernline) (8), David MacLean (RDGC) (12) 72.
Class C – Tony Watson (Tain) (8) 70. Ronnie Sim Brora( (6) 74. J Dinwoodie (Invergordon) (8) 75.
Class D – Neil Gordon (RDGC) (10) 71. John MacPherson (RDGC) (7) 74. Alan Berry (RDGC) (14) 74.
Class B – Eddie Greenman (Ranfurly Castle (17) 71; Peter McMullan (Dunfernline) (8), David MacLean (RDGC) (12) 72.
Class C – Tony Watson (Tain) (8) 70. Ronnie Sim Brora( (6) 74. J Dinwoodie (Invergordon) (8) 75.
Class D – Neil Gordon (RDGC) (10) 71. John MacPherson (RDGC) (7) 74. Alan Berry (RDGC) (14) 74.
Labels: Amateur Ladies, Amateur Men
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