NORTHERN COUNTIES CUP AT LOSSIEMOUTH PREVIEW

By ROBIN WILSON 

In relation to the eight founder clubs who subscribed at the beginning of the 20th  century to purchase the Northern Counties Cup, and first competition played for in 1900 at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, Newmachar Golf Club are the youngest club now taking part and with their first win in 1997,  seven years after their formation , they have beginning( today) at the Moray Golf Club, Lossiemouth, the opportunity to write their name into the history of the competition.

Newmachar first joined the names of illustrious winners with  Craig Thomson, Alistair Crombie, Jim Hardie and John Cramond as their winning team at Peterhead in 1997 then after winning for a second time last year at Royal Dornoch, with the line up of Chris Simpson, John Duff, Mark McKechnie and Richard Barr, the East Aberdeenshire club has the chance to leave their mark at Moray from today (Thursday) until Saturday by winning the 100^th competition for the oldest inter club cup in the North.  

While the competition celebrated its centenary  inauguration at Royal Aberdeen in 2000 the competition was suspended during the two World Wars meaning there have been only 99 occasions the cup was contested and is it by coincidence that the young Newmachar club have drawn one of the founder clubs, The Orkney Golf Club, Kirkwall, in Thursday's first round to leave a lasting mark. 

The fist round draw of 40 teams has also thrown up some interesting first round fixtures. Two of Inverness's three clubs have been paired against each other, the private Inverness Golf Club against its municipal neighbour, Torvean.  Royal Dornoch who hold the record number of wins in the past 99 competitions, 21in all, open against an Elgin second team. Elgin with nine wins are closing in on Inverness and Nairn who are both on eleven wins.  Royal Aberdeen have a bye into round two and await a derby tie against either Deeside or Newmachar's second team. There are other early North East clashes today with the second teams of Cruden Bay and Royal Aberdeen meeting in round two and Ellon taking on Banchory.