NEWMACHAR SURVIVE BUT ONLY JUST IN NOTHERN COUNTIES CUP

Newmachar's quartet are still on course to win the Northern Counties Cup double foursomes match-play tournament at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club - but it was a close run thing before they reached Saturday morning'sfirst semi-final against McDonald Ellon. In the quarter-finals, they scraped through at the 20th against Banchory 2 whose first pair established a two-hole lead over the regulation distance. John Duff and Richard Barr came to Newmachar's rescue by finishing 18 holes two up in the second-string tie. Banchory then won at the 20th. The semi-finals are Newmachar v McDonald Ellon and Nairn v Fortrose and Rosemarkie RESULTS THIRD ROUND Newmachar 1 bt Inverness 1 by 2 holes G Simpson and M McKechnie 1, B Fotheringham and E Forbes 0 J Duff and R Barr 1, J Forbes and B Fraser 0 Banchory 2 bt Fortrose and Rosemarkie 2 by 14 holes. D Brand and S Strachan 8, M Ross and M Manson 0. L Morrice and A Lindsay 6, C Stewart and J Fair 0. McDonald Ellon bt Duff House Royal by 11 holes. R McKen and K Duncan 5, G Mutch and A J Smith 0. A Dunton and C Gilbert 6, D Morrison and G Wilson 0. Royal Aberdeen 1 bt Forres by three holes. D Macandrew and W Park 1, G Stuart and J Wright 0. B Barclay and A Reith 2, G MacKay and R McKerron 0. Nairn bt Moray 1 by one hole. F Fotheringham and A Burgess 2, M L MacLeman and K Thomson 0. B Thomson and R Smith 0, A W Mair and R J Shiels 1. Cruden Bay 1 bt Fraserburgh by seven holes. L Phillips and M Buchan 5, J Duff and J Mitchell 0. J Godward and A Duff 2, G Munro and N Thomson 0. Fortrose and Rosemarkie 1 bt Orkney 1 by 10 holes. M MacDonald and C Gaittens 5, M Fleet and G Flett 0. A Cameron and L Reid 5, E Rendall and P McKinlay 0. Muir of Ord bt Nigg Bay 2 at 19th. S Forbes and S Johnston 1, I Welsh and G Stewart 0. G Mellis and J Whittet 0, R Forbes and S Jamieson 1 QUARTER-FINALS                Newmachar  bt Banchory 2 at 20th G Simpson & M McKechnie 0, D Brand and S Strachan 2       J Duff and R Barr 2, L Morrice, A Lindsay 0. McDonald Ellon bt Royal Aberdeen 1 by 2 holes R McKen and K Duncan 0, D Macandrew and W Park 3. A Dunton and C Gilbert 5, B Barclay and A Reith 0. Nairn bt Cruden Bay 1 by one hole.F Fotheringham and A Burgess 0, L Phillips and M Buchan 5. B Thmson and R Smith 6, J Godward and A Duff 0. Fortrose and Rosemarkie 1 bt Muir of Ord by four holes. M MacDonald and C Gaittens 5, I Welsh and G Stewart 0. A Cameron and L Reid 0, R Forbes and S Jamieson 1.  end