NORTH EAST ALLIANCE GOLF

THREE TIE ON 74
IN LONG AND
WINDY TEST AT
NEWBURGH

Two professionals – home course man Ian Bratton and Ross Cameron (McDonald Ellon) – and one amateur, Craig Stephen, who has a +2 rating at Meldrum House, tied for victory on two-over-par 74 in today's North-east Golfers' Alliance competition at Newburgh-on-Ythan Golf Club.

A wild west wind, plus the fact that the field of 97 were playing off the very back tees, resulted in 28 No Returns and the highest average score of the 2007-2008 winter circuit.

Bratton, pictured right, posted the clubhouse target of 74, helped by an eagle 2 downwind at the 305yd par-4 15^th, in halves of 37.

Stephen was on course to take the lead when he was one under par after 11 holes but bogeyed three of the last seven holes for 38 home.

Cameron birdied the seventh, eighth, 13^th and 15^th to put himself in the picture but ran up a bogey 6 at the last when a par finish would have given him outright victory on 73.

Apart from Ian Bratton, two other players made eagle 2s at the 15th - and they were in the same group - Auchmill clubmates John Nicolson and Stephen Scott. Nicolson drove the green downwind and holed a 15ft putt for a 2 while Scott holed his second shot with a gap wedge from about 50yd range.

Paul Lawrie and his coach Neil Marr were at the venue - but only in a spectating role. They were watching their protege from Peterhead, Scotland youth cap Philip McLean who had an 82, and Scotland boy international David Law from Hazlehead.

David, regrettably, had one of the many No Returns, losing more than one ball in the whins that put a premium on straight driving at several holes.

The Newburgh course is going to stage this summer's North-east District Open over 72 holes. It will be interesting to see how the "big boys" score from the "championship tees" and with a wind blowing.

Scores of 7s, 8s and 9s were commonplace and there was the odd 10 as well. It was tough day to be a North-east Alliance competitor.
Next Wednesday's competition is at Fraserburgh, which is followed by the first round of the championship at Duff House Royal on March 12 and the second round at Cruden Bay on March 19.
That only leaves the NE Alliance foursomes to ring down another Alliance season at Murcar Links on March 27 and 28.

LEADING SCORES (Par 72)
Scratch

74 I Bratton (Newburgh), C Stephen Meldrum House), R Cameron (McDonald Ellon).

75 A Campbell (Deeside), C Nelson (MacKenzie Club), A Fiddes (Deeside), R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo), R McDonald (Inchmarlo), A Bews (Murcar Links).
76 S Finnie (Caledonian).
77 D Garrett (Huntly), N Reid (Deeside), R Hyland (Hazlehead), G Forbes (Murcar Links).
79 A Grant (Portlethen), A Graham (Portlethen).
80 S Pert (Huntly), A K Pirie (Hazlehead), S Chalmers (Banchory).
81 G Bruce (Westhill), F Bisset (Banchory), D H Clark (Duff House Royal), D Bisset (Banchory).
82 J Nicolson (Auchmill), S Scott (Auchmill), P Anderson (Deeside), P McLean (Peterhead), A Innes (Murcar Links).
83 B Harper (Newburgh), J M Hamilton (Murcar Links).
84 P Farnan (Royal Aberdeen), D MacKay (Newmachar).
85 C Buchanan (Hazlehead), H Roulston (Stonehaven), C Cassie (Nigg Bay), S Davidson (Banchory), J Wilson (Deeside), W S Urquhart (Murcar Links), M Lawrie (Kemnay), N Parker (Murcar Links).
86 C Alexander (Murcar Links), A Doig (Caledonian)..
87 A Milne (Kemnay), N Stewart (Northern), J Murray (Banchory).
88 J Forrest (Northern), D Randall (Banchory).
89 J Dalgarno (Hazlehead), R L Nicoll (Murcar Links), I Strachan (Royal Aberdeen), G Thomson (East Aberdeenshire).
LEADING SENIORS
80 A K Pirie (Hazlehead).
81 D Bisset (Banchory).
83 J M Hamilton (Murcar Links).
84 P Farnan (Royal Abedeen).
85 H Roulston (Stonehaven), J Wilson (Deeside), W S Urquhart (Murcar Links), N Parker (Murcar Links).
86 C Alexander (Murcar Links).
Handicap
Class 1 – A Grant (Portlethen) (6) 73; A Fiddes (Deeside) (1), A Graham (Portlethen) (5) 74; S Finnie (Caledonian) (1) 75; A Campbell (Deeside) (+1), C Stephen (Meldrum House) (+2), R Hyland (Hazlehead) (1) 76; B Harper (Newburgh) (6), D Garrett (Huntly) (scr), J M Hamilton (Murcar Links) (6), D MacKay (Newmachar) (7), B Shaw (Banchory) (7) 77; S Scott (Auchmill) (4), A K Pirie (Hazlehead) (2), S Pert (Huntly) (2), A Bews (Murcar Links) (+3), N Parker (Murcar Links) (6) 78; N Stewart (Northern) (8), J Murray (Banchory) (8), P Farnan (Royal Aberdeen) (5) 79.
Class 2 – P Anderson (Deeside) (11) 71; D Bissett (Banchory) (9) 72; D Randall (Banchory) (15) 73; J Wilson (Deeside) (10), S Youngson (Turriff) (14) 75; C Cassie (Nigg Bay) (9), C Buchanan (Hazlehead) (9) 76; A Milne (Kemnay) (10), G Thomson (East Aberdeenshire) (12) 77; M F R Rogers (Kemnay) (13), I Strachan (Royal Aberdeen) (11) 78; J Forrest (Northern) (9) 79.

NEWBURGH SCORECARD - Par 72 (6,423yd)
OUT: 4-3-5-4-3-4-4-4-5--36. IN: 4-4-4-4-4-4-3-4-5--36

BEST CARDS TODAY

IAN BRATTON 74
OUT: 4-3-5-4-3-5-4-4-5--37. IN: 5-4-5-4-4-2-4-4-5--37.

CRAIG STEPHEN 74
OUT: 4-4-5-4-3-4-4-3-5--36. IN: 4-3-5-4-5-4-4-4-5--38.

ROSS CAMERON 74
OUT: 4-4-6-5-4-4-3-3-6--39. IN: 4-4-4-3-4-3-3-4-6--35.