McLEAN LEADS HUTCHEON AFTER ROUND 1 OF NE ALLIANCE CHSHP

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Rookie Peterhead tour professional Philip McLean will carry a one-shot lead over Banchory's Greig Hutcheon, one of the Tartan Tour's leading players, into next Wednesday's second and final round of the North-east Golfers' Alliance championship at Portlethen Golf Club.
On a latterly balmy day at Fraserburgh Golf Club, McLean, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency,  shot a first-round, bogey-free score of five-under-par 65 (34-31) to head a field of 91 and pick up the £100 first scratch prize for the day's competition.
"I definitely feel much sharper than is usually the case for me at this time of the year, having played several tournaments on the EPD Tour in Morocco," said the 24-year-old McLean who is sponsored by the Paul Lawrie Foundation and also by L and N Scotland and Intermoor.
There was no particular highlight in the Buchan man's round - he did most things very well indeed, but perhaps, on second thoughts, it was hid driving that set up many of his birdies. He certainly drove it a long way off the tee today.
McLean was home in two for a two-putt birdie at the sixth hole (529yd) and drove the green for a two-putt birdie at the 10th (332yd).
At the 13th (341yd), McLean was only 25yd short of the putting surface with his drive and got down in two for another birdie.
The longest putt he holed all day was a 10-footer for a birdie at the 11th.
In all, he birdied the sixth, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 16th.
"I'm going back to Morocco on April 6 for more EPD Tour events and from there on to the Alps Tour competitions in Slovenia, Austria and places like that. I love travelling so I'm looking forward to going out there again."
Hutcheon had halves of 34 and 32 with birdies at the fourth, sixth, 10th, 11th, 15th and 18th but bogeys at the ninth and 14th.
"I'm not all that happy with a 66. It could have been better but at least I'm in touch with the leader at the halfway stage of the championship," said Hutcheon who is four shots clear of a group of five on the par-70 mark.
They include other two members of the Paul Lawrie-back trio of rookies, Aberdeen's David Law and Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh), Inchmarlo teaching pro Keil Beveridge and two Duffs who are not related - John who plays off +3 at Newmachar and Justin, who has a +1 handicap at Fraserburgh.
Defending champion Scott Larkin (Royal Aberdeen) - he won the title by TEN shots last year but is still recovering from a wrist operation he had to have last autumn - had a disappointing 75 (40-35).
Kris Nicol, playing over his home course, had the best outward half of 32, which included six 3s - at the second, third, fourth and ninth (he also had a bogey 6 at the sixth) but the supply of birdies dried up in an inward half of three-over 38 with a double bogey 6 at the 16th and another shot dropped at the 14th.
Royal Aberdeen's Joel Hopwood will have been disappointed with a 71 (35-36), particularly as he hit 17 greens in regulation, according to one of his playing partners.
Lee Vannet's 71 included a double bogey 6 at the first and a double bogey 5 at the 14th. Birdies at the short fifth, long 15th and 18th eased some of the pain but for the Carnoustie Links man it was a chance missed to score in the 60s and be on the heels of McLean and Hutcheon going into the final round at Portlethen.
David Law also started with a double bogey 6 in totalling 37 to the turn but he came back in 33 with birdies at the 13th and 15th for a 70.
All three players in one group scored birdie 2s at the short 17th - Jim Duncan (Newburgh), Gordon Milne (Newburgh) and Martin Forster (Cruden Bay).
Claire Prouse (Hazlehead), playing off the same tees as the men, had her best ever Alliance round - a four-over-par 74 (40-34) in which she was six over par after a double bogey 6 at the eight.
Then she began to motor with birdies at the ninth, 11th, 13th and 18th, offset by bogeys at the 10th and 16th.
Claire won the Class 1 handicap with a net 66, her LGU handicap being raised to eight to compensate for playing off the men's tees.
Former Aberdeen Links champion Stewart Finnie (Caledonian) had the proverbial "game of two halves " - one mediocre, the other very good. He was out in 43 (eight over) and back in 33 (two under) for a six-over 76.
Berryhill Driving Range pro Willie McKenzie kept an 8 off his card for the second Alliance in a row. Worth a mention because until last week he was know as Willie The VIII as he ALWAYS had an 8 on his card.
A pep talk from Scottishgolfview.com has worked wonders for Willie who tells me he did have a narrow escape at one hole where he had to hole from about 10ft to get a 7.
Kemnay Golf Club members did well with four in all winning handicap prizes - one in Class 1 and the first three in Class 2.

FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 70 (35-35). Yardage 6,308
65 P McLean (Peterhead) 34-31
66 G Hutcheon (Banchory) 34-32
70 John Duff (Newmachar) 35-36, Justin Duff (Fraserburgh) 38-32, D Law (Paul Lawrie Foundation) 37-33, K Nicol (Fraserburgh) 32-38, K Beveridge (Inchmarlo) 36-34.
71 L Vannet (Carnoustie Links) 36-35, F Clarke (Newmachar) 38-33, J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen) 35-36, R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo), C Carnegie (Kemnay) 36-35.
72 T Mathieson (Murcar Links) 35-37, J Duncan (Newburgh), D Brown (Kemnay).
73 G Paterson (Northern) 39-34, D Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen) 35-38, K Watson (Deeside) 36-37.
74 R Lamb (Newmachar), J Thomas (Newmachar), Claire Prouse (Hazlehead) 40-34, C Nelson (Mackenzie Shop), E Kennedy (Newmachar).
75 J Nicolson (Auchmill), G Milne ( Newburgh ), F Bisset (Banchory), S Larkin (Royal Aberdeen ), D C Clark (Duff House Royal), M May ( Cruden Bay ), J A Ritchie (Fraserburgh)
76 J Borthwick (Craibstone), L Prouse (Hazlehead), D Leslie (Northern), W McKenzie (Berryhill DR), S Finnie (Caledonian) 43-33.
77 M Lawrie (Kemnay).
78 G Nethercott (Deeside), C Cassie (Nigg Bay), A Gall (Deeside), L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen ), I Esslemont (Cruden Bay), B Nicolson (Cruden Bay), P McIntosh (Newmachar).
79 B Harper ( Newburgh ), C Duffus (Kemnay).
80 M Merchant (Newmachar), J Scott (Peterculter), D Nelson (Aboyne), D Wilson (Duff House Royal).
81 H Roulston (Stonehaven), J Hamilton (Murcar Links), A Rodger (Fraserburgh), D Fleming (Portlethen), M Forster (Cruden Bay), M Booth (Kemnay).
82 C Carnegie (Kemnay) , T A Collie (Kemnay), D McKay (Caledonian).
83 M Duncan (Murcar Links), J Dalgarno (Hazlehead), A Graham (Aboyne), W Skene (Deeside).
84 L Roger (Royal Aberdeen ), A Petrie (Oldmeldrum), M Rogers (Kemnay), J Murray (Banchory), I D Smith (Hazlehead).
85 B Shaw (Banchory), D Randall (Banchory), P Murray (Kemnay).
86 P Cornfield (Auchmill), J Forrest (Northern), R Brown (Newburgh), J Jessiman (Oldmeldrum), G Allan (Newmachar)
87 N Stewart (Northern), D Bisset (Banchory).
88 K Stephen (Northern), M Smith (Inverurie).
89 D Lawrie (Inchmarlo), B Lumsden (Northern), P Guthrie (Peterculter), N K Parker (Murcar Links), J Turner (Kemnay).
90 D Wright (Northern), I Grant (Keith)
92 H McNaughton ( Cruden Bay ), M Rendall (Stonehaven).
94 P Leech (Oldmeldrum), J Gall (Caledonian).
95 M Brown (Newburgh).
98 S Davidson (Northern).

HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS
Class 1 - Claire Prouse (Hazlehead) (8) 66; K Watson (Deeside) (6) 67; J Duncan (Newburgh) (4), C Carnegie (Kemnay) (3) 68; M May (Cruden Bay) (6) 69 (bih).
Class 2 - M Rogers (Kemnay) (15) 69; M Booth (Kemnay) (11) 70; T A Collie (Kemnay) (4), P Cornfield (Auchmill) (15) 71; J Jessiman (Oldmeldrum) (15) 72.

TODAY'S TOP SCORECARDS
FRASERBURGH PAR 70 OUT 4-4-4-4-3-5-3-4-4: 35 IN 3-4-4-4-3-5-4-4-4: 35

PHILIP McLEAN 65
OUT 4-4-4-4-3-4-3-4-4: 34 IN 3-3-3-3-3-5-4-3-4: 31
GREIG HUTCHEON 66
OUT 4-4-4-3-3-4-3-4-5: 34 IN 3-3-4-4-4-4-4-3-3: 32
DAVID LAW 70
OUT 6-4-4-4-3-4-4-4-4: 37 IN 4-4-4-3-3-4-4-3-4: 33
JOHN DUFF 70
OUT 5-4-4-4-2-5-4-3-4: 35 IN 4-4-4-4-4-4-4-3-4: 35
JUSTIN DUFF 70
OUT 5-4-7-3-4-5-2-4-4: 38 IN 3-4-4-3-3-5-3-3-4: 32
KRIS NICOL 70
OUT 4-3-3-3-3-6-3-4-3: 32 IN 4-4-4-4-4-5-6-3-4: 38
KEIL BEVERIDGE 70
OUT 5-4-4-3-4-5-3-4-4: 36 IN 5-4-3-4-3-4-4-3-4: 34

NEXT WEDNESDAY'S ROUND 2 TEE TIMES
AT PORTLETHEN GOLF CLUB

8.15 C Cassie - B Harper - K Watson
8.22 J Duff - E Kennedy - free
8.29 M Merchant - R Lamb- free
8.36 H Roulston - M Rendall - free
8.43 L Roger - J Hamilton - Claire Prouse
8.50 C Nelson - J Dalgarno - L Prouse
8.57 F Clarke - D Macandrew - free

9.04 T Mathieson- G Nethercott - free
9.11 G Allan - B Nicolson - H McNaughton
9.18 free- free- free
9.25 M brown - R Brown - S Davidson
9.32 L Vannet - M Forster - I Esslemont
9.39 free- free- free
9.46 N K Parker - P Guthrie - free
9.53 M Smith - I Grant - free

10.00 G Paterson - J Scott - D Lawrie
10.07 J Forrest - N Stewart - M Duncan
10.14 A Gall - L Fowler - D Fleming
10.21 B  Lumsden - D Leslie - G Homer
10.28 J Jessiman - A Petrie - W Skene
10.35 P McLean- K Nicol - P McIntosh
10.42 D Law - W Shaw - M Booth
10.49 K Beveridge- D Nelson - A Graham
10.56 M May - W McKenzie - P Leech

11.03 J Hopwood - J Duncan - G Milne
11.10 S Larkin - G Hutcheon - F Bisset
11.17 D Bisset - J Murray - D Randall
11.24 T A Collie - C Carnegie - J Turner
11.31 D Brown - M Lawrie - C Duffus
11.38 C Brown - R Orr - P Murray
11.45 S Finnie - J Gall - D McKay
11.52 free- free- free
11.59 free- free- free

12.06 J Borthwick - J Thomas- free
12.13 free- free- free
12.20 free- free- free
12.27 free- free- free
12.34 free- free- free
12.41 J Nicolson - P Cornfield - free
12.48 D Wilson - D C Clark- R Fitzpatrick