Thurso's Thorburn lifts fifth title
FOUR previous winners as well as all four members of the Wilson Cup winning team took part in the Thurso Golf Club men’s ?championships.
The quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals of the contest were played last Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Top scratch qualifier and four times previous winner Dougie Thorburn did not have it all his own way against Michael McGregor in the quarter-finals. McGregor was one up after eight holes before Thorburn raised his game to win at the 16th.
Jim Sangster, last year’s champion, will have to eat humble pie after his son, Peter, beat him.
Alan Swanson was too good on the night for the ever-competitive Pat Valentine in the third match.
Davie Dunbar, fresh from his Wilson Cup heroics, found the 2009 champion, Bryan Ronald, just too good on this occasion.
In the first semi-final the experienced Thorburn overcame the irrepressible youthful Sangster. Former champions Ronald and Swanson battled all the way to the 18th hole with Ronald prevailing.
In the final Ronald had a poor start and found himself four down after six holes.
The deficit proved too big for him and, after competing well over the remaining holes, Thorburn closed the match out on the 15th to take his fifth club championship.
In the handicap qualifiers there were a number of recent competition winners and therefore there would be some close matches.
Alan Coghill, the top qualifier, overcame Blair McIntosh. The match between previous winners Ian Fraser and Stephen King was won by Fraser.
Steve Grogan and Ronnie Mackay had a very close match with Mackay losing out on the night to some very good putting from Grogan. Ian McPhee proved too good for Willie Shearer.
In the first semi-finals Coghill had to play exceptionally well to beat Fraser on the last green. Grogan progressed into the final after accounting for McPhee.
The final went all the way to the 18th after the lead swung back and forth. Coghill was one up after the 15th and sank three very good putts on the remaining three holes to secure halves and win the handicap championship at the last.
The seniors’ qualifiers contained previous club scratch and handicap champions.
Alf Williamson and Lenny Murray played an error-ridden match with Murray winning on the 18th. Donald Jack, previous scratch champion, and Alan Simmonite, a former handicap champion, had a good match with Jack finally getting the upper hand.
Captain Ali Simpson found W.J. Shearer too good on the night.
The match of the quarter-finals was between Bob Robertson and Jim Buchan. Robertson, a previous scratch finalist, produced a number of comebacks during the match to finish all square on the 18th.
The first extra hole was halved before EGGS supremo Buchan, a former handicap champion, won on the 20th.
In the semi-finals Murray played very well to win against Jack. Buchan accounted for W.J. Shearer. In the final Murray again played good golf to overcome Buchan and take the seniors’ championship.
