Classy Craig Stephen

wins North-east

Alliance title by five

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Leading Meldrum House amateur Craig Stephen lived up to his +2 handicap rating in winning the North-east Golfers' Alliance championship by five strokes today.

Stephen, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, followed up a 70 at Duff House Royal in last week's first round with a brilliant three-under-par 67 in windy conditions – the best second-round score by four strokes in a field of 83 - at Cruden Bay today for a one-under-par total 137.

He won the Uniroyal Quaich by five shots from Scotland youth cap Philip McLean (Peterhead) who, as leading amateur with a pair of 71s for 142, earned the J K Hall Quaich.

Deeside assistant professional Nick Reid, first-round leader with a 68, putted his way out of the picture with a 81 for 150. He had three double-bogey 6s in halves of 42 and 39: at the third, fifth and 14th.

Stephen, in contrast, swears by a new putter, even though he three-putted the 10^th and 16^th – "tough pin placings rather than poor putting" - in halves of 33 and 34. Driving long and straight, he birdied the third, fifth, seventh, 12^th and 14^th.

Craig missed the green at the first but saved his par with a sand wedge and a single putt. From that "escape" he went on to cover the next eight holes in three under par with a two-putt birdie 3 after driving the green with a three wood; then reducing the fifth to a birdie 3 with a drive, five-iron and a 20ft putt and the eighth to a drive and two putts for a birdie 3.

He was 20ft past the hole with his second to the 10th and took three putts to get down for the first of two bogeys.

A three wood and a pitch-and-putt gave him his fourth birdie at the 12th and he got the last of his five birdies at the 15th where he had "a good drive and two putts from off the green."

His only deviation from pat over the last four holes was a three-putt bogey at the 16th from 25 yards.

Stephen, 48, works for a living in the car trade - Huntly Motors - but young McLean is a full-time amateur who will play the 72-hole national circuit in the new season.

McLean's 71 included a triple bogey 7 at the fifth. Birdies at the fourth, 10^th and 12^th highlighted halves of 38 and 33.

Gary Esson (Portlethen), beaten in a play-off for the NE Alliance championship in 2006 and again last year, had a No Return at Cruden Bay.

Bill Urquhart (Murcar Links), winner of the Class 1 handicap title and with it the Chapper's Pot, holed from 75yd distance for an eagle 2 at the 389yd 14th in halves of 39 and 32 for a 71. He three-putted the last for his only bogey at the eighth.

Michael Rogers (Kemnay) won the Major's Pot as the Class 2 handicap champion.

Former Walker Cup player Sandy Pirie (Hazlehead) won the Veterans' Pot for the best over-60s' gross 36-hole total.

+NE Alliance stalwart Archie McInnes is in a BRISTOL hospital and about to have an operation for a broken hip. Obviously the news made it difficult for son Graeme, the defending champion, to concentrate and he had a No Return at Cruden Bay today.

CHAMPIONSHIP SCORES

First round Duff House Royal, Second round Cruden Bay.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 138 (Par 68 + 70)

SCRATCH

137 C Stephen (Meldrum House) 70 67.

142 P McLean (Peterhead) 71 71.

143 R Cameron (McDonald) 70 73, W S Urquhart (Murcar Links) 72 71, A Bews (Murcar Links) 71 72; A Styles (Caledonian) 71 72.

145 A K Pirie (Hazlehead) 71 74, R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo) 72 73.

149 D Garrett (Huntly) 72 77, G Bruce (Westhill) 76 73.

150 A Campbell (Deeside) 75 75, N Reid (Deeside) 69 81, R McDonald (Inchmarlo) 73 77.

151 C Nelson (MacKenzie Club) 80 71.

152 S Pert (Huntly) 74 78.

153 D Law (Hazlehead) 80 73.

154 A J Smith (Turriff) 78 76.

156 S Scott (Auchmill) 79 77.

157 S Davidson (Banchory) 81 76.

158 D MacKay (Newmachar) 75 83, R Pirie (Caledonian) 80 78.

159 H Roulston (Stonehaven) 79 80, C Buchanan (Hazlehead) 83 76, F G Gray (Deeside) 82 77, A Nelson (Banchory) 77 82, C Alexander (Murcar Links) 77 82.

160 L Taylor (Auchmill) 79 81.

161 M Lawrie (Kemnay) 77 84.

HANDICAP

Class 1 – W S Urquhart (Murcar Links) (2) 70 69; C Stephen (Meldrum House) (+2) 72 69, A I Pirie (Hazlehead) (2) 69 72 141; C Buchanan (Hazlehead) (8) 75 68, A Styles (Caledonian) (scr) 71 72, D Leighton (Northern) (6) 72 71 143; D Mackay (Newmachar) (7) 68 76 144; A Nelson (Banchory) (7) 70 75 145; P McLean (Peterhead) (+2) 73 73 146; S Scott (Auchmill) (4) 75 73, S Pert (Huntly) (2) 72 76, A J Smith (Turriff) (3) 75 73, D Nelson (Aboyne) (7) 75 73 148; D Garrett (Huntly) (scr) 72 77, K Minty (Turriff) (8) 75 74, A Bews (Murcar Links) (+3) 74 75 149; L Taylor (Auchmill) (5) 74 76 150.

Class 2 – M F R Rogers (Kemnay) (13) 75 72, D Moir (Murcar Links) (13) 71 76 147; B Bavidge (Murcar Links) 73 76, D Randall (Banchory) (15) 77 72 149; P Cornfield (Auchmill) (10) 76 74, W D Rae (Kemnay) (13) 72 78, J Wilson (Deeside) (10) 74 76, S Higgins (Royal Aberdeen) (10) 77 73 150; T Collie (Kemnay) (10) 74 77, D Bisset (Banchory) (9) 75 76 151; M Ord (Royal Aberdeen) (11) 74 78; P Anderson (Deeside) (11) 78 75, R Brown (Craibstone) (13) 79 74 153.

CRUDEN BAY SCORECARD: PAR 70

OUT: 4-4-4-3-4-5-4-4-4--36. IN: 4-3-4-5-4-3-3-4-4--34.

CRAIG STEPHEN: 67

OUT: 4-4-3-3-3-5-4-3-4--33. IN: 5-3-3-5-3-3-4-4-4--34

PHILIP McLEAN: 71

OUT: 4-4-4-2-7-5-4-4-4--38. IN: 3-3-3-5-4-4-3-4-4--33.

COLIN NELSON: 71

OUT: 5-4-3-4-4-5-3-3-4--35. IN: 4-3-5-5-4-3-3-4-5--36.

BILL URQUHART: 71

OUT: 4-5-4-3-5-6-3-5-4--39. IN: 4-2-4-5-2-3-3-4-5--32.

+Note from Colin Farquharson: I am off on Friday for three weeks of a holiday before a busy golf season starts, so I won't be able to provide any updates for Scottishgolfview.com until late in the second week of April. This means no news about next week's NE Alliance foursomes ... except in your Press and Journal.