Captain’s Prize & the End of the World Open

The breezy and blustery weather did not deter the golfers of Reay on Saturday in their efforts to secure glory in the Captain’s Prize.  The difficult conditions were reflected in scoring with the CSS rising to 71 as players struggled to break par.

The winning score in Category 1 was nett 70, a feat achieved by both Ian Ross and club captain Murray McGlasson. Ross’s round started slowly with a double bogey at the tricky first, but he soon warmed to the task and reached the turn in 41. Ross got his second nine off to an excellent start, with a birdie 3 at the difficult 10th, and he continued to play steady golf to cover the inward half in 40. By contrast McGlasson got off to a flying start with a front nine of 38 which included a birdie 2 at the short 5th. McGlasson continued his fine play with another birdie at the long 14th as he covered the inward half in 40. Ross took the victory by virtue of a better nett second nine. Ian Ritchie took third spot thanks to a nett 71, with Don Mackay in fourth place following a splendid gross 74 in the conditions, which included birdies at the 6th, 10th and 14th holes.

The scoring in Category 2 was slightly better with a couple of the younger members of the club, Gregor Munro and Andrew Adamson, recording nett 68s. Adamson’s halves of 42 and 45 were enough to secure him second place and a reduction in his handicap, but Munro pipped him to the win on countback with a round which included two halves of 41. Munro’s 68 was also good enough to give him first place overall in the Captain’s Prize.

Saturday’s competition was also the final qualifying round of the Club Championship. Leading qualifier in the scratch division was Gavin Sutherland, with reigning champion Don Mackay second, and John O’Brien 3rd. The qualifying leaderboard for the handicap section has a very youthful look, with Andrew Adamson, Ruari McCartney and Tom Ross leading the way.

On Sunday a small field of players competed in a Walk On Open, emerging victorious in the gents competition was Ian (D) Mackay, with no less than 5 players occupying second spot. Alison Ross added to her bulging trophy cabinet with victory in the ladies competition.

Dunnett cup round 2 & Sandside challenge trophy

The weekend was a busy one for the golfers of Reay, with the final round of the Dunnett Cup held on Saturday, and Sandside Challenge Trophy on Sunday.

On Saturday, all eyes were on leader Ross Munro to see if he could recapture the form which had produced a blistering 64 in the first round. After a steady start, Munro’s challenge was in danger of sinking without a trace after a disastrous 11 at the tough par 5 4th, however he steadied the ship to reach the turn in a respectable 44 blows. Munro continued his recovery with a string of good holes on the back 9, but his challenge was finally blown out of the water with a triple-bogey 6 at the final hole, giving him a two round total of 139. Matching Munro’s total was seasoned campaigner Alistair Gunn, who added a nett 69 to his first round of 70. The highlights of Gunn’s round were birdies at the 5th and 14th holes. Beating both men to the trophy on 137 was Ian Ritchie with rounds of 68 and 69. Ritchie also managed two birdies during his round at the tricky 8th and the short 15th.

Best score of the day in Category 1 was recorded by Steve Efemey, with a magnificent nett 62. Efemey, who has been struggling off the tee of late, rediscovered a winning formula with the driver on his way to two halves of 36, with birdies at the 14th and 18th holes. Runner-up in Category 1 was Gavin Sutherland with the lowest gross score of the day, 69. Sutherland reminded everyone that his student lifestyle has not affected his golf swing with halves of 35 and 34 which included birdies at the 10th and 14th, on his way to a nett 65.

Category 2 also produced some tremendous scores with playing partners Tom Ross and Andrew Adamson inspiring each other with some spectacular golf. Ross came out on top with a nett 62 which included birdies at the 8th and 12th holes. Adamson also managed two birdies, at the 13th and 16th, on his way to a nett 63.

On Sunday, Gavin Sutherland again showed his credentials with an excellent 39 points to take the Sandside Challenge Trophy by 2 points from Bill Budding and David Mackay. Sutherland’s points haul was aided by no less than 4 birdies, at the 3rd, 8th, 10th and 14th holes.

Walk On Open

Players who contested in the Walk On Open held at Reay on Saturday could have been forgiven for thinking it was November, not May as they were buffeted by a strong wind from the north-west which brought several squally showers throughout the day. A total of 28 brave souls donned their waterproofs to play, and of these, only one person managed to post a nett score below 70.

Coming out on top was Willie Steven with a superb nett 69. Steven, a serial winner during a glittering football career, may have to get his trophy cabinet extended to accommodate the golfing prizes that could be coming his way if he can maintain his recent form on the fairways. Steven’s round on Saturday was forged on a very steady outward half of 41. As conditions deteriorated on the back nine, Steven had a mini mid-round crisis with double-bogeys at 13th and 14th holes, however, he steadied himself to play the last four holes in level par for an excellent inward half of 40.

