NORTH NEWS ROUND-UP FROM ROBIN WILSON

Brora Junior Open

Brora's Iain Stewart (17) staked a claim to retain his place in his club's Northern Counties Cup team for Royal Aberdeen this month when he retained the Sutherland Junior championship at Brora last Saturday.

Played in conjunction with the Ronan Rafferty Junior Open, Stewart, who high-lighted his last season form with a silver medal in the Northern Counties event at Moray also won the Ronan Rafferty Trophy with his excellent card of 75 (37/38). Runner up to Stewart in the Rafferty competition was Eleanor Tunn (Reay) with an 81 and in third place his Brora club-mate Kyle Sutherland with 82.

This is the second year Stewart won the Sutherland championship so emulating his elder brother Calum who won back to back in 2007 and 2008.  First time recipient of the G&R Sutherland Trophy for girls was Eleanor Tunn and the runner up Rebecca Riddell (Royal Dornoch).

Results  (All Brora unless stated) – Junior 9 hole competition: 1^st Ewan Adamson (Reay) 2^nd Tom Mackenzie (Reay) Joint 3^rd. Hannah Riddell (RDGC), Connon Ross, (Reay), George Mackenzie Brora)

Girls (G&R Sutherland Handicap Trophy) Eleanor Tunn (Reay) (3) 78. Rebecca Riddell (RDGC) (28) 82. Overal Handicap – James Griffiths (nett 64) Campbell Ross (nett 67) Iain Stewart (nett 70)

Ronan Rafferty Scratch Trophy – Iain Stewart 75. Eleanor Tunn (Reay) 81  Kyle Sutherland 82. Michael MacLean 86.

Mackay Cup, Sutherland Junior Championship – I Stewart 75, K Sutherland 82. M MacLean 86.

 Picture from Junior Open at Brora. Left to right -Marlene Bokas (Brora Lady Captain), Eleanor Tunn, Iain Stewart, Michael MacLean, Rebecca Riddell and Kyle Sutherland.  

North East Golfer's successful defence at Royal Dornoch.

Opening with a one over par 72 over the Struie course North East golfer Michael Buchan laid the foundation for a successful defence of the Gardner Trophy at Royal Dornoch last Saturday as the wind rose for his afternoon round over the championship course.

Making the most of an early morning wake up call to step in and fill a space caused by a late withdrawal local member Chris Ross returned two marvellous cards of nett 72 to win the Fraser Shield which is confined to club members for the first time. Ross 's efforts were all the more worthy  as he was one of the few players to better the CSS on both courses and put a dent in his handicap of ten.

Buchan, a member of Cruden Bay where he knows a thing or two about wind, found, even with his experience struggling to break 80 on the championship course in his afternoon, but his 78 allowed him the comfort of a five shot win over local Kevin Matheson (73 on Struie and then 82) the local member one ahead of Glasgow's John Hamilton (75/81). 

Following Ross in the nett returns was visitor Ross Lane (Douglas Park) with 146  and then senior member Denis Albutt on whom the winner gained a measure of revenge after Albutt had eliminated him at the 19^th hole in the second round of the high handicap Carnegie Shield event the previous week.

Results

 SCRATCH  Gardner Trophy - Michael Buchan (Cruden Bay) 72 & 78 150. Kevin Matheson (Royal Dornoch) 73 & 82 155  John Hamilton (Glasgow) 75 & 81 156.  Lee Morrice (Banchory) 80 & 77 157  (bsr)

Open Handicap - Chris Ross (10) (Royal Dornoch) 72 & 72 144. Ross Lane (6) Dundas Parks 74 & 72 146.Denis Albutt (7) Royal Dornoch 77 & 72 149 (bsr). Bryan Urquhart (4) Royal Dornoch 73 & 76 149

 Fraser Shield (Confined) -  Chris Ross (Royal Dornoch) (10)  72 & 72, 144

Championship Course

Best Round Scratch - Derek Lambie (Easter Moffat) 80. Best Round Handicap Brian Brodie (Carrickvale)(8) 74

