Perfect windless day for NE Alliance at Buchan links

Senior George leads the way

with a 65 at Fraserburgh

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Northern Golf Club member George Paterson had his senior moments today – 65 of them to be precise over Fraserburgh’s Corbiehill Links to win the North-east Alliance competition by two shots.
In perfect sunny and windless conditions, Paterson, pictured left in the Fraserburgh clubhouse today by Cal Carson Golf Agency, a regular on the Scottish Senior Golf Society circuit, headed a field of 89 with his five-under-par round which had halves of 34 (one under par) and 31 (four under).
His only bogey came with three putts at the first. Thereafter he birdied the eighth, ninth, 10th, 12th 15th and 17th.
“That was my best round for a long time, although I've felt it has not been far away in recent Alliance competitions where I've had good outward halves but poor inward scores and vice versa,” said scratch man George.
“I hit the ball solidly and I don’t think I missed a fairway and most important, I holed a few putts, the longest of which were a 25-footer at the ninth and from 20ft for a 2 at the 17th.”
Runner-up was Scotland youth cap Philip McLean (Peterhead) with a 67 which included a three-putt double bogey 6 at the 11th. It was the only blemish on a card which included birdies at the first, fourth, 10th , 12th and 15th in halves of 33 and 34.
Ladies European Tour rookie Michele Thomson (McDonald) had her first competitive outing as a professional and had to settle for a 77 after running up a quintuple bogey 9 at the second and bogesy at the fifth and sixth aftere a birdie at the third.
She then covered the remaining 12 holes in one-over-par. After turning in 42, she matched the inward par of 35 with birdies at the 11th and 13th and bogeys at the 14th and 16th.
Michele looked as though she had the start of a bad head cold or even the flu when she talked to me in the Broch clubhouse so, all things considered, it was a good effort for the last 12 holes. Rememeber, by choice, she plays off the men's tees at these Alliance competitions.
She thinks she will make her LET debut in the Ladies Swiss Open which tees off on May 14 but cannot be certain yet.
It shows just how difficult it is for a player in Michele's situation, i.e. does not have full playing rights on the Ladies European Tour, to plan her schedule. Not until the closing date for entries for the Ladies Swiss Open has come and gone will the LET administration staff be able to tell the Ellon player if she is high enough in the pecking order to get into the field.
Michele will miss next week's NE Alliance meeting at Buckpool but plans to return at Newburgh-on-Ythan on Wednesday, March 19.
Les Taylor (Auchmill), joint third with clubmate Brian Nicolson, on the 68 mark, topped the Class 1 handicap returns with a net 64 off four. In Class 2, Mike Booth (Kemnay) also led the way with a net 64, off 12.
Incidentally, unusual to hear so many players having nice things to say about the Fraserburgh links after their rounds, whether they had score well or not. Usually, only those with good scores hand out compliments but there was general agreement among the competitors that the Broch course was in very good nick with the greens fast for this time of the year.
Leading scores (par 70, 6,308yd)
SCRATCH
65 G H Paterson (Northern).
67 P McLean (Peterhead)
68 L Taylor (Auchmill), B Nicolson (Auchmill).
69 W Main (Murcar Links), C Nelson (Mackenzie Club), R Cameron (McDonald Ellon).
70 I Bratton (Newburgh), C Law (Hazlehead).
71 R Stewart (Cruden Bay), R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo), A Bews (Murcar Links), S Finnie (Caledonian)..
72 A J Smith (Turriff), D Clark (Duff House Royal), J M Hamilton (Murcar Links), F Bisset (Banchory), D MacKay (Newmachar), R Milne (Aboyne), R Pirie (Caledonian)..
73 C Stephen (Meldrum House), A K Pirie (Hazlehead), H Roulston (Stonehaven), S Davidson (Banchory), D Corkey (Murcar Links).
74 C Cassie (Nigg Bay), D Naylor (Banchory), C Duffus (Kemnay), N Parker (Murcar Links).
75 M Jenkins (Duff House Royal), S Cooper (Banchory).
76 J Dalgarno (Hazlehead), S Scott (Auchmill), M Booth (Kemnay), H McNaughton (Cruden Bay), G Homer (Lumphanan), M Lawrie (Kemnay), S Chalmers (Banchory), J Nicolson (Auchmill).
77 B Harper (Newburgh), C Carnegie (Kemnay), D Wilson (Duff House Royal), J Scott (Peterculter), Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon).
78 J Borthwick (Craibstone), G Moir (Auchmill), J Roberts (Cruden Bay), J Mooney (unatt), S Higgins (Royal Aberdeen).
79 P Morrison (Oldmeldrum), D Phillip (Newburgh), J Harrison (Newmachar), A Nelson (Banchory).

HANDICAP
Class 1 – L Taylor (Auchmill) (4) 64; G H Paterson (Northern) (scr), D MacKay (Newmachar) (7) 65; C Cassie (Nigg Bay) (8), B Nicolson (Auchmill) (2) 66; J M Hamilton (Murcar Links) (5), C Law (Hazlehead) (3), R Milne (Aboyne) (5) 67; A J Smith (Turriff) (4), C Duffus (Kemnay) (6) 68.
Class 2 – M Booth (Kemnay) (12) 64; N Parker (Murcar Links) (9), G Moir (Auchmill) (13), G Homer (Lumphanan) (11), H McNaughton (Cruden Bay) (11) 65; J Scott (Peterculter) (11) 66; S Higgins (Royal Aberdeen) (10) 68; J Penny (Huntly) (13) 69.

FRASERBURGH SCORECARD: Par 70
OUT: 4-4-4-4-3-5-3-4-4--35. IN: 4-4-4-4-3--5-4-3-4--35

TODAY'S LEADING CARDS
GEORGE PATERSON: 65
OUT: 5-4-4-4-3--5-3-3-3--34. IN: 3-4-3-4-3-4-4-2-4--31.

PHILIP McLEAN: 67
OUT: 3-4-4-3-3-5--3-4-4--33. IN: 3-6-3-4-3-4-4-3-4--34.

BRIAN NICOLSON: 68
OUT: 4-5-4-5-3-4-3-4-4--36. IN: 4-3-5-3-3-4-3-3-4--32.

LES TAYLOR: 68
OUT: 4-5-3-4-3-5-3-5-4--36. IN: 4-4-4-3-3-4-4-3-3--32.

+NEXT WEDNESDAY'S NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE COMPETITION IS AT BUCKPOOL.