ICEMAN FITZPATRICK IS £100 NE ALLIANCE WINNER

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com  Inchmarlo Golf Centre staff professional Ryan Fitzpatrick followed up his joint victory in last week's North-east Golfers' Alliance by being the outright winner in today's  (Wed) competition at Murcar Links. On a wintry day, when the course was free of snow, the smallest field of the season - only 52 - had to endure an icy wind from the northwest and frequent sleet and rain showers. With temperatures hovering around only one or two degrees, no surprise there were 20 No Returns. Some players called it a day after only two holes, possibly because the second green is not all that far away from the clubhouse! But Fitzpatrick (pictured) seems to relish playing in Arctic conditions. He matched the par of 71 despite dropping shots at the sixth and seventh and turning in two-over 38. He came storming home in a bogey-free, two-under 33 to earn the £100 first prize. Newmachar +1 amateur John Duff was a creditable runner-up with a 72 despite a pair of double bogey 6s. The first came at the sixth after he had birdied the first, fourth and fifth on his way to the turn in one-under 35. The second 6 came at the 10th, followed by a bogey at the 11th. Duff stuck to his task and covered the last seven holes in one under with birdies at the 14th and 17th, a bogey at the 15th costing him a share of the spoils with Fitzpatrick. Joint third on 76 were Carnoustie Golf Links professional Lee Vannet and Paul Lawrie's son Craig who had contrasting halves of 44 (eight over) and 32 (three under). Craig's outward half included a triple bogey 7 at the seventh after starting with five straight bogeys and also bogeyed the eight in a birdie-free outward half. But Young Lawrie demonstrated his scratch capabilities by coming home in the best inward nine of the day (32) with six pars and birdies at the 14th, 16th and 18th. Some tales of woe (and there were many!):  Stewart Finnie's 79 included a 9 at the par-5 14th. Colin Nelson had back-to-back triple bogey 7s at the eighth and ninth. For Colin it was the proverbial "game of two halves" - out in 45, back in 35. SCOREBOARD SCRATCH Par 71 Yardage 6,516 71 R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo) 72 J Duff (Newmachar). 76 L Vannet (Carnoustie GL), C Lawrie (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 77 C Trahan (Meldrum House). 79 S Finnie (Caledonian). 80 C Nelson (Mackenzie Shop), B Mitchell (McDonald Ellon). 82 C Cassie (Nigg Bay), J Emslie (Royal Aberdeen), E Kennedy (Newmachar). 83 M Merchant (Newmachar), H Roulston (Stonehaven), S Kiloh (Portlethen). 84 Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre), D Leslie (Northern). 85 J Duncan (Newburgh), G Milne (Newburgh). 86 L Roger (Royal Aberdeen), D Fleming (Portlethen). 87 R Brown (Newburgh). 89 B Lumsden (Northern), A Rodger (Fraserburgh), M Duncan (Murcar Links). 91 K Zeynalov (Portlethen), M Winton (Caledonian). 92 M Rogers (Kemnay). 95 J Forrest (Northern). 97 G Homer (Northern). 99 S Thomson (Caledonian), D Bisset (Banchory), D Mackay (Newmachar). HANDICAP Class 1 - M Merchant (Newmachar) (7), H Roulston (Stonehaven) (7), C Cassie (Nigg Bay) (6) 76; B Mitchell (McDonald Ellon) (3) 77; S Finnie (Caledonian) (1) 78 Class 2 - R Brown (Newburgh) (13) 74; B Lumsden (Northern) (14), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen) (11) 75;  M Rogers (Kemnay) (15) 77; M Winton (Caledonian) (12) 79.  MURCAR LINKS SCORECARD  Par 71 OUT - 4-4-4-5-3-4-4-4-4 = 36    IN -  4-4-3-4-5-4-3-4-4 = 35  TODAY'S BEST CARDS RYAN FITZPATRICK 71 OUT: 4-4-4--5-3-5-5-4-4 = 38     IN: 4-4-3-3-4-4-3-4-4 = 33 JOHN DUFF 72 OUT: 3-4-4-4-2-6-4-4-4 = 35    IN: 6-5-3-4-4-5-3-3-4 = 37    CRAIG LAWRIE 76 OUT: 5-5-5-6-3-4-7-5-4 = 44    IN: 4-4-3-4-4-4-2-4-3 = 32  LEE VANNET 76 OUT: 5-4-3-4-4-6-5-5-5 = 41    IN: 4-4-4-4-4-5-3-4-3 = 35