GRAY DAY IN BALGOWNIE PRO-AM

GOLF COPY AND SCORES CREDIT CAL CARSON GOLF AGENCY QUERIES TO COLIN FARQUHARSON TEL 01224 869782   FEAST OF STEPHEN AT BALGOWNIE   Hayston's Stephen Gray found the form that eluded him earlier in the week's Gleneagles Scottish PGA Championship to win one of the richest one-day events on the Tartan Tour, the £12,162 Grampian Houston Junior Tour Fund pro-am over Royal Aberdeen Golf Club's Balgownie links. With the rough at its longest for many a year, Gray did well to drop only two shots, at the fourth and the 13th. He cancelled out these slips with birdies at the long second, the fifth, the long sixth and the long 12th in halves of 34 (two under par) and 35 (level). That earned him the £2,231 first pro prize to boost his season's earnings to £16,390 - well behind his arch-rival in the money table, Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) whose £6,500 runner-up prize at Gleneagles raised him to the top of the money table with a total of £22,762. Patrick Walker (Ballumbie Castle) and David Orr (Mearns Castle) finished joint second at Balgownie with rounds of 70 to earn £1,570 each. Walker had six birdies but a double-bogey 6 at the fourth made all the difference in the final analysis. Orr had four of his five birdies in an outward 32 - the best of the day - but a double bogey 6 at the 16th ruined his victory chance. Graeme Brown (Montrose Links) led the Norse Ltd team of Andrew Strachan (handicap 9), Jim Harrigan (15) and Bill Strachan (18) to a winning net team total of 13-under-par 58. Pipped by a shot was the team led by Heather MacRae (Gleneagles Hotel). Stll Graeme and Heather both earned a £200 bonus.   GRAMPIAN HOUSTON JUNIOR FUND PRO-AM Royal Aberdeen GC LEADING PRO TOTALS Par 71 69 Stephen Gray (Hayston) (£2,231) 70 Patrick Walker (Ballumbie Castle), David Orr (Mearns Castle) (£1,570 each) 71 Ross Cameron (Saltire Energy), Greg McBain (Gamola Golf), James McKinnon (Irvine (£833 each). 73 Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), Scott Henderson (Kings Links), Alan Fleming (North Highland College) (£498 each). 74 Ross Dixon (Renaissance Club) (£385). 75 Bruce Davidson (River Oaks CC, USA), Christopher Currie (Caldwell), Greig Hutcheon (Banchory), Gareth Wright (West Linton), David Patrick (Elie SC), Christopher Kelly (Cawder) (£283 each). 76 Alastair Mackenzie (Renaissance Club), Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs), Todd Grassi (USA), Graham Fox (Rowallan Castle), Mark Kerr (unatt), Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) (£117 each). 77 Ian Bratton (Newburgh), Neil Fenwick (Dunbar), Graeme Brown (Montrose Links), Jonathan Lomas (unatt) 78 Joel Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen), Craig Gordon (Edinburgh GC), James McGhee (Duddingston), Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle). 79 Christopher Campbell (Trump International), Michael Mackenzie (Edzell). 80 Ian Buchan (Alford).   endss