North-east Alliance at Newburgh report, scores

Scott Larkin completes
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hat-trick of victories

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Banchory's Scott Larkin became the first player for a few years to win three North-east Golfers' Alliance competitions in a row when he claimed today's top prize at Newburgh-on-Ythan with a two-under-par round of 62 over the short winter course at the Aberdeenshire venue.
Larkin, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, a former American college circuit player as a student at the College of Charleston, has worked in a Banchory hotel since his return from the States. Today he was following up victories at Murcar Links and Montrose Links on the preceding Wednesdays.
He did not make the best of starts, bogeying the first and fourth, although he did birdie the second but a run of six pars in a row steadied him up before he birdied the 11th, 12th, 16th and 17th.
A bogey at the short last hole still got him home in three-under-par 29.
Runner-up, three strokes behind in a field of 85 players, was Roy Pirie (Caledonian) with birdies at the sixth and 15th but bogeys at the seventh, 16th and 17th in halves of 32 and 33.
Joint third on 66 were Scottish seniors match-play champion George Paterson (Northern) 35-31, Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 32-34, home course pro Ian Bratton (Newburgh) 32-34 and Alexander Wiseman (Fraserburgh) 33-33.
Secretary Ron Menzies is looking for an alternative venue for next Wednesday's first round of the NE Alliance championship, scheduled for Duff House Royal. The Banff course has been affected by the severe winter. We'll keep you posted of Ron's success in this direction on this website.

Leading scores (Par 64)
SCRATCH
62 Scott Larkin (Banchory).
65 Roy Pirie (Caledonian).
66 George Paterson (Northern), Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh), Ian Bratton (Newburgh), Alexander Wiseman (Fraserburgh).
67 Colin Duffus (Kemnay), Mark Lawrie (Kemnay), Kevin Duncan (McDonald Ellon).
68 Manson Merchant (Newmachar), Steven Chalmers (Banchory), Craig Stewart (Kippie Lodge), Stewart Finnie (Caledonian).
69 Charles Cassie (Nigg Bay), Bill Shaw (Banchory).
70 Steven Sharp (Newburgh), Sandy Pirie (Hazlehead), Paul McIntosh (Newburgh), Brian Nicolson (Auchmill), Fraser Milne (Fraserburgh), Dave McKay (Caledonian), Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon).
HANDICAP
Class 1 - C Duggus (Kemnay) (6) 61; M Lawrie (Kemnay) (5), R Pirie (Caledonian) (3) 62; M Merchant (Newmachar) (5), B Shaw (Banchory) (6) 63.
Class 2 - D Townsley (Peterculter) (12), Michael Rendall (Stonehaven) (12), Sandy Davidson (Northern) (13), Norman Stewart (Northern) (12) 62; W Forbes (Murcar Links) (13) 63; R Brown (Craibstone) (122), I Grant (Huntly) (18) 64.

NEWBURGH WINTER COURSE SCORECARD
OUT: 4-3-4-4-3-4-3-3-4--32. IN: 4-4-4-3-3-4-4-3-3--32



SCOTT LARKIN 62
OUT: 5-2-4-5-3-4-3-3-4--33. IN: 4-3-3-3-3-4-3-2-4--29



ROY PIRIE 65
OUT: 4-3-4-4-3-3-4-3-4--32. IN: 4-4-4-3-3-3-5-4-3--33


GEORGE PATERSON 66
OUT: 35. IN: 31.



JORDAN FINDLAY 66
OUT: 32. IN: 34.



IAN BRATTON 66
OUT: 32. IN: 34



ALEXANDER WISEMAN 66
OUT: 33. IN: 33