Home golfer wins Forres 5-Day Open
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DESPITE a bit of a drizzle on Thursday, last week’s 5-Day Open at Forres Golf Club was declared an outstanding success by club captain Allan Martin.
“We had good weather, a good entry and thanks to greenkeeper Ross McLeod and his staff, a great golf course. Once again we have been well supported by the competitors, from all over the UK, and the sponsors.
“No competition runs smoothly without hard work by the backroom staff and I have to say they did a great job.”
The scratch Grant Cup saw a first win for four-handicapper Colin Mackay, a member of the home club and a regular caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Club.
“I’m delighted to have won,” said Mackay. “I had a hard match with Graham McKenzie, from Moray Golf Club, but managed to squeeze through 2 and 1.”
Losing the first to a par, Mackay squared the match with a birdie at the second but went one down again with a bogey at the fourth. A birdie two at the fifth brought him back to level and he went ahead at the sixth with another birdie. A third birdie at the eighth put him two ahead at the turn.
Both players bogeyed the 10th, and a winning par for McKenzie at the 11th, followed by a birdie three at the 12th saw the match all square once again.
Mackay had a bit of a bonus when McKenzie bogeyed the next two holes, but he repaid the favour when he bogeyed the 15th. He moved back to two up when a par was good enough to win the 16th and a half in par at the 17th saw him home.
In the low handicap Fraser Cup, home player Craig Daley, playing off nine, beat eight-handicapper Douglas Taylor, from Dunfermline, 4 and 3. The 18-year-old proved to be the steadier player on the day in a match that was punctuated with some scrappy play. This was Daley’s first win in the competition.
The high handicap Capri Tray brought 17-year-old Sam McKenzie, from Hopeman, a double triumph when he followed up a win at the Moray 5-Day Open with a 4 and 3 victory over 15-handicapper Robbie Allan, from Parklands. Sam, playing off 12, was three up after four holes and never gave them back. He moved to four up at the 11th and although he lost the 12th, a win at the 14th and a half at the 15th saw him through.
For the first time for a number of years, the prize-giving ceremony took place in glorious sunshine on the 18th green where the trophies were presented by Mrs Christine Thomson, wife of former president, the late Robin Thomson.