Runner-up was one of Steven’s former footballing foes, Andy Bain. Bain showed some very good form during the winter months and he obviously felt at home in the foul weather on his way to a nett 70. Bain’s round comprised two very steady halves of 41, although he will be kicking himself after a 5 at the short 15th cost him the chance of glory.

Best scratch score of the day was 78 courtesy of the on form Murray McGlasson. The highlights of McGlasson’s round were birdies at the par 5 6th and 14th holes. Securing a bottle of Malt for nearest at the pin at the 18th was Bruce Mackay. Mackay’s pin-seeking shot finished a mere 3.3km (2miles) from the hole – underlining just how strong the wind was during the day.

May Medal

Bright skies, a strong wind from the south-east, and hard, fast fairways presented testing conditions for the golfers of Reay at the weekend. Up for grabs was the May Medal which doubled up as the first qualifying round for the Club Championships.

Category one was a close run affair with only three players managing to better the CSS of 69. Coming out on top of the pile was Ian Ross with an impressive nett 67. An indifferent start to Ross’s round was soon forgotten with a birdie 2 at the tricky 5th helping him to reach the turn in 40 strokes. Ross continued to battle against the freshening wind during his inward half of 39, with a crucial birdie 2 at the final hole proving to be just enough to take the spoils by a single shot from captain Murray McGlasson and Colin Munro. Lee Parnell finished a shot further back on nett 69 following a fine 74, the lowest gross score of the day.

Category two provided a runaway victory for young Ruari McCartney, who made light of the conditions to post a blistering nett 63. McCartney’s front nine of 43 included an excellent 3 at the tricky 7th, and he showed nerves of steel to come back in 42, making solid pars at the last two holes for good measure. As well as winning the Category two medal, Ruari has secured a hefty handicap reduction for his efforts. Three shots behind after fine nett 66s were George McDonald and Alex Mackay.

The bright nights have also heralded the return of the Summer Cup, sponsored by Jacobs, on Tuesday nights. The early pace has been set by Gregor Munro after his nett 65 in round one, with the chasing pack being led by Colin Paterson, David Mackay, and Andrew Adamson.

Dunnett Cup 1 & Rotary Club Open

There was no time for the golfers of Reay to bathe in the afterglow of the Royal Wedding with a weekend fixture list packed full of golf to enjoy. Saturday brought blue skies with players competing in round one of the Dunnet Cup. King for the day with the best score in Category 1 and lowest overall nett score was young Ross Munro with a nett 64. Munro started with a succession of steady holes bringing him to the turn in 38 shots. He continued the back nine in a similar vein until helping himself to back to back birdies at the 16th and 17th holes. A double bogey 5 at the last took a little of the shine off his round, but Munro still managed to cover the inward half in 38 strokes. The second lowest score in Category 1 was nett 68, a feat achieved by no less than six players – Steven Mackay, Ian Ritchie, Sandy Chisholm, David Mackay, David Gray and Cammie Ross. 

Category 2 also produced some excellent scores, with a nett 66 by Keith Buxton the pick of the bunch. Buxton reached the turn after a series of topsy-turvy holes in 48 strokes, but found his rhythm during an inward half of 42 which included a rare birdie at the 17th. Buxton was pushed all the way in Category 2 with good scores from James Hawes, Danny O’Hagan and Joe Wilson. There will be several players fancying their chances of overhauling Munro’s lead when the final round of the Dunnet Cup is held in two weeks time.

The excellent weather continued on Sunday when Reay hosted the Rotary Club Open. Winner in Category 1 with a nett 67 was Walter Rutherford of Thurso Golf Club. After a slow start, Rutherford reeled off a series of pars to reach the turn in 41. Rutherford continued to play very steady golf for an excellent inward half of 38, to win by two shots from Reay’s Cammie Ross. Wayne Mowat and David Mowat finished a shot further back.

Category 2 was won by Tim Hawes with a fabulous nett 64. Hawes built his round on an excellent outward half of 39 which included a birdie at the long 4th. A less spectacular inward nine was brought to life by a birdie 2 at the 15th, and Hawes finished the last three holes in fine style to win by a single shot from Thurso’s Stanley Ross, and Andrew Main of Wick. 

The ladies category was won by Alison Campbell of Thurso with a nett 79. Campbell struggled a little on the greens, but still managed to post a score good enough to defeat her nearest challengers who included Susan Hawes, Elspeth Ritchie and Anne Youngson. 

Nearest the pin at the 18th secured a bottle of Malt for David Mackay, which will have provided him with some comfort as he reflected on a round which was ruined by a disastrous 14 at the 14th hole.