ERIC BROWN ONLY MAN TO WIN TITLE THREE YEARS IN ROW

BYRNE GETS A HOLE IN ONE BUT ODDS

ARE AGAINST NORTHERN OPEN TREBLE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@Scottishgolfview.com

Banchory's James Byrne has had a disappointing 12 months  since he won the Northern Open for the second year in a row at Meldrum House last year/

But is his luck changing? In today's  curtain-raising Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Northern Open pro-am at Murcar Links, Byrne had a hole in one at the fifth.

Unfortunately, it did not help his team in the pro-am. They finished last of 19 with a best-ball net score of 70 - 12 shots behind home course pro Gary Forbes who piloted the Murcar 1 team of Alan Johnston (handicap 18), Mike Lornie (6) and Kenny Gunneson (2) to victory by two shots.

History is against Byrne completing a hat-trick of Northern Open wins after the third and fourth rounds on Thursday. This is the 78th staging of the event and only one man has ever  pulled off three wins in a row - the late and legendary Eric Brown (pictured below) in 1953-54-55.

It might be some encouragement to Byrne that the "Brown Bomber" completed the hat-trick over the Murcar links.

One man with a soft spot for the course must be Steven O'Hara who won the Scottish boys championship there in 1998. And Steven must be playing reasonably well as he partnered the Hunting 1 team to second place in the pro-am with a net 60. His team-mates were Gary Wright (8), Kevin Masson (18) and David Read (4).

O'Hara, pictured left, now Director of Golf at Mouse Valley GC, is more experienced at a higher level than the majority of the field who tee off in the 72-hole event on Tuesday morning.

But it's been a while since he found himself in the winner's enclosure. Murcar would be an appropriate place for him to get back on track.

Neil Fenwick (Dunbar) led the Intermoor team of Alan Morrison (14), David McGinley (17) and Mark Prentice (14) to third place in the pro-am with a net 61.

Forbes, O'Hara and Fenwick each won £100 for their efforts.
Individual pro scores were not record but their team best ball totals give you some indication of how they played today:
58 Gary Forbes
60 Steven O'Hara
61 Neil Fenwick
62 Greg McBain
63 Gareth Wright, Stephen Gray.
64 David Orr
66 Paul Lawrie, Kenneth Hutton, Stephen McAllister, Greig Hutcheon
67 Craig Lawrie, Brian Marchbank, Malcolm Isaacs
68 Graham Fox, David Law, Chris Kelly, Scott Henderson.
70 James Byrne.

So who is favourite for the title and four-figure first prize in this year's Northern Open?

Probably Greig Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre), the 2010 winner who has topped the PGA in Scotland Order of Merit and money tables for the past two years

He is simply the most consistent player north of the border year in, year out.

The Bookless Cup goes to the leading amateur and it looks a fairly open contest to be the man to follow in the footsteps of last year's winner, Jamie Savage (Cawder), recent winner of the Irish open amateur stroke-play title.
+The leading 36 players and ties after Wednesday's second round will play the final two rounds on Thursday.

TUESDAY TEE TIMES

8.00 James Byrne (Banchory), Kenneth Hutton (Downfield), Gary Forbes (Murcar Links).

8.09 Fraser Clarke (Newmachar), Reece Mitchell (Paul Lawrie GC), Michael Mackenzie (Edzell). 
8.18 Brian Mason (Callaway Golf), Malcolm Isaacs (Newmachar), Scott Henderson (Kings Links).
8.26 Iain Donaldson (Meldrum House), Rodger Clarke (Gamola Golf), Alan Stuart (Paul Lawrie GC). 
8.36 Anthony Bews (Murcar Links) (am), Stuart Morrison (Tain), Ross McConnachie (Peterculter).
8.45 Michael McAllan (Elgin), Lee Vannet (Craibstone), Corin Stewart (Murcar Links (am)
8.54 Stephen Craig (Craig Golf 79), Sam Kiloh (Paul Lawrie GC), John Duff (Newmachar) (am).

