DUFF BEATS STRONG FIELD OF PROFESSIONALS TO WIN NE ALLIANCE AT MONTROSE

Before the rains came: On the first tee at Montrose (left to right) Sean Lawrie, Paul Lawrie, Billy Fyfe and Steve Lawrie. Paul and Steve are brothers. Sean is Steve's son. Billy Fyfe is a coach at the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre. Picture by courtesy of the Montrose Links secretariat

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Newmachar's John Duff, lived up to his +2 handicap, in beating a strong contingent of professionals, including Paul Lawrie, in a field of 98 to win the North-east Alliance at Montrose Links today (W

On a day of mixed weather, only two players broke 70 - Duff with a very good effort of two-under-par 67 and another amateur, Greg Watson (Meldrum House) with a 69.

Duff, who finished his round in the early afternoon, would be the first to admit he scored weather-wise. The later starters had to endure lashing rain and plummeting temperatures.

"That's the coldest and wettest I have ever been on a golf course." said late finisher Paul Lawrie whose 70 earned him £70 and a share of third place with Turriff four-handicapper Albert Smith, former British boys champion Jordan Findlay (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) and Fraserburgh +2 amateur Justin Duff.
John Duff, who earned a £150 voucher, highlighted his card with an eagle 2 at the 14th and birdies at the fourth, 12th and 17th in halves of 31 (three under par) and 36 (one over).

Duff had probably played more rounds over the Montrose Links this year when he figured prominently in the Montrose 5-day Open earlier in the season after one or two practice rounds. 

Watson, who earned a £120 voucher,  had two birdie 2s in an inward half of 34.

Paul Lawrie had four birdies- but he had double bogey 6s at the ninth and 13th in halves of 35.

Justin Duff's 70 was made up of 17 par figures plus a bogey 4 at the 16th. 
Albert Smith, who won the Class 1 leading handicap prize with a net 66 off four had gross birdies at the 12th, 13th and 15th
One thing all the players agreed on, whether they scored well or badly, was the fact that the Montrose Links were in first-class condition, particularly the greens. 
+There were six players with Lawrie as a surname in today's field - Paul and son Craig, Paul's older brother Steve and his son Sean plus Brian Lawrie (Newmachar) and Don Lawrie (Aboyne) who are unrelated. 

SCRATCH SCOREBOARD

Par 69 (34-35) Yardage 5,566

67 John Duff (Newmachar) 31-36

69 G Watson (Meldrum House) 35-34

70 A J Smith (Turriff) 35-35, Justin Duff (Fraserburgh) 34-36, J Findlay (Paul Lawrie GC) 32-38, P Lawrie (Carnegie Links) 35-35.

71 C Lamb (Newmachar) 34-37, K Nicol (Paul Lawrie GC) 33-38

72 A Gall (Deeside) 37-35, C Dempster (Paul Lawrie GC) 36-36, K Shanks (Elie) 34-38

73 J Emslie (Royal Aberdeen) 34-39, J Duncan (Newburgh) 37-36, P McLean (Paul Lawrie GC) 37-36,  B Fyfe (Paul Lawrie GC) 37-36, C Law (Kings Links) 37-36.

74 J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen) 37-37, K Duncan (Cruden Bay) 33-41, C Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC) 39-35

75 L Vannet (Carnoustie Links) 36-39, N Young (Insch) 38-37, F Bisset (Banchory) 36-37, S Finnie (Caledonian) 37-38

76 K Zeynalov (Paul Lawrie GC) 39-37, M Merchant (Newmachar) 35-41, R Lamb (Newmachar) 38-38, R Masson (Auchmill) 36-40, J Pryde (Deeside) 38-38, D Leslie (Northern) 37-39, J W Johnston (Royal Aberdeen) 38-38.

