THREE TIE FOR VICTORY ON SIX-UNDER 66

EIGHT BIRDIES BUT BOGEY 6 AT LAST 

COSTS JOHN DUFF OUTRIGHT WIN

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Newmachar amateur John Duff crammed eight birdies into his round of six-under-par 66 at today's North-east Alliance at a sometimes wet Newburgh-on-Ythan but a bogey 6 at the very last hole cost him outright victory.

Instead, John, pictured, who would contemplate turning pro if he could find a sponsor, had to share the honours at the head of a field of 92  with Paul Lawrie (Carnegie Club) and Northern Open champion David Law (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre).
Duff had halves of 34 and 32. He birdied the first, bogeyed the second and then covered his next 15 holes in seven under par with birdies at the fifth seventh, 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th. 
In-form Lawrie, playing out of Skibo Castle's Carnegie Club, made it four wins in five starts on the North-east Alliance this season
Paul shot seven birdies in halves of 35-31. He had one bogey, at the sixth, but his inward half was a best of the day 31 with birdies at the 12th, 13th, 14th, 16th and 18th.
Law did it the reverse way to Lawrie, romping to the turn in five-under 31 and coming home in 35.  His outward birdies came at the third, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth.
A double bogey 6 at the 11th ruined Law's inward half and cost him outright victory although he did well to recover and birdie the 13th, 14th and 15th.
The pros won £110 each while Duff received an amateur prize voucher for a similar value.
They finished five shots ahead of fourth placed Royal Aberdeen staff pro Joel Hopwood (35-36) who earned £60 for his 71.
A pat on the back for Aboyne youngster Kimberley Beveridge who achieved her first top 10 finish at an NE Alliance meeting with a gross round of two-over-par 74.
The first half of the NE Alliance season ends at Buckpool next Wednesday, after which their is a break until January 7 at Inverallochy.

ALL THE SCRATCH SCORES
Par 72. Field of 92 players.
66 D Law (Paul Lawrie GC) 31-35, P Lawrie (Carnegie Club) 35-31, John Duff (Newmachar) 34-32
71 J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen) 35-36
73 B Ritchie (Newmachar) 35-38, J Nicolson (Hazlehead)
74 C Campbell (Trump International), C Brechin (Portlethen), Kimberley Beveridge (Aboyne).
75 A Campbell (Murcar Links), G Esson (McDonald Ellon), C Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC), L Vannet (Craibstone). T Robertson (Peterculter), S Finnie (Caledonian)
77 Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie GC), N Foster (Peterculter).J Duncan (Newburgh)
78 S Kiloh (Paul Lawrie GC), G Craig (Aboyne), D Mackay (Hazlehead). D Craigie (Peterculter), B Fyfe (Paul Lawrie GC), R Davidson (Caledonian).
79 C Carnegie (Kemnay), B Harper (Newburgh), T Dingwall (Kemnay), C Cheyne (Newmachar), M Forster (Cruden Bay).
80 J Douglas (Portlethen), P McKenna (Paul Lawrie GC), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen), G Milne (Newburgh).
81 A Gall (Deeside), S Mackie (Hazlehead)
82 D Fleming (Portlethen), S Allison (Caledonian)
83 H Roulston (Stonehaven), D Lane (Deeside), M Duncan (Murcar Links).
84 D Wright (Northern), K Stewart (Kemnay), D McKay (Caledonian).
85 R Masson (Auchmill), A Benton (Kemnay).
86 P Morrison (Oldmeldrum), J Scott (Peterculter), D Bisset (Banchory).
88 B Lumsden (Northern), S Shand (Kemnay)
89 C Cassie (Nigg Bay), G Leslie (Newburgh), B Skene (Peterculter), H McNaughton (Cruden Bay)
90 K Zeynalov (Paul Lawrie GC), M Rendall (Stonehaven), A Graham (Aboyne)
94 D Lawrie (Aboyne)
95 L Duncan (Craibstone), N Stewart (Northern), M Booth (Caledonian).
100 G Dillon (Oldmeldrum)
101 R Brown (Kemnay)
PRIZELIST
SCRATCH
66 D Law (£110), P Lawrie (£110), John Duff (£110 voucher)
71 J Hopwood (£60)
73 B Ritchie (£40 voucher)
HANDICAP
Class 1 - J Nicolson (3) 70; M Forster (8), D Mackay (7) 71; N Foster (5), R Davidson (6) 72.
Class 2 - D Craigie (12) 66; L Roger (10) 70; A Benton (14) 71; R Masson (11) 74.

BEST SCORECARDS
Par: 435 434 445:36 444 444 345: 36

JOHN DUFF 66
Birdies (eight): 1-5-7-10-12-13-14-15
Bogeys (two): 2-18

PAUL LAWRIE 66
Birdies (seven): 3-9-12-13-14-16-18
Bogeys (one): 6

DAVID LAW 66
Birdies (eight): 3-6-7-8-9-13-14-15
Double bogey (one): 11

+SEE THE UPDATED Scottishgolfview.com Order of Merit
table on this website tomorrow.