SMITH AND LAWRIE RALLY TO REACH NE ALLIANCE FOURS FINAL

Sean Lawrie in action at Murcar Links today (Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency). By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com Deeside teaching pro Peter Smith and Sean Lawrie (Portlethen), 18-year-old nephew of 1999 Open champion Paul, came back from two down with four to play to win a place in Friday's final of the North-east Alliance pro-am foursomes for the Evening Express Shield on a gloriously sunny and almost wind-free day at Murcar Links. Former Northern Open champion and Murcar club pro in the 1980s, Smith and one-handicapper Lawrie will play Newmachar tour pro Euan McIntosh and Kevin Duncan, a +2 amateur at McDonald Ellon GC, in the final, having beaten Inchmarlo pro Ryan Fitzpatrick and Cruden Bay youngster Jamie Reid by one hole in the semi-finals. When they won the decisive 18th it was the first time Smith and Lawrie had been in the lead after a disastrous start in which they were three down after five holes. Fitzpatrick and Reid's lead had been cut to one hole at the turn but they doubled that advantage again to be two up on the 15th tee. Smith and Lawrie birdied that hole and also won the 16th to level the match for the first time since they slipped behind in the early stages. A half at the 17th set the stage for a dramatic closing hole. There are not many trees at Murcar Links but Fitzpatrick and Reid managed to be snookered by one of their tee shot at the home hole and a par 4 was enough to win the hole and the match for Smith and Lawrie. Euan McIntosh and Kevin Duncan (pictured right) won by one hole against Scott Larkin, who plays off +3 at Royal Aberdeen, and Auchmill's Brian Nicolson, who plays off one, although, of course, handicaps did not come into it. Larkin, scheduled to be an amateur partner to a pro in the original draw, sportingly stepped into the breach as a nominal pro after a number of late call-offs. McIntosh and Duncan were seven under par for the day which began well for them with a 7 and 5 win over Kippie Lodge pro Craig Stewart and Banchory golf writer Fergus Bisset. One down after 13 holes in the afternoon to Larkin and Nicolson, McIntosh and Duncan responded to the pressure. They birdied the 14th, 15th and 16th at the critical stage of their nip-and-tuck tie against Larkin and Nicolson who were able to halve the 16th but the damage had been done by then. McIntosh and Duncan were now in the driving seat with a one-hole advantage and they maintained that to the end with further halves at the 17th and 18th.. The handicap foursomes for The Press and Journal Shield will feature Alliance joint secretary Dave Mackay (Newmachar) and Mike Booth (Kemnay) against John Hamilton (Murcar Links) and Charles Cassie (Nigg Bay). Hamilton and Cassie will concede two strokes. In the semi-finals, Mackay and Booth won the first two holes from Willie Skene (Deeside) and Steve Kennedy (Craibstone) and then lost two balls in quick succession to be one down after five. Only a temporary blip, according to Mackay, and he and his partner were two up again at the turn on their way to a 3 and 2 victory. Cassie and Hamilton started like a train against David Leslie (Westhill) and Derek Randall (Banchory), winning four of the first five holes. They were still four up after nine before Leslie and Randall halved their deficit to two holes after 14. A birdie 3 at 15th for Cassie and Hamilton snuffed out their opponents' fightback and a half at the 16th gave them a 3 and 2 win. The finals start at 10am (handicap) and 10.15 (pro-am). TODAY'S SCOREBOARD PRO-AM First round P Smith (Deeside), Sean Lawrie (Portlethen) bt  K Beveridge (Inchmarlo), C Carnegie (Kemnay) 3 and 1. R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo), J Reid (Cruden Bay) bt P Lovie (P1 Corporate), M Jenkins (Duff House Royal) 3 and 2. E McIntosh (Newmachar), K Duncan (McDonald Ellon) bt C Stewart (Kippie Lodge), F Bisset (Banchory) 7 and 5. S Larkin (Royal Aberdeen, B Nicolson (Auchmill) bt D Brown (Kemnay), A Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 2 holes. Semi-finals Smith, Lawrie bt Fitzpatrick, Reid 1 hole. McIntosh, Duncan bt Larkin, Nicolson 1 hole. AM-AM HANDICAP First round W Skene (Deeside) (9), S Kennedy (Craibstone) (11) bt J Forrest (Northern) (8), N Stewart (Northern) (13) 2 and 1. D Mackay (Newmachar) (6), M Booth (Kemnay) (11) bt R Lamb (Newmachar) (4), M Brown (Newmachar) (18)  holes. C Cassie (Nigg Bay) (6), J M Hamilton (Murcar Links) (7) bt D Nelson (Aboyne) (7), N K Parker (Murcar Links) (10) 1 hole. D Leslie (Westhill) (5), D Randall (Banchory) (12) bt M Merchant (Newmachar) (5), H McNaughton (Cruden Bay) (11) at 19th. Semi-finals Mackay, Booth bt Skene, Kennedy 3 and 2. Hamilton, Cassie bt Leslie, Randall 3 and 2.