NICOL AND NICOLSON TOPS AT NE ALLIANCE MEETING AT ABOYNE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Fraserburgh tour pro Kris Nicol and Auchmill amateur John Nicolson shared first place in today's North-east Golfers' Alliance competition at Aboyne Golf Club. Nicol earned £105 and Nicolson the same value of voucher.
They both matched the par of 68 to head a field of 76 players by one shot from Newmachar's Ewan Kennedy and John Duff as well as Justin Duff - no relation - from Fraserburgh.
Nicolson was steadiness personnified with 16 pars, one birdie (at the fourth) and one bogey (at the 12th) in halves of 33 and 35.
Nicol had two halves of 34, with birdies at the fifth and long 10th and bogeys at two short holes, the fourth and 14th.
Kennedy had a double bogey 6 at the 16th when on schedule for a winning score. A birdie 2 at the last could not quite make up the lost ground.
Hard luck stories of the day from Newburgh pro Ian Bratton, who finished with a 71, and Scotland cap Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) who had a 74.
Bratton was three over par after three holes - a bogey 4 at the first and then an out-of-bounds (over the wall on the right) double bogey 6 at the second.
An eagle 3 at the sudden repaired some of the damage but, at the 13th, Ian lost a ball for another double bogey 6.
For Adam Dunton it was the proverbial game of two halves - out in one-under 33, back in eight-over 42.
He had triple bogey 7s at the 11th and 15th.
John Hamilton (Murcar Links) won the Class 1 handicap top award with a net 68 off seven. Well done Claire Prouse (Hazlehead), playing off seven, for figuring in the prize list with a net 69.
Les Roger (Royal Aberdeen), playing off 11, was one of three players in Class 2 with net 71s. The others were Jim Murray (Banchory), playing off 10, and retired Hazlehead professional Ian Smith, playing off 12.

LEADING SCRATCH
Par 68
68 K Nicol (Fraserburgh) 34-34, J Nicolson (Auchmill) 33-35.
69 E Kennedy (Newmachar) 34-35, J Duff (Newmachar) 34-35, J Duff (Fraserburgh) 33-36
70 K Duncan (McDonald Ellon) 36-34.
71 S Finnie (Caledonian) 37-34, I Bratton (Newburgh) 35-36.
72 D Brown (Kemnay) 35-37.
73 G Mitchell (Braemar) 35-38, G Munro (Fraserburgh) 39-34.
74 K Watson (Deeside) 38-36, B Nicolson (Auchmill) 37-37, S Scott (Auchmill) 37-37.
75 J M Hamilton (Murcar Links) 36-39, C Carnegie (Kemnay) 37-38, K Beveridge (Inchmarlo) 38-37, A Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 33-42, J Emslie (Royal Aberdeen) 36-39.
76 Claire Prouse (Hazlehead) 38-38, D Leslie (Northern) 36-40, I Taylor (Inchmarlo) 36-40, F Bisset (Banchory) 38-38, J Duncan (Newburgh) 39-37.
77 L Morgan (Kemnay) 41-36, S Mackie (Kemnay) 37-40, M Forster (Cruden Bay) 36-41, C Lamb (Newmachar) 37-40
78 R Manson (Kemnay) 39-37, L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen) 37-41
79 H Roulston (Stonehaven) 38-41, A Gall (Deeside) 40-39.
80 C Duffus (Kemnay), P Cheyne (Northern), C Ord (Auchmill), M Merchant (Newmachar).
81 D Fleming (Portlethen), J Murray (Banchory), R Lamb (Newmachar).
82 C Cassie (Nigg Bay), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen).
83 I D Smith (retired pro), D Nelson (Aboyne), D S Bisset (Banchory)
84 B Shaw (Alford), N Chisholm (Kemnay).
86 G Milne (Newburgh), M Booth (Kemnay), D McKay (Caledonian)
87 J Dalgarno (Hazlehead), G Allan (Auchmill).
89 N Stewart (Northern).
90 L Prouse (Hazlehead), R Brown (Newburgh), D Lawrie (Kemnay), P Guthrie (Caledonian), M Winton (Caledonian).
94 G Homer (Northern)
96 S Davidson (Northern).
97 M Brown (Newburgh), D George.
98 J Forrest (Northern)
102 P Leech 
104 I Grant, E Adams (Ballater).

HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS
Class 1 - J M Hamilton (Murcar Links) (7) 68; K Watson (Deeside) (5), Claire Prouse (Hazlehead) (7), G Mitchell (Braemar) (4) 69; S Finnie (Caledonian) (1) 70.
Class 2 - L Roger (Royal Aberdeen) (1), J Murray (Banchory) (10), I D Smith (retired pro) (12) 71; N Chisholm (Kemnay) (12) 72; G Allan (Auchmill) (13) 74.
+Apologies if we have some of the players' home clubs wrong in the list of scores. We are building up a master list from scratch and guessing at some of the clubs. If your club on the above list of scores is wrong or missing, please E-mail the information to Colin@scottishgolfview.com


ABOYNE PAR SCORECARD 68
OUT: 3-4-4-3-4-4-5-3-4: 34 
IN:   5-4-3-4-3-4-4-4-3: 34 

BEST CARDS OF THE DAY

KRIS NICOL 68
OUT: 3-4-4-4-3-4-5-3-4: 34
IN:   4-4-3-4-4-4-4-4-3: 34

JOHN NICOLSON 68
OUT: 3-4-4-2-4-4-5-3-4: 33
IN:   5-4-4-4-3-4-4-4-3: 35 

EWAN KENNEDY 69
OUT: 4-3-3-3-4-4-5-3-4: 33
IN:   5-4-3-4-4-4-6-4-2: 36

JOHN DUFF 69
OUT: 3-4-4-2-4-4-5-4-4: 34
IN:   4-4-3-5-4-4-4-3-4: 35

JUSTIN DUFF 69
OUT: 2-3-4-4-5-3-4-4-4: 33
IN:   5-3-4-4-4-3-5-5-3: 36

IAN BRATTON 71
OUT: 4-6-4-3-5-4-3-3-3: 35
IN:   5-4-3-6-3-4-4-4-3: 36

ADAM DUNTON 75
OUT: 3-3-4-3-3-4-6-3-4: 33
IN:   5-7-3-4-4-7-4-5-3: 42