Thomson takes the top prize at Nairn
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NORTH District champion golfer Bruce Thomson claimed the Nairn Challenge Trophy for a second time after overcoming Nairn Dunbar’s Tom Dingwall on the last green at Nairn Golf Club.
It was a memorable return to the Nairn course for Thomson. Now aged 31, he first won the same trophy as a member of Inverness Golf Club ten years ago, while it is 25 years since his father, Jocky Thomson, won the annual four day competition during Nairn’s centenary celebrations of 1987.
Not amongst the leading seeded players after the qualifying rounds — these were Freddy Brown, of Nairn Dunbar, and Euan Mackenzie (Cawder) — Thomson fought his way into the last four where he faced the local favourite Fraser Fotheringham, winner of the previous week’s Tain four day competition.
The Thomson-Fotheringham semi-final would have made an excellent ending to the competition, each attempting to add to previous trophy wins, but only one of them could go through to the final and it was Thomson.
Playing the second hole of sudden death, Thomson produced his shot of the week when to the par five green he struck a marvellous four iron to the pin then holed out for an eagle three to better Fotheringham’s birdie four.
Dingwall made it into the final after he beat a regular visitor to Nairn, Jonny Todd (Newcastle), at the 19th hole in the other semi-final.
In the final, both golfers held no more than a one-hole advantage over the first 12 holes. Dingwall lost a ball from the 13th tee, while Thomson found trouble in a bunker at the next hole and with the 15th hole halved in birdie threes, Dingwall remained one up.
But with only three holes to play, Dingwall succumbed to the pressure making unnecessary bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes. With the half in par five to remain one up, Thomson secured the victory.
The class one handicap section final was won by Michael Cushine, from the new Craibstone golf course on the outskirts of Aberdeen, with a comfortable 6 and 5 result over Nairn’s Robert Bremner, but the host club did produce a local winner in the class two final when Robert Beattie defeated Jim Robinson (Carlisle) 4 and 2.