9.03 Louis Gaughan (Bathgate), Craig Ronald (Carluke), Terry Mathieson (Murcar Links).
9.12 Neil Cameron (Blairgowrie), David Laing (Craigielaw), Christopher Billows (Gleneagles)
9.21 Gary Lister (Alness), Paul Betty (Hamilton), Craig Armstrong (Burntisland).

9.30 Craig Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC), Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf), Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle).

9.48 Christopher Currie (Caldwell), Stephen Gray (Hayston), Steven O'Hara (Mouse Valley)
9.57 Paul Jamieson (Dunblane New), Gareth Hardy (Belleisle), Christopher McMaster (Panmure).
10.06 Oliver Huish (North Berwick), Alistair Brown (Archerfield Links), Greg Paxton (Ralston)
10.15 Anthony Mackrell (Playsport Golf), Matthew Burt (Helensburgh), Ryan Buckley (Royal Musselburgh).

10.24 Paul O'Hara (Clydeway Golf), David Law (Paul Lawrie GC), Neil Fenwick (Dunbar).
10.42 Colin Robinson (Elie Sports Centre), Ross Noon (Craigielaw) (am), Christopher Campbell (Trump International).
10.51 Alan Holbrook (Murcar Links) (am), Craig Dempster (Paul Lawrie GC), Scott Herald (Mearns Castle).
11.00 Graeme Brown (Montrose Links), Paul Robinson (Largs), Fraser Mann (Carnoustie GC).
11.09 Ron Walker (Lundin), Tom Dingwall (Kemnay), David Broadfoot (Kirkcudbright)
11.18 Stephen McAllister (Stephen McAllister Golf), James McKinnon (Irvine), Keri McNicoll (Gullane)

11.27 Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs), Andrew Crerar (Panmure), Greig Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie GC).
11.36 Norman Huguet (Musselburgh), Grant Smith (Gleneagles), Paul Brookes (Pitreavie).
11.45 Alan Reid (West Lothian), Lindsay Mann (unatt), Craig Gordon (Edinburgh GC).

11.54 Gareth Wright (West Linton), Andrew Oldcorn (Kings Acre), Chris Kelly (Cawder).
12.03 Ross Leeds (Turnberry Hotel), Craig Everett (Caldwell), Nick Robson (Meldrum House) (am)
12.12 Stewart Savage (Dalmuir), Kevin Moran (Balbirnie Park), Craig Haugh (Cawder). 
12.21 Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), David Patrick (Kingsfield), Christopher Robinson (Portpatrick Dunskey).

12.30 Brian Marchbank (unatt), Greig McBain (Paul Lawrie GC), Mark Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy).
12.39 Patrick Walker (Ballumbie Castle), Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle), Craig Sutherland (Cherry Lodge).

12.48 David Orr (Mearns Castle), Paul Wardell (Whitekirk), Mark Hillson (Tandridge).
12.57 James McGhee (Bishopbriggs), Calum Lawson (Wellsgreen), Jonathan Sharp (Carrick on Loch Lomond).
1.06 Kevin McNiven (Gleneagles), Iain Stoddart (Uphall), Christopher Boyle (Lanark). 
1.15 Andrew Cooper (Newmachar), Kamran Zeynalov (Paul Lawrie GC), Robert King (Carrick on Loch Lomond).

EARLY ROUND 2 STARTERS WEDNESDAY
8.00 ColinRobinson (Elie SC), Ross Noon (am).
8.09 Alan Holbrook (Murcar Links) (am), Craig Dempster (Paul Lawrie GC), Scott Herald (Mearns Castle).

8.18 Graeme Brown (Montrose Links), Paul Robinson (Largs), Fraser Mann (Carnoustie GC).

8.27 Ron Walker (Lundin), Tom Dingwall (Kemnay), Alan Stuart (Paul Lawrie GC).