Left to right: David Law (Hazlehead), Bryan McInnes (Murcar Links), Philip McLean (Peterhead), Scott Larkin (Royal Aberdeen), Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh), Anthony Bews (Murcar Links). Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

NE District medals for winners of Scottish team championship

The winning North-east team in this year's SGU area team championship were presented with medals at last night's North-east District Association annual dinner at The Marcliffe Hotel and  Spa, Pitfodels, Aberdeen, writes Colin Farquharson.
The presentations to David Law, Kris Nicol, Bryan Innes, Anthony Bews, Philip McLean and Scott Larkin were made by district vice-president Mike Pocock following the recent death of president Ron Menzies.
It is 18 years since the North-east won the Scottish team championship and it is remarkable to think that the winning six-man line-up did not include another two outstanding players from the district - Banchory's James Byrne, who had not finished the 2009-2010 term at Arizona State University in time to play in the mid-May event at Kinross, and Fraserburgh's Jordan Findlay whose excellent run of form which took him to the final of the Scottish amateur championship at Gullane, earned him a first cap in the Home Internationals and latterly won the Scottish Alliance championship by five strokes, did not start until later in the summer.

At the Saturday night function, attended by close on 50 players, professionals, officials, sponsors and invited guests, David Law finally received an inscribed trophy from the NE District to commemorate his outstanding achievement in winning the Scottish boys' and men's match-play titles at Royal Aberdeen and Royal Troon respectively in 2009.
The talented Hazlehead teenager was to have been presented with the award at last year's annual district dinner but was unable to appear due to the injuries received in an unprovoked assault in Aberdeen city centre a few days earlier.

Clark Brechin (Portlethen), winner of the District's men's Order of Merit for a second year in a row, and Alexander Wiseman, who also repeated his 2009 success in the District's boys' Order of Merit, also received trophies to mark their success (they are pictured on right).

Roy Donald retires after more than two decades

A presentation was also made last night to Roy Donald (Oldmeldrum), pictured left, who is retiring from the NE District committee after serving in every capacity from president down, except secretary and treasurer, over the past two decades and some.