GREIG HUTCHEON WINS TWO IN A ROW AT NE ALLIANCE

  GREIG HUTCHEON, picture by Andy Forman

REPORT BY COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Tartan Tour No 1 Greig Hutcheon won his second North-east Golfers' Alliance top scratch award in a row today when he followed up last week's success at Cruden Bay with a flawless round of six-under-par 66 at Newburgh GC.
Hutcheon, who will continue to play the weekly Alliance circuit to keep him competitive for the PGA Play-offs in Turkey in December, was in scintillating form with an outward half of 31 - five-under-par - and held his score together despite nonstop rain during his inward half of eight pars and a birdie at the 17th.
"The first nine holes was just about as well as I can play," said the Banchory tour pro who earned £140 for heading a field of 80 players.
"The 20-footer I holed for a 2 at the short fifth was the longest putt I had all day so I was hitting it close to the flag most of the round."
He birdied the long third, short fifth. sixth, seventh, long ninth and the 17th and did not have a single bogey, despite missing the green at the short 16th "by a long way" with his tee shot.
Hutch, winner of the money table and the Order of Merit in the PGA Scottish Region circuit this year, got down in two more to save par with a brilliant wedge recovery shot and a short putt.
Joint runners-up on 69 were Newmachar +1 amateur John Duff (33-36) and Fraserburgh tour pro Kris Nicol (35-34).
Duff, who played in the best conditios of the day, i.e. before lunchtime, bogeyed his first two holes and then covered the next 16 holes in five under par.
Brian Nicolson (Auchmill) fourth with a 71 was three under par with three holes to play ... but bogeyed the 16th and 17th. 
There were 23 No Returns, mainly due to the afternoon rain. 
Several players were disqualified for failing to play from the 16th tee which was almost surrounded by water from the River Ythan at high tide.
Christopher Campbell, originally from Grantown-on-Spey and now the professional attached to Trump International Links, showed his long-hitting powers with a eagle 3 at the 548yd 18th hole which he covered with a driver, a three-wood and a 30ft putt.
Campbell finished with a 73, putting together remarkably contrasting halves of 41 for the first nine and 32 for the second.
Now if we put together Hutcheon's outward half of 31 with Campbell's inward 32, we would have a fantastic round of 63. 
Host club professional Ian Bratton had not played for the last four weeks - and the rust was all too evident over his first three holes: 9-4-7, so that he was eight over par standing on the fourth tee. 
Out in 41, Ian came home in 37 for a 78.   
LEADING SCRATCH
Par 72 (36-36) Yardage: 6,423
66 G Hutcheon (Banchory) 31-35.
69 John Duff (Newmachar) 33-36, K Nicol (Fraserburgh) 35-34
71 B Nicolson (Auchmill) 34-37.
72 L Morgan (Kemnay) 38-34, J Findlay (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 35-37
73 C Nelson (Mackenzie Club) 37-36, D Brown (Kemnay) 37-36, C Campbell (Trump International) 41-32.
74 B Harper (Newburgh) 38-36, J Nicolson (Auchmill) 37-37, A Campbell (Deeside) 38-36.
75 J Borthwick (Craibstone) 39-36.
76 A Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 39-37, J Emslie (Royal Aberdeen) 38-38, K Watson (Deeside) 38-38, M Forster (Cruden Bay) 37-39, J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen) 40-36.
77 A J Smith (Turriff) 43-34, D Leslie (Northern) 39-38, S Mackie (Auchmill) 38-39, B Mitchell (McDonald Ellon) 39-38
78 K Duncan (McDonald Ellon) 39-39, J M Hamilton (Murcar Links) 40-38, P Cheyne (Northern)38-40, I Bratton (Newburgh) 41-37, S Finnie (Caledonian) 36-42.
79 Claire Prouse (Hazlehead) 42-37, L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen) 40-39.
81 G Paterson (Northern) 44-37, C Cassie (Nigg Bay).
82 K Beveridge (Inchmarlo), D Mackay (Newmachar), I Taylor (Inchmarlo), D McKay (Caledonian).
83 L Prouse (Hazlehead), C Lamb (Newmachar).
84 M Harling (Inchmarlo), D A Fleming (Portlethen).
85 M Rendall (Stonehaven), D Bisset (Banchory), M Lawrie (Kemnay).
86 P Cornfield (Auchmill), D Nelson (Aboyne), G Leslie (Newburgh), J Forrest (Northern), M Winton (Caledonian), W Shaw (Banchory), B Lumsden (Northern), P Guthrie (Peterculter).
87 R Brown (Newburgh), S Davidson (Northern), J Dalgarno (Hazlehead).
88 J Murray (Banchory).
89 G Homer (Northern).
90 N Stewart (Northern), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen).
92 N K Parker (Murcar Links).
93 D Randall (Banchory).
94 M Brown (Newburgh), N Chisholm (Kemnay), D Wright (Northern), J Jessiman (Oldmeldrum).
95 D Lawrie (Inchmarlo).
108 S Dillon (Kemnay).
109 E Adams (Ballater).

LEADING HANDICAP
Class 1 - J Borthwick (Craibstone) (7) 68; B Harper (Newburgh) (5), P. Cheyne (Northern) (9), M Forster (Cruden Bay) (7) 69; Claire Prouse (Hazlehead) (9) 70.
Class 2 - M Rendall (Stonehaven) (16) 69; P Cornfield (Auchmill) (15) 71; B Lumsden (Northern) (14) 72; M Harling (Inchmarlo) (11), M Winton (Auchmill) (13) 73.


NEWBURGH PAR SCORECARD
OUT: 4-3-5-4-3-4-4-4-5: 36
  IN: 4-4-4-4-4-4-3-4-5: 36

BEST CARDS OF THE DAY

GREIG HUTCHEON 66
OUT: 4-3-4-4-2-3-3-4-4: 31
  IN: 4-4-4-4-4-4-3-3-5: 35

JOHN DUFF 69
OUT: 5-4-4-3-3-3-3-4-4: 33
  IN: 4-4-4-4-4-4-3-4-5: 36    

KRIS NICOL 69
OUT: 4-3-4-4-3-4-4-4-5: 35
  IN: 4-4-4-3-4-3-3-4-5: 34 

BRIAN NICOLSON 71
OUT: 4-3-4-4-3-4-3-5-4: 34
  IN: 4-4-4-4-3-4-4-5-5: 37 

JORDAN FINDLAY 72
OUT: 5-2-4-5-3-5-3-4-4: 35
  IN: 5-4-4-4-4-4-3-4-5: 37

LEWIS MORGAN 72
OUT: 5-4-5-5-3-4-3-5-4: 38
  IN: 5-4-3-4-4-4-2-4-4: 34    

SCRATCH WINNERS SO FAR THIS NE 
ALLIANCE SEASON:
Auchmill: DONALD MACANDREW
Kemnay: IAN BRATTON
Stonehaven: GORDON MUNRO
Aboyne: KRIS NICOL
Inchmarlo: KRIS NICOL
Ballater: JORDAN FINDLAY
Cruden Bay: GREIG HUTCHEON
Newburgh: GREIG HUTCHEON    

+Next Wednesday's NE Alliance competition is at Buckpool.
Joint secretary David Wilson, who normally plays at the end of the field, makes a special plea for a general speeding-up of play over the next few weeks as there is less and less daylight - and he does not like playing in the dark.