Cara Gruber, Fiona Bell
win Northern Counties
scratch, handicap titles
By ROBIN WILSON
Royal Dornoch's Cara Gruber (27) took no time in capturing her second Northern Counties championship at Brora today when, in a little over two hours' play in the final, she beat former champion Mary Smith (Tain) on the 12th green.
Smith enjoyed the easier of the semi-finals when her experience proved too much for plucky 14-year-old Hannah McCook (Abernethy). The Tain member closed out the junior after thirteen holes.
Gruber, in her "all-Dornoch" semi-final tie Pam Mackay, always held the upper hand but with a stubborn resiliance Mackay held on until the 16th green.
In the final, facing a rising North-east wind on the outward half, it was Gruber's power that was the deciding factor. She won four of the first five holes, cutting two of the par-5 holes down to two shots.
Smith got her first 4 at the short sixth hole but this brought only a half when both players three- putted. She then failed to get over the burn in two hits at the seventh hole to lose another.
Gruber piled on the agony with her third outward half birdie at the eighth to be six up after nine holes.
Downwind on the turn for home and another birdie 4 came from Gruber at the par-5 11th hole (drive and six iron) for a seven-hole lead. The end came at the next where, despite being bunkered from the tee, Gruber got the required half when Smith hit a poor pitch over the green. Denise McBride fought hard to make it a Royal Dornoch double. In the handicap final she was two down with three to play against Inverness's Fiona Bell.
Bell came to the 18th tee a shaken player after losing the 16th and 17th holes but she produced a match-winning shot to the final green, almost holing out in one and was conceded a birdie 2 from 15 inches.
RESULTS
SCRATCH
Semi-finals - M Smith (Tain) bt H McCook (Abernethy) 6 and 5, C Gruber (Royal Dornoch bt P Mackay (Royal Dornoch) 4 and 2.
Final - Gruber bt Smith 8 and 7.
HANDICAP
Semi-finals - D McBride (Royal Dornoch) (13) bt B Little (Brora) (23) 6 and 5, F Bell (Inverness) (11) bt S Mackenzie (Elgin) (13) 5 and 4.
Final - Bell bt McBride 1hole.

Picture (by Robin Wilson, all rights reserved) above shows handicap champion Fiona Bell (left) and scratch champion Cara Gruber.