Mens Tournaments - Season 2006-2007

Thurso Open (36) - 12 August 06
Jim adds title to his honours for the season

Jim Sangster

JIM Sangster, who recently established a new course record at Thurso, added the Thurso Open trophy to his list of achievements for the season while Bristol-based Wick member Simon Place captured the handicap trophy.

Play in Saturday's event, sponsored once again by the Central Hotel, got under way at 5.25am, when the indomitable Ivan Paterson felt he might be able to see where his tee shot went, and finished before 8.30pm. Not bad for an entry of 113 players!

At the end of the first round, Thurso club champion Brent Munro shared the lead with the very experienced Don A. Mackay from Reay, both having returned level-par 69s. Sangster and Lee Parnell were a shot back, with Kirkwall's Martin Fleet on 71 and new Reay club champion Gavin Sutherland and Alan Swanson on 72.

After the first nine holes of the second round Munro was in good shape at two over par and Sutherland, with the best outward nine of level par, was within a shot of the lead. Sangster, who slumped to an outward five-over-par 40, including an eight at the fourth, appeared to have lost his chance, particularly when he had lost a further two shots to par by the 12th hole. Things changed dramatically after that, though, as Sangster eagled the 13th and birdied the 14th on his way to a 74 and 144 overall.

Meanwhile, the young guns had hit the skids somewhat with Munro three over par for the last four holes and Sutherland five over. The upshot was that Sangster won the trophy from Munro, courtesy of the better second round, and Doug Thorburn, who had the day's best second round of 71, and Swanson claimed the other scratch awards.

Place was a comfortable leader in the quest for the handicap trophy after a first-round nett 63, three ahead of Parnell, Murray McGlasson, Bryan Suttar and Blair McIntosh. The comfort zone soon disappeared as he slipped to an outward 46 but, to his great credit, he recovered the situation with a four-over-par inward nine of 38 for a nett 70 and set the overall target of 133. No-one was able to catch Place, with Jimmy Bruce, Bryan Suttar and Kirkwall's Stephen Walls coming closest on 135.

The afternoon highlights included a great nett 61 from Stephen King and a nett 65 from Colin Chessor.

ALL Prize Winners & sponsors

Result

• Overall scratch:-
  1. J. Sangster, 144;
  2. B. Munro, 144.
• Handicap:-
  1. S. Place (Wick), 133;
  2. J. Bruce, 135.
• Category one:-
  • Scratch:-
    1. D. Thorburn, 145;
    2. A. Swanson, 145.
  • Handicap:-
    1. S. Walls (Kirkwall), 135;
    2. J. O'Brien (Reay), 136;
    3. C. Chessor, 137;
    4. S. Williamson, 137;
    5. M. Fleet (Kirkwall), 137.
• Category two:-
  • Scratch:-
    1. S. King, 164;
    2. S. Lucas (Reay), 169.
  • Handicap:-
    1. B. Suttar, 135;
    2. A. Mackenzie, 140;
    3. A. Simpson,140;
    4. A. Costello, 140;
    5. I. McPhee, 141.
• Best nett first round,
  • Category one:-
    1. L. Parnell, 66;
  • Category two:-
    1. B. McIntosh, 66.
• Second round,
  • Category one:-
    1. S. Spargo, 67;
  • Category two:
    1. D. O'Brien (Reay), 68.
• Nearest the hole,
  • 9th:-
    • A. Simpson, 31cm;
  • 14th:-
    • D. Phillips, 89cm

End-of-Document