Thomson wins North District title
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FORMER Scottish internationalist Ewan Forbes, now general manager and secretary at Inverness Golf Club, was deprived of winning his first-ever North District title, not once but twice, on the final hole of his home course.
After winning the North of Scotland 72-hole Championship in 1994 when a member of Grantown-on-Spey, before the family move to Turriff where he earned his Scottish caps through the years of 1996 to 2001, Forbes missed his chance to lift the North title in his prime.
Even upon his return to the North, the 39-year-old often missed the championship due to clashes of dates with major Scottish and British events, but on home turf he lined up at Inverness in a field of 45 to contest the trophy.
Forbes had a first round 75 to work with, but in his second round he was on top form.
His card was reading was reading six under par until a bogey at the 17th was followed up with a double bogey three putt on the final hole to sign off with a three under par 66, still enough to take the clubhouse lead on 141.
Forbes, however, was later caught by Forres youth Jeff Wright and then his former Inverness member Bruce Thomson, now at Nairn Golf Club, which meant a two hole play-off was required.
Thomson had been a member at Culcabock since introduced to the game at the age of nine by his father and club stalwart John ‘Jocky’ Thomson.
Bruce’s father was twice district champion in 1973 and 1978 and it was fitting that he was present to watch his son become champion for the first time on conclusion of the play-off.
Nominating Nairn as his home club last year, Thomson junior’s game has been struggling with two unhappy equipment changes since the start of the year until loaned a set of clubs just a month ago to try out.
They have clearly worked, however, and they got him in sight of the first round leaders with an opening three over par 72. Defending champion Bryan Fotheringham (Inverness) was ahead of him with 68, but in the lead with a 67 was youngster Wright.
In the second round, Thomson managed birdies on the third and fifth holes and with another a birdie on the penultimate hole, wedged in between bogies on 16 and 18, this took him into the clubhouse with a second round par 69 to match the two 141 aggregates that were already posted by Wright from his second round 74, and Forbes.
The play-off went ahead without Wright, who had to return for an evening shift in a Forres hotel, but before departing he had the consolation of knowing he had won the Murray Watt Trophy as youth champion, edging out Kyle Godsman (Hopeman) by one shot.
US college student Godsman had raced through the field with a best of the day second round card of 65 to add to his opening round 77.
The first and 18th were the nominated play-off holes and both Forbes and Thomson were close to the pin with their approaches. Forbes putted and missed from six feet, but from inside him Thomson holed for birdie three to take a one shot lead to the 18th tee.
Having struggled on this hole in the second round, Forbes found the going difficult again as he drove into a fairway bunker while Thomson split the fairway before finding himself just off the right hand side of the green with a four iron.
Forbes had to lay up well short of the green and take three more for bogey five. Chipping on from the edge, Thomson safely two putted to half the hole and win the Association Cup and Silver Medal for the first time.
The results from the North District Championship were as follows:
Scratch — B. J. Thomson (Nairn) (72/69); E. Forbes (Inverness) (75/66), J. Wright (Forres) (67/74) 141 (Thomson won on a play-off); M. Ferries (Tain) (73/69), B. Fotheringham (Inverness (68/74) 142; N. MacWilliam (Elgin) (71/72) 143; D. Thorburn (Thurso) (71/75) 146; A. Cameron (Inverness) (71/76) 147
Youth — J. Wright (Forres) (67/74) 141; K. Godsman (Hopeman) (77/65) 142; T. Dingwall (Nairn Dunbar) (68/76) 144; J. Milne (Elgin) (70/75) 145; L. Reid (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) (67/79) 146.
Handicap — C. Kerr (Elgin) (5) 139; J. Whittet (Muir of Ord) (3), D. Grindell (Inverness) (5) 142.
