North of Scotland open amateur stroke-play championship

Kevin McAlpine leads by two from

Philip McLean at Lossiemouth

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Kevin McAlpine (Alyth), former winner of both the Scottish men's amateur match-play AND stroke-play championships, is bang in contention for his first victory since his serious knee operation during the winter.
Kevin, pictured right, shot rounds of 69 and 68 for an aggregate of 137 - the combined CSS was 146 (2x73) - to lead the North of Scotland open amateur stroke-play championship for the David Blair Trophy by two shots over the Moray Golf Club Old Course today.
Kevin, who won the David Blair Trophy at Nairn Dunbar in 2006, has a two-shot lead over his nearest challenger, Philip McLean, the Peterhead 22-year-old who won the Leven Gold Medal two weeks ago and last Sunday lost out to Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) in a play-off for the North-east District Open.
Philip had rounds of 71 and 68 today for 139.
Last year's Scottish boys' stroke-play champion Mark Bookless (Sandyhills) is lying third at the halfway stage on 140 with rounds of 71 and 69.
Lowest round of the day was a 67 by Graham Robertson (Silverknowes) in the second round.
Graham, who had a 75 in his first round, is sharing fourth place on 142 with Dean Yeats (Nigg Bay), a former Scottish boys' championship beaten finalist, Kevin Matheson (Royal Dornoch) and Gordon Yates (Hilton Park).
Defending champion Kris Nicol had a disappointing second-round 77 after a first-round 72 and, 12 shots off the pace on 149, he has a mountain to climb over Sunday's final 36 holes. Fraser Fotheringham (Nairn), whom Nicol beat in a play-off for the North of Scotland title at Nairn 12 months ago, is on 143 after scores of 73 and 70.
Richard Graham (Hayston) was first-round pacemaker with a 68 but dropped out of the lead with an 81 for 149.
QUALIFIERS
+43 players with totals of 150 qualified to play Sunday's
final 36 holes
Par 142 (2x710 CSS 73 73
137 Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) 69 68.
139 Philip McLean (Peterhead) 71 68.
140 Mark Bookless (Sandyhills) 71 69.
142 Graham Robertson (Silverknowes) 75 67, Dean Yeats (Nigg Bay) 74 68, Kevin Matheson (Royal Dornoch) 72 70, Gordon Yates (Hilton Park) 69 73.
143 Fraser Fotheringham (Nairn) 73 70, Danny Edwards (Elgin) 72 71, Michael Main (Thornton) 72 71, Chris Robb (Inchmarlo) 71 72.
144 Michael Daily (Erskine) 70 74.
145 Alex Main (Thornton) 74 71, Bobby Rushford (Grangemouth) 74 71, Calum Stewart (Brora) 72 73, Scott Little (Moray) 71 74, Daniel Somerville (St Andrews) 70 75.
146 Ross Bell (Downfield) 75 71, Peter Spearman-Burn (NZ) 75 71, Graham Murray (Cullen) 75 71.
147 Malcolm MacLeman (Moray) 77 70, Christopher Forman (Peterhead) 76 71, Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 75 72, Gregor Stewart (Murcar Links) 73 74.
148 Mark Hillson (Craigielaw) 76 72, Robert Sheils (Moray) 74 74, Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) 74 74, Michael Watson (Elgin) 73 75.
149 Robert McKerron (Forres) 75 74, Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 75 74, Gary Thmson (Moray) 75 74, Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 75 74, Kevin Thomson (Moray) 74 75, Lyle McAlpine (Invergrdon) 74 75, Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) 74 75, Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) 72 77, Richard Graham (Hayston) 68 81.
150 Darren Gould (Ladybank) 79 71, Allan Cameron (Inverness) 76 74, Ewan Forbes (Inverness) 75 75, Ian Angus (Duff House Royal) 75 75, Mike MacDonald (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) 74 76, John Duff (Newmachar) 73 77.
MISSED THE CUT
151 Steven Robertson (Sandyhills) 78 73, Colin Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 77 74, Ryan Bain (Strathlene) 75 76.
152 Euan Polson (Inverness) 82 70, Nick Robson (Meldrum House) 79 73, Jeff Wright (Forres) 79 73, Simon Lockhart (Bathgate) 78 74, John Mitchell (Fraserburgh) 77 75, John Forbes (Inverness) 77 75, Ben Sloan (Cathkin Braes) 77 75, John Godward (McDonald Ellon) 77 75.
153 Chris Gaitens (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) 81 72, Grant Minnes (Hayston) 78 75, Derek Ramsay (Elgin) 78 75.
154 Ian Redford (Silverknowes) 81 73, Justin Duff (Fraserburgh) 79 75, Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 70 84.
155 Stewart McCulloch (McDonald Ellon) 82 75, Michael Buchan (Cruden Bay)78 77, Barry McDermott (Leven GS) 75 80.
156 Conor O'Neil (Glasgow) 82 74, George Finlay (Ballumbie Castle) 79 77, Kevin Thomas-Duncan (McDonald Ellon) 77 79.
157 Neil McWilliam (Garmouth & Kingston) 83 74, Billy Main (Murcar Links) 78 769.
158 Andrew Hepburn (Fraserburgh) 78 80.
161 Steven Younger (Hirsel) 82 79. 162 Torquil McInroy (North Berwick) 81 81.
163 Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 81 82, Michael Gray (Lanark) 80 83.
NRs Paul Betty (Hayston) 77 NR, Mathew Clark (Kilmacolm) 78 NR.