Struie Course

Best Round Scratch - Mark Hunter (Pitreavie) 75 (bih).Best Round Handicap John Westwood (Nairn Dunbar) (6) 73 (bih)

CSS  CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE  Member 76 R/O Visitor 76 R/O

STRUIE COURSE  Member 73 R/O Visitor 73 R/O

DONALD MACANDREW WINS AT AUCHMILL

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com  Royal Aberdeen amateur Donald Macandrew won the opening meeting of the 2012-2013 North-east Golfers' Alliance season at Auchmill Golf Club. He shot a one-under-par 69 to head a field of 75 Professional David Law (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) was runner-up with a 71. McAndrew started moderately with bogeys at the first two holes but he settled to birdie the third, sixth and seventh in level par 35 to the turn. Coming home, his only deviation from par was a birdie at the 16th. Law had more birdies than the winner - six in all, at the sixth, seventh, eighth, 10th, 14th and 16th - but he also had more bogeys and in the end it was a triple bogey 7 at the 18th that made the difference between victory and second place. NORTH-EAST GOLFERS' ALLIANCE Auchmill Golf Club, Aberdeen Par 70 SS 70 CSS 70 LEADING GROSS SCORES 69 Donald Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen) 71 David Law (Hazlehead) 72 David Fleming (Portlethen) 74 Christopher Lamb (Newmachar) 75 Fraser Clark (Newmachar), Stewart Finnie (Caledonian) 76 John Nicolson (Auchmill) 77 Ian Bratton (Newburgh), David Nelson (Aboyne), George Paterson (Northern), Martin May (Cruden Bay). 79 Les Fowler (Royal Aberdeen), Keith Watson (Deeside), Harry Roulston (Stonehaven). 80 Joel Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen), Lawrence Prouse (Hazlehead), Euan Kennedy (Newmachar), Steve Scott (Auchmill), Colin Ord (Auchmill), Mike Duncan (Murcar Links), David Leslie (Northern), Mark Albiston (Auchmill). 81 Sandy Pirie (Hazlehead), Colin Duffus (Kemnay), Keil Beveridge (Inchmarlo). 82 John Hamilton (Murcar Links), Peter Cheyne (Northern), David Brown (Kemnay). 83 Brian Harper (Newburgh), Gordon Milne (Newburgh) 85 David Mackay (Newmachar), Manson Merchant (Newmachar), John Dalgarno (Hazlehead), Graham Allan (Newmachar). 87 Neish Chisholm (Kemnay), Ben Lumsden (Northern) 88 Norman Stewart (Northern), Chris Brindley (Banchory), Raymond Brown (Newburgh), Michael Rendall (Stonehaven), Tommy Collie (Kemnay), David McKay (Caledonian), David Bisset (Banchory), Willie Shaw (Banchory). 90 David George (Kemnay), Peter Guthrie (Peterculter). LEADING HANDICAP SCORES LATER

