THAT'S MORE LIKE IT, PHILIP! McLEAN WINS NE ALLIANCE WITH A 58 AT INVERALLOCHY

                           PHILIP McLEAN ... Had to turn down trip to Tunisia prize
               
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com 
This could be the year when Philip McLean's tour pro career takes off.
So far it has hardly got off the ground but the Peterhead man could be about to change all that in 2013.
McLean recovered his best form in time for the forthcoming start of the EPD Tour with an impressive five-under-par 58 to win the first prize of £100 in today's North-east Alliance fixture over Inverallochy Golf Club's short winter course.
McLean, playing out of the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre, had bogey-free halves of one-under 31 and four-under 27 as he birdied the fourth, 11th, 15th, 16th and 18th.
As an amateur the Buchan man won a Scotland cap and such prestigious open events as the Leven Gold Medal Edward Trophy.
McLean's tour schedule cost him the bonus prize to the leading professional of a free trip to the inaugural Tunisia Golf Festival from February 9 to 16.
With other leading pros also otherwise engaged, Colin Nelson's 65 put him in the frame. It was such a shock to the manager of the Mackenzie Shop at Hazlehead that it was Thursday evening before he could work out if he would be able or not to go to Tunisia.
Regrettably, Colin had to say "No" when he added up the pros and cons of leaving his shop business for a week.
Lee Vannet (Carnoustie), who had a 66, is next in the pros' pecking order for the prize which the R and A ruled was worth more than the amateur status limit of £500.
Lee will sleep on it tonight and give his decision on Thursday.
Paul Lawrie's teenage son Craig, playing out of the Deeside club where his father is an honorary member, produced his best Alliance performance to finish as the leading amateur and runner-up overall in a field of 77.
Craig shot a level par 63 (31-32) over the short but tricky lay-out with birdies at the fourth, 11th and 16th. He had bogeys at the 12th, 15th and 17th. Craig is having a year out on the amateur circuit before starting PGA Training at the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre.
Three handicap McDonald Ellon amateur Bruce Mitchell had an excellent score of 64 gross to share third place overall with David Law.
Full marks to Gary Homer for figuring on the Class 2 handicap prizelist with a net 64 - after reversing his car over his caddie car BEFORE he went out.
"Somebody suggested that the nose of the car was sticking out after I had parked so I reversed it ... forgetting that I had taken by caddie car out of the boot and it was right behind men," said the Northern member.
"No wonder I took 43 shots to the turn but the shock had worn off by the turn and I came home in 33 for a 76. That's golf!"
   
LEADING SCRATCH
Par 63 (32-31) SSS 64
58 P McLean (Paul Lawrie GC) 31-27.
63 C Lawrie (Deeside) 31-32
64 D Law (Paul Lawrie GC) 33-31, B Mitchell (McDonald Ellon) 32-32
65 C Nelson (Mackenzie Shop) 34-31, K Nicol (Paul Lawrie GC) 33-32 , D C Clark (Duff House Royal) 32-33.
66 L Vannet (Carnoustie) 34-32, S Finnie (Caledonian) 36-30, J Duff (Newmachar) 33-33.
67 Sean Lawrie (Portlethen) 34-33, D Fleming (Portlethen) 34-33, I Bratton (Newburgh) 32-35, J Wilson (Newmachar) 35-32, J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen) 32-35, C Dempster (Inchmarlo) 34-33, R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo) 36-31.
68 D Leslie (Northern) 37-31, K Duncan (McDonald Ellon) 38-30.
69 M Forster (Cruden Bay) 37-32, G Milne (Newburgh) 36-33, J Emslie (Royal Aberdeen) 34-34.
70 K Zeynlove (Portlethen) 36-34, L Prouse (Hazlehead) 36-34.
71 R O'Donnell (Oldmeldrum) 38-33
72 K Beveridge (Inchmarlo) 39-33, C Cassie (Nigg Bay) 36-36, K Watson (Deeside) 38-34.
74 Steve Lawrie (Portlethen) 35-39, W Skene (Deeside) 36-38, E Allan (Inchmarlo) 37-37, L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen) 38-36.
75 J Jessiman (Oldmeldrum) 40-35, H Roulston (Stonehaven) 38-37, M Merchant (Newmachar) 38-37, R Brown (Newburgh) 42-33
76 G Homer (Northern) 43-33, B Lumsden (Northern) 38-38, A Campbell (Deeside) 39-33.
77 M Booth (Kemnay) 40-37, G Allan (Auchmill) 38-39
78 N K Parker (Murcar Links) 40-38, M Winton (Caledonian) 42-36, D McKay (Caledonian) 39-39, D Bisset (Banchory) 41-37, J Murray (Banchory) 40-38, L Roger (Royal Aberdeen) 38-40, R Duncan (Royal Aberdeen) 38-40, J Forrest (Northern) 39-39, P Adams (Royal Aberdeen) 41-37.
79 H McNaughton (Cruden Bay) 40-39, S Davidson (Northern) 42-37
80 P Cornfield (Auchmill) 43-37
81 W Shaw (Banchory) 37-44, M Smith (Inverurie) 44-37, A Gall (Deeside) 43-38
82 D Randall (Banchory) 42-40, J Borthwick (Craibstone) 39-43, M Rendall (Stonehaven) 40-42.
83 D Wright (Northern) 47-36.
84 M Brown (Newburgh) 45-39
86 I Grant (Huntly) 49-37
87 G Thom (Murcar Links).
88 P Leech (Oldmeldrum) 45-43
89 D Lawrie (Inchmarlo) 49-40
92 E Adams (Ballater) 47-45.

HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS
Class 1 - M Forster (Cruden Bay) (7), D Fleming (Portlethen) (5) 62; G Milne (Newburgh) (6), D C Clark (Duff House Royal) (2) 63; D Leslie (Northern) (4) 64.
Class 2 - J Jessiman (Oldmeldrum) (14) 61; R Brown (Newburgh) (13) 62;  B Lumsden (Northern) (13) 63; N K Parker (Murcar Links) (14), G  Homer (Northern) (12) 64

INVERALLOCHY PAR SCORECARD
OUT: 3-3-4-4-3-4-4-4-3 = 32
    IN: 3-4-3-3-4-4-4-3-3 = 31

BEST SCORECARDS

PHILIP McLEAN 58 (-5)
OUT: 3-3-4-3-3-4-4-4-3 = 31
   IN: 3-3-3-3-4-3-3-3-2 = 27    

CRAIG LAWRIE 63
OUT: 3-3-4-3-3-4-4-4-3 = 31
   IN: 3-3-4-3-4-5-3-4-3 = 32  

DAVID LAW 64
OUT: 3-3-4-3-3-6-3-5-3 = 33
   IN: 3-3-3-4-4-6-3-3-2 = 31  

BRUCE MITCHELL 64
OUT: 3-3-4-4-3-4-4-4-3 = 32
   IN: 3-4-3-2-5-3-4-4-4 = 32   

COLIN NELSON 65
OUT: 4-2-4-4-2-5-4-5-4 = 34
    IN: 4-4-4-3-4-3-3-3-3 = 31   

KRIS NICOL 65
OUT: 3-3-4-4-4-4-3-4-4 = 33
   IN:  4-3-4-3-4-3-4-3-4 =  32

+The publication of the tee times for next Wednesday at Peterhead will be delayed until joint secretary Dave Wilson has spent a day in bed, trying to shake off the flu-type symptoms through which he battled to run today's affairs at Inverallochy. Mind you, he has probably infected the rest of us!