77 S Kiloh (Portlethen) 39-38, J Murray (Banchory) 38-39, W Skene (Deeside) 41-36, C Grant (Portlethen) 41-36

78 H Roulston (Stonehaven) 39-39, G Paterson (Northern) 39-39, C Cassie (Nigg Bay) 37-41, P Cheyne (Northern) 38-40, G Joss (Royal Aberdeen) 39-39, D Bisset (Banchory) 39-39.

79 G Dillon (Kemnay) 38-41, J M Hamilton (Murcar Links) 39-40, M Duncan (Murcar Links) 39-40, D Laing (Deeside) 39-40.

80 I Clark (Deeside) 42-38, N Chisholm (Kemnay) 40-40, Sean Lawrie (Portlethen) 41-39, S Mackie (Auchmill) 36-44

81 K Beveridge (Kippie Lodge) 41-40, D McDougall (Nigg Bay) 43-38, I Esslemont (Cruden Bay) 44-37

82 C Adam (Aboyne) 43-39, D Fleming (Portlethen) 40-42, G Homer (Northern) 39-43, A Petrie (Oldmeldrum) 39-43

83 L Roger (Royal Aberdeen) 37-46, M Winton (Caledonian) 43-40, G Milne (Newburgh) 41-42, P Craig (Kintore) 42-41, D Nelson (Aboyne) 41-42

84 B Lumsden (Northern) 39-45, P Anderson (Deeside) 41-43, M Smith (Inverurie) 41-43, W Shaw (Banchory) 41-43, A Graham (Aboyne) 38-47

85 L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen) 41-44
86 J Scott (Peterculter) 39-47, R Orr (Kemnay) 46-40

87 S Thomson (Caledonian) 37-50, H McNaughton (Cruden Bay) 45-42.
88 M Booth (Kemnay) 42-46.
89 B Lawrie (Kemnay) 44-45

90 C Redman (Banchory) 44-46, T Collie (Kemnay) 48-42, G Allan (Newburgh) 43-47

91 Steve Lawrie (Portlethen) 49-42, P Cornfield (Auchmill) 46-45.
93 D Wright (Northern) 45-48

94 R Brown (Newburgh) 44-50

95 D Lawrie (Aboyne) 49-46

96 P Leech (Oldmeldrum) 47-49, M Rendall (Stonehaven) 46-50, S Davidson (Northern) 51-45

97 I Grant (Fyvie) 45-52
99 M Harling (Banchory) 50-50, G McDonald (Auchmill) 53-46
100 R Buchan (Northern) 49-51, C Duncan (Auchmill) 52-48

LEADING HANDICAP
Class 1 - A J Smith (Turriff) (4) 66; A Gall (Deeside) (5) 67; J Duncan (Newburgh) (5) (bih), J Murray (Banchory) (9) 68; P Cheyne (Northern) (9) 69.
Class 2 - B Masson (Auchmill) (10) 66; D Bisset (Banchory) (11) 67; D Laing (Deeside) (11) 68; N Chisholm (Kemnay) (11) 69; C Adam (Aboyne) (12) 70 (bih).

MONTROSE LINKS WINTER PAR - 69
OUT:  4-4-3-4-4-4-4-3-4: 34  IN: 4-4-3-4-4-5-3-4-4: 35

BEST FIGURES TODAY

JOHN DUFF 67
OUT: 4-4-3-3-2-5-3-3-4: 31  IN: 5-4-3-3-4-5-4-3-5: 36

GREG WATSON 69
OUT: 4-5-3-4-4-5-3-3-4: 35  IN: 5-4-2-4-4-5-2-4-4: 34

JUSTIN DUFF 70
OUT: 4-4-3- 4-4-4-4-3-4: 34  IN: 4-4-3-4-4-5-4-4-4: 36

JORDAN FINDLAY 70
OUT: 4-4-3-3-4-4-2-3-5: 32  IN: 5-4-3-5-5-5-2-4-5: 38

PAUL LAWRIE 70
OUT: 5-3-3-4-3-5-3-3-6: 35  IN: 3-4-3-6-4-4-3-4-4: 35