Club Championship & Monthly Medals - Season 2006-2007

Club Championship & Medal Finals - 11 August 06
Young Gavin triumphs over strong competitor

Gavin Sutherland (left) receiving his trophy from club Chairman, Graeme Dunnett

The Reay Golf Club Championship Match saw multiple previous winner Don Mackay go toe to toe with up and coming young star Gavin Sutherland. It was a match to savour with golf of the highest quality from both competitors, played in a sporting manner befitting the great game. Would youth triumph or would experience win the day?

As the storm clouds gathered on the horizon and a stiff breeze buffeted the links, Mackay won the toss and elected to bat first. There were certainly no nerves apparent as both players eased long irons onto / very near to the imposing first green to start proceedings with a half in regulation par.

After a scrambled half at the difficult second, Sutherland got his nose out in front with a birdie 3 at the third, holing a tricky downhill put after a lovely approach to 5 feet. Sutherland furthered his advantage at the long fourth as Mackay found trouble off the tee. The rough certainly is punishing at the moment.

Regulation pars at the comparatively easy par three third saw the players stride up into the dunes to the sixth tee with Sutherland holding a 2 up advantage. It was advantage Sutherland after the tee shots as the fearlessness that only youth allows saw Gavin take driver along the 'Tiger' line to Dons more cautious 3 wood to the wider part of the fairway. Sutherland was relentless and converted his advantage off the tee into a hole winning birdie.

Next on the card was Reay's hardest hole, the 195 yards, all carry par 3 seventh. Sutherland made a mockery of the stroke index and nailed a 5 iron to 9 foot and after Mackay had put one through the back, the pressure really was mounting on Reay Golf Club's lowest handicapper. Mackay rose to the challenge with a classy up and down, leaving no doubts in Sutherland's mind that this wouldn't be a walk in the park for the youngster!

Gavin Gunn - Medal winner

The eighth green was as unreceptive as ever, but both golfers skilfully got up and down to half in 4 before heading off to the far end of the links for the par 3 ninth. The cutting wind gusted left to right, turning the final hole of the front nine into an awkward examination of their games. Sutherland answered all the questions posed to win the hole with a par and take a 4 up lead through the turn, having gone out in 2 under par.

A healthy crowd had now gathered as word of an upset had circulated round the village, but with the vultures circling Mackay dug deep and reduced the deficit to three, rolling in a 12 foot birdie put, having expertly found the upturned saucer that is the tenth green.

With the pressure mounting, Sutherland could only bunt his second along the fairway having found some deep salad off the eleventh tee. Mackay failed to turn the screw as he found the greenside bunker and when Sutherland stuck his wedge to 4 foot, the pressure was well and truly back on Don. A miraculous bunker shot did everything but drop into the hole and secured Mackay a well earned half.

Regulation pars at the 12th saw the game go down the risk / reward 13th with Mackay trailing 3 down. Normally a man for poking a safe long iron down the middle at this short par 4, Mackay decided drastic action was required and reached into his bag for the big dog! His bold play was rewarded as he caught one right out of the screws, leaving Don just short of the green. A wee chip and a put later and Mackay's birdie had reduced the arrears to 2 with the par 5 14th looming.

Bill McIntosh - Medal winner

Both players eased their way to the green in regulation with Mackay 20 foot from the pin and Sutherland on the lower tier facing a 30 footer up the hill. After seeing Gavin can his put for a rip snorting birdie, Mackay waved his wand-like flat-stick to emulate his playing partner. Hole halved in birdie - matchplay at its finest. However, no sooner had Mackay's putter come to the rescue, when it let him down at the very next hole, with a most uncharacteristic three-jab from just off the green, handing the hole to Sutherland.

3 down with 3 to play Mackay had to rummage deep within his golfing sole. A par at the short 16th didn't appear to be enough with Sutherland eying up a 5 footer for a half and the match. But as the storms brewed out west and the air grew dark and heavy, the pressure told and Sutherland watched on as his put slipped by the hole. And so the match went down the 17th. Mackay saw his tee shot just edge off the fairway into the rough. Sutherland took a deep breath, put the last hole behind him and hit what can only be described as a monster straight down the fairway. Not showing any sign of nerves, Sutherland hit his approach to 15 foot and having lagged his put upto the hole, the match was conceded. Gavin Sutherland - Reay Golf Club Champion 2006.

Mackay's level par and Sutherland's 2 under par after 17 holes, bear testimony to the quality of the golf played under the pressure of a club championship final.

As a last footnote and with all the county's Club Champions decided, it can be seen that a new era is upon us; three of the four Club Champions being under the age of 18. In fact the combined age of the Champions at Reay (Gavin Sutherland), Thurso (Brent Munroe) and Lybster (Alan Larnach) is less than that of Wick's Club Champion (John Gunn). I'm sure John will take solace in the fact that he was the only Club Champion able to celebrate his win with something stronger than a glass of pop!

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