Hopeman took the Handicap Trophy after a very close match with Elgin, four of the eight games finishing all square. Nairn leap-frogged Elgin and Forres to finish runners-up by winning the “local derby” against Nairn Dunbar with host club for this year’s ‘Super Sunday’, Moray proving too strong for Forres.

Forres drew 4-4 at Nairn Dunbar to set up the possibility of another tie in the League when the Grand Finale takes place at Moray in two weeks time. If Elgin beat Hopeman and Forres beat Moray by the same score, then for the second year in a row the League title would be shared. However, Hopeman remain favourites as either a win or even a draw will give them the trophy.

Forres got their first points with an emphatic win over league leaders Elgin although the match was much closer than the overall score line suggests with seven of the eight games going to either the 17th or 18th greens. The first of three “double headers” before the Grand Finale resulted in a convincing win for Elgin at home but perhaps a bit more surprising was the equally convincing win of Hopeman at Moray. These two clubs co-incidentally meet on the final weekend so it could well be they will have a major influence on the title race.

Moray’s hopes of a first success in the League disappeared for another season when they went down in a close match at Nairn. Hopeman’s win over Nairn Dunbar put paid to the chances of their opponents for another year, as it effectively did to Nairn as well who, although they can still reach 6 points, with Hopeman due to face Elgin in their last match, one of those two clubs will have at least 7 points.

Forres will find themselves in the same position as Nairn if they fail to take anything from their visit to Nairn Dunbar in two weeks time. If they can get at least a draw then they will still very much be in with a chance of a second title in three years.

The beginning of June saw Hopeman start the month with an impressive victory over Forres at home to move up the table. Moray opened their account with a 6-2 win over Nairn Dunbar in their first match before visiting Elgin where the home side prevailed in a tight match, settled by the final two games left on the course which both went to the last green.

So after the first third of the league programme, Elgin top the table but are closely followed by Hopeman, Moray and Nairn, who have played a match less.

Elgin and Hopeman will, after last year’s exciting climax to the season on “Super Sunday” when they shared the title, both be hoping to win the trophy outright in 2007. However, the other four clubs will given the closeness of the results in the past few years, ensure that the competition is unlikely to be decided before the final weekend series, which this year will be held at Moray G. C……….and the opening two matches of this season backs up that prediction as Nairn beat one of the joint holders, Hopeman in a tie where 4 of the 8 games were halved and the other, Elgin sharing the points at Nairn Dunbar.