ALBATROSS ACE MAKES DUNCAN'S SECOND 


NE ALLIANCE WIN A MEMORABLE ONE  

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
A hole in one at a par-4 hole - an albatross - helped Cruden Bay amateur Kevin Duncan score his second scratch win of the North-east Alliance 2014-2015 season with a memorable round of three-under-par 61 over the short winter course at Newburgh-on-Ythan Golf Club, Aberdeenshire today 

Duncan, pictured, aced  the 245yd fourth (technically a par-3 but listed as a par-4 on the scorecard) with a No 4 iron tee shot. But Kevin was no one-hit wonder. He backed up his hole in one with birdies at the 12th, 14th, 15th and 17th in halves of 32 (level) and 29 (three under) which included bogeys at the second, fifth, eighth and 13th. 
It was Duncan's fourth hole in one.
"It was 217yd to the pin so I suppose it was a par 3 but, who cares?, it was a hole in one," said Kevin who spent two years at Clayton State University, Atlanta.
He says at Ellon but is a member at Cruden Bay. He is going to the PGA EuroPro Tour Qualifying School in a month or two but is in two minds about turning professional before then.
Duncan won the £100 first prize voucher by three shots from former Aberdeen Links champion, Stewart Finnie, still an amateur but now playing out of Royal Aberdeen. Finnie had birdies at the fourth and 11th, cancelled out by bogeys at the 10th and 14th in halves of 31 and 33.
Royal Aberdeen staff pro Joel Hopwood was third with a 65.
Craibstone Golf Academy teaching pro Lee Vannet, bidding to win three weeks in a row, finished fifth with a 68.

PRIZEWINNERS
par 64
Scratch
K Duncan (Cruden Bay) 61 (£100 voucher); S Finnie (Royal Aberdeen) 64 (£80 voucher); J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen) 65 (£60); B Nicolson (Hazlehead) 67 (£40 voucher); L Vannet (Craibstone) 68  (£20).
Handicap  
amateur voucher prizes
Class 1 - D Nelson (Aboyne) (9) 61 (£50); D Fleming (Portlethen) (5) 62 (£40); D McKay (Hazlehead) (7) 64 (£30); J Nicolson (Hazlehead) (3) 65 (£20);  A Graham (Aboyne) (5) 66 (£10)
Class 2 - B Lumsden (Northern) (11) 60 (£50) ; P B Walker (Cruden Bay) (12) 62 (£40); G Thom (Kemnay) (10),  H McNaughton (Cruden Bay) (11) 63 (£25 each); N K Parker (Murcar Links) (14) 64 (£10).

SCRATCH

par 64

61 K Duncan (Cruden Bay)

64 S Finnie (Royal Aberdeen)

65 J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen) p

67 B Nicolson (Hazlehead), D Fleming (Portlethen)

68 L Vannet (Craibstone),  J Nicolson (Hazlehead)

69 R Stewart (Newburgh)

70 D Nelson (Aboyne)

71 A Graham (Aboyne), B Lumsden (Northern), T Robertson (Peterculter), Miss L Murray (Paul Lawrie GC), D Buchan (Kemnay).

72 D Mackay (Hazlehead)

73 G Thom (Kemnay), Miss K Beveridge (Aboyne), J Duncan (Newburgh), P McKenna (Paul Lawrie GC), D Leslie (Northern), G Milne (Newburgh)

74 P B Walker (Cruden Bay), H McNaughton (Cruden Bay).

75 J Scott (Portlethen) W Shaw (Banchory), C Cassie (Nigg Bay), A Campbell (Murcar Links).

76 R Masson (Auchmill), R McConnachie (Peterculter), P Low (Craibstone)

77 D McDougall (Nigg Bay) R Duncan, L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen), D McKay (Caledonian), S Thomson (Caledonian)

78 M Winton (Caledonian), N K Parker (Murcar Links)

79 S Davidson (Northern), H Roulston (Stonehaven), B Skene (Peterculter)

81 M Booth (Kemnay), D Wright (Northern)

82 D Lawrie (Aboyne), J Forrest (Northern), J Murray (Banchory)

84 M Rendall (Stonehaven)

85 R Brown (Kemnay)

86 A Benton (Kemnay)

87 G Homer (Northern), A Clark (Newmachar), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen).

88 G Mackie (Caledonian)

90 S Dillon (Kemnay).

91 M Brown (Kemnay).