HUTCHEON-FLEMING v LARKIN-KENNEDY IN NE FOURSOMES FINAL

Former tennis star Harry Roulston in handicap final
... just a few days after his 70th birthday!

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com 

Tartan Tour star Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) and Portlethen five-handicap amateur David Fleming will start marginal favourites - if only because Hutch is used to playing at a higher level - to win the North-east Alliance foursomes scratch match-play title in tomorrow morning's (9.20am) final at Murcar Links

But the alternate-shot format needs both players to be on song and their amateur opponents, Scott Larkin, a winner on the SGU 72-hole circuit who plays off +2 at Royal Aberdeen, and Euan Kennedy, a one-handicapper at Newmachar, will fancy their chance of  extending the momentum gained with two 5 and 4 victories in the quarter-finals and semi-finals.

Hutcheon and Fleming played 29 holes - one more than Larkin and Kennedy, in winning their quarter-final and semi-final ties by 4 and 3, and 5 and 4 respectively.

Stonehaven seven-handicapper Harry Roulston, a Scotland tennis champion long before Andy Murray was born and now a retired newspaper editor, is through to the handicap final (9am) in partnership with Alistair Petrie (Oldmeldrum). who plays off 10.

They will be conceding three shots to Mark Lawrie (Kemnay) (7) and Paul Cornfield (Auchmill) (15).
Not many people know this but Harry celebrated his 70th birthday this past Monday. He does not look a day over 50!

TODAY'S SCOREBOARD

SCRATCH (Evening Express Shield)

QUARTER-FINALS

K Nicol (Fraserburgh) and F Bisset (Banchory) bt P McLean (Peterhead) and K Watson (Deeside) 2 and 1.

S Larkin (Royal Aberdeen) and E Kennedy (Newmachar) bt B Nicolson (Auchmill) and G Paterson (Northern) 5 and 4.

J Duff (Newmachar) and D Leslie (Northern) bt K Beveridge (Inchmarlo) and R Lamb (Newmachar) at 21st.

G Hutcheon (Banchory) and D Fleming (Portlethen) bt T Mathieson (Murcar Links) and C Carnegie (Kemnay) 4 and 3.

SEMI-FINALSLarkin and Kennedy bt Nicol and Bisset 5 and 4.
Hutcheon and Fleming bt Duff and Leslie 5 and 4. 

HANDICAP (Press and Journal Shield)

QUARTER-FINALS

H Roulston (Stonehaven) (7) and A Petrie (Oldmeldrum) (10) bt M Booth (Kemnay) (11) and Claire Prouse (Hazlehead) (9) 1 hole.

J Thomas (Newmachar) (3) and T Collie (Kemnay) (11) bt J Forrest (Northern) (9) and B Lumsden (Northern) (14) 3 and 2.

J Borthwick (Craibstone) (6) and D Randall (Banchory) (13) bt D McKay (Caledonian) (7) and N Stewart (Northern) (14) 3 and 2.

M Lawrie (Kemnay) (7) and P Cornfield (Auchmill) (15) bt M May (Cruden Bay) (6) and J Dalgarno (Hazlehead) (10) 1 hole.

SEMI-FINALS

Roulston and Petrie bt Thomas and Collie 4 and 3.

Lawrie and Cornfield bt Borthwick and Randall at 19th.