BON ACCORD BEAT PORTLETHEN IN VERY TIGHT MAITLAND SHIELD FINAL

              AND THE WINNERS ARE .....  BON ACCORD
Left to right: Matt Dunn, Barrie Edmond, Matt Greig and Graeme Mitchell

                            Picture by courtesy of Walter Rae

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Bon Accord, one of the eight clubs who inaugurated the City of Aberdeen foursomes for the Maitland Shield, rather appropriately won the tournament in its 100th year, sponsored by the Cults Hotel, at the Kings Links this evening.
In a squeaky tight final, watched by fair-sized galleries, Bon Accord squeezed their way past Portlethen to a one-hole overall victory in the double foursomes format.
Portlethen's lead pairing of Clark Brechin and Sam Kiloh finished one up against Barrie Edmond and Graeme Mitchell but Bon Accord's second string of Matt Greig and Matt Dunn overcame that deficit by finishing two holes up on Graeme Innes and Keith Horne.
It was Bon Accord's third Maitland Shield triumph in the past six years, having won the trophy in 2008 and again in 2011.
Portlethen missed a chance to finish two up in the first tie. They let Bon Accord, who had been out of bounds off the tee,  off the hook with a half in double-bogey 6 at the 17th after being on the apron of the green in two shots.
All square on the 18th tee, the Bon Accord pair three-putted the last green to lose by one hole.
Greig and Duncan finished strongly to win the night for Bon Accord. All square after 15, they won the short 16th with a birdie 2 and also won the 17th with a par 4 before halving the last for a two-hole victory.
+The clubs who founded the Maitland Shield tournament were Bon Accord, Caledonian, Victoria, Northern, Murcar, Royal Aberdeen, Deeside and Balnagask (now Nigg Bay).

RESULT OF FINAL
Bon Accord bt Portlethen by one hole
(B Edmond, G Mitchell 0, C Brechin, S Kiloh 1; M Greig, M Dunn 2, G Innes, K Horne 0).

                                        Portlethen's team of gallant losers in the Maitland Shield Final
                                                          Picture by Walter Rae
                               Left to right: Graeme Innes, Clark Brechin, Keith Horne and Sam Kiloh