RECORD BREAKER PAUL LAWRIE WINS AT SKIBO

ByON

It didn't earn him any World Ranking points but Paul Lawrie produced a brilliant round of golf to win the Carnegie Invitational over the Skibo Castle links course today Paul shot a course record, seven-under-par 64 to add on to the 75 he achieved in Wednesday's gale for a three-under-par total of 139, which earned him £5,000. Lawrie had eight birdies and one bogey. He birdied the long third, the short fourth, the short ninth, the 12th, the long 14th, 16th, 17th and long 18th in halves of 32. His only bogey in a masterly round of golf came at the 10th. Paul also led his son Craig, who plays off scratch, Alan Reid (handicap 12) and Ian Jack (8) to victory in the team event with a net two-round total of 12-under-par 272. Lawrie won the main event by seven shots from Stephen Gray (Hayston) who shot 76 and 70 to win the £4,250 runners-up prize. Gray birdied the third, 14th and 17th, offset by bogeys at the first and ninth. Gordon Law (Uphall), the overnight leader with a 74, had a second-round 73 for 147 to collect third prize of £3,500. Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) had physiotherapy on his back and hip ailments and, coupled with the easing in the weather, he was able to improve by 29 shots with a 74 for 176. Even finishing second last in this richest two-day event on the Tartan Tour, with prize money of £46,859, earned McCreadie £1,850CARNEGIE INVITATIONAL Carnegie Links Skibo Castle FINAL TOTALSPar 142 (2x71) 139 Paul Lawrie (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 75 64 (£5,000) 146 Stephen Gray (Hayston) 76 70 (£4,250) 147 Gordon Law (Uphall) 74 73 (£3,500) 150 Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) 78 72 (£3,000) 151 Alan Tait (Marriott Dalmahoy) 79 71 (£2,750) 153 Neil Fenwick (Dunbar) 80 73, Scott Henderson (Kings Links) 84 69 (£2,550 each) 156 Mark King (Kingsfield) 83 73, Colin Gillies (Kingsfield) 77 79 (£2,375 each) 157 David Thomson (Carnegie Club) 79 78 (£2,300). 160 Ronan Rafferty (Roxburghe) 84 76, Kenny Hutton (Downfield) 82 78 (£2,275 each) 162 Campbell Elliott (Haggs Castle) 89 73 (£2,150). 163 Craig Ronald (Carluke) 87 76 (£2,100) 164 Jody Rostock (Carnegie Club) 87 74, Fraser Cromarty (Castle Stuart) 86 78 (£1,925 each) 176 Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) 103 74 (£1,850) 183 Jack Bailey (Carnegie Club) 101 82 (£1,800) ENDS SCORES

GOLF LEAGUE FNAL AT TRUMP INTERNATIONAL LINKS

NEWS RELEASE

Companies will be on a drive for success in the final of the DF Communications Golf League at the Trump International Golf Links.

After a summer of fierce competition, Scotia Instrumentation, Xerox UK, Paull & Williamsons, Printagraph, GCA, ConocoPhillips, McIntosh Donald, GMI Services, Nu-Style Products, Craig International Supplies, Hunting Energy Services, Knight Property Group PLC and Electro Flow Control Ltd have all reached the final.

Teams will tee-off at Donald Trump’s much-heralded course at Balmedie - described as one of the best golf courses in the world – on Wednesday, September 12 (2012).

 

The format for the day will be a combined stableford competition with players from different companies mixed into various smaller groups. Prizes will be available for 1st, 2nd and 3^rd place. The all-day event tees-off at 9:45am and will include breakfast, tea or coffee and a two-course lunch.

Craig Forsyth, sales director at mobile phones provider DF Communications, said: “It’s sure to be a great day out and I know that everyone involved is excited at the chance to play at Trump International. We’re pleased with how well the competition has gone this year in our first year as organiser and hope to build upon the tournament’s success next year.”

The league, sponsored by leading mobile phones provider DF Communications, has seen more than 30 companies from across the north-east tee-off at a variety of local courses.

Money raised from the 2012 tournament will be donated to DF Communications’ nominated charity, Marie Curie Cancer Care. This year’s winners will have the added incentive of selecting the cause to benefit from the 2013 competition.

For further information on the league, which has been running for 15 years, please visit the dedicated website http://www.golf.dfcommunications.com.

DF Communications, which won the Excellence in Customer Service honour at the 2011 Northern Star Business Awards, supports clients ranging from one-person businesses to international energy service companies requiring hundreds of mobiles phones. The company is based at 33-37 South College Street, Aberdeen, AB11 6LE. For further information visit www.dfcommunications.com.

 

CONNOR NEIL WINS P AND K MATCH-PLAY TITLE

Connor Neil thwarted Glenn Campbell's bid for the Perth and Kinross county double. He beat Blairgowrie clubmate Glenn, winner of the P and K stroke-play championship, by one hole in the final of the county match-play championship.