JOHN DUFF IS ALLIANCE CHAMPION ON A TIE BREAK

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com Three putts at the 17th cost Tartan Tour No 1 Greig Hutcheon the North-east Golfers' Alliance championship at a sunny, snow-free Duff House Royal course, in tip-top condition, at Banff today. Hutcheon's bogey at the penultimate hole led to a two-over-par round of 70 after a leading 64 at Montrose last week. That dropped the Banchory tour pro to a final total of four-under-par 134, which was matched by Newmachar amateur John Duff (pictured) with a pair of 67s. Under the rules of the championship, the Uniroyal Quaich, first contested in 1935, went to Duff with his better second round the tie-breaker. Duff, after birdieng the second and the sixth, as well as a bogey at the fifth, parred his last 12 holes in halves of 33-34. Hutcheon never reproduced his sparkle from the previous week and his only birdie came at the short 11th. He bogeyed the fifth, the eighth (three putts) and the 17th in halves of 36-34. Craig Lawrie, Paul's older son, was leading the field after reaching the turn in two-under 32 with birdies at the first and third, but bogeys for the Deeside player at the 10th, 15th and 18th dropped him down to a 69 and a share of third place on 137 with Scotland amateur international Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) whose 66 was the best score of the day in the championship. TROPHY WINNERS Uniroyal Quaich (scratch aggregate) - John Duff (Newmachar) Best Amateur Trophy - Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon). Chapper's Pot (Class 1 net aggregate) - Kamran Zeynalov (Portlethen) (4) 132. Major's Pot (Class 2 net aggregate) - Stuart Thomson (Caledonian) (11) 139.   NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE CHAMPIONSHIP Round 1 - Montrose. Round 2 - Duff House Royal FINAL TOTALS Par 138 (70, 68) 134 J Duff (Newmachar) 67 67, G Hutcheon (Banchory) 64 70. 137 A Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 71 66, C Lawrie (Deeside) 68 69. 140 K Zeynalov (Portlethen) 70 70. 145 C Nelson (Mackenzie Shop) 72 73, J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen) 75 70. 149 G Paterson (Northern) 74 75, J Emslie (Royal Aberdeen) 76 73. 150 S Mackie (Auchmill) 76 74. 151 J Nicolson (Auchmill) 74 77. 152 C Carnegie (Kemnay) 74 78, D Leslie (Northern) 76 76, S Finnie (Caledonian) 70 82, J Duncan (Newburgh) 78 74. 153 K Watson (Deeside) 78 75. 155 C Cassie (Nigg Bay) 79 76 156 K Beveridge (unatt) 80 76 159 H Roulston (Stonehaven) 75 84, B Harper (Newburgh) 81 78. 160 J Hamilton (Murcar Links) 78 82, F Bisset (Banchory) 79 81, 161 M Winton (Caledonian) 79 82, M Forster (Cruden Bay) 79 82, S Thomson (Caledonian) 83 78. 162 J Borthwick (Caledonian) 85 77, L Prouse (Hazlehead) 85 77. 163 P Adams (Ballater) 82 81, A Petrie (Oldmeldrum) 84 79. 164 S Kiloh (Portlethen) 87 77 165 D Nelson (Aboyne) 87 78 166 M Duncan (Murcar Links) 82 84, E Allan (Newmachar) 87 79. 167 D Mackay (Newmachar) 82 85, A Graham (Aboyne) 80 87. 168 G Milne (Newburgh) 81 87. 171 N Chisholm (Kemnay) 85 86. 172 W Shaw (Banchory) 86 86, L Roger (Royal Aberdeen) 83 89, T Collie (Kemnay) 84 88, H McNaughton (Cruden Bay) 84 88, D Bisset (Banchory) 84 88, R Brown (Newburgh) 89 83. 173 D Fleming (Portlethen) 84 89   174 B Lumsden (Northern) 88 86, P Cheyne (Northern) 89 85, A Gall (Deeside) 85 89. 177 J Forrest (Northern) 89 88. 179 G Dillon (Kemnay) 89 90. 182 P Cornfield (Auchmill) 92 90. 184 C Brindley (Banchory) 87 97, D Wright (Northern) 91 93. 185 M Brown (Newburgh) 92 93. 191 S Dillon (Kemnay) 97 84. PRIZEWINNERS ON DUFF HOUSE ROYAL ROUND ALONE SCRATCH 66 *K Nicol (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre), A Dunton (McDonald Ellon). 67 J Duff (Newmachar). 69 C Lawrie (Deeside). 70 G Hutcheon (Banchory). *K Nicol did not play in first round of championship.    HANDICAP  Class 1  66 K Zeynalov (Portlethen) (4). 69 S Mackie (Auchmill) (5). 70 J Duncan (Newburgh) (4), J Borthwick (Craibstone) (7), Duncan Clark (Duff House Royal) (2). Class 2  67 S Thomson (Caledonian) (11).  69 A Petrie (Oldmeldrum) (10). 70 R Duncan (Royal Aberdeen) (12). 71 M Winton (Caledonian) (11), R Brown (Newburgh) (12).