JOEL HOPWOOD BATTLES BROCH WIND

TO WIN NE ALLIANCE WITH 73 (three over)

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Joel Hopwood, pictured, on the professional staff at Royal Aberdeen, had just about everything on his three-over-par 73 scorecard as he gave a battling performance at windswept Fraserburgh to score a second win on the North-east Golfers' Alliance this season (he shared first place with Greig Hutcheon at Cruden Bay on November 5).

Hopwood had an eagle 3 downwind at the sixth and birdies at the first, seventh, eighth and 10th in halves of 35 (level par) and 38 (three over)
But he was also blown astray to run up a triple bogey 7 at the ninth. Hopwood also had six bogeys, four of them over the last eight holes by which time the wind was almost gale-force.
The Balgownie man headed a field of only 50 - the bad-weather forecast persuaded many entrants to stay at home - by one stroke from former professonal, Tony Robertson, now an amateur member of Peterculter Golf Club. He had three birdies in halves of 35-39.

Two more amateurs, John Duff (Newmachar) and David Leslie (Northern) shared third place on 75, both with halves of 36-39.

It was a day for the Jolly Rogers!

Zander Roger from Fraserburgh won the Handicap Class 1 with a net 72 off eight (with a better inward half than Oldmeldrum's P Morrison, playing off five.

And Leslie Roger (Royal Aberdeen) headed the Class 2 returns with a 71 off 10.

SCRATCH SCORES
Par 70
73 J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen)
74 T Robertson (Peterculter)
75 J Duff (Newmachar), D Leslie (Northern)
77 P Morrison (Oldmeldrum), A Campbell (Murcar Links)
78 A Smith (Turriff), A Gall (Deeside), D Buchan (Kemnay).
79 R McConnachie (Peterculter), K Beveridge (Kippie Lodge)
80 C Cassie (Nigg Bay), A Roger (Fraserburgh), G Milne (Newburgh), J Borthwick (Craibstone)
81 L Roger (Royal Aberdeen), D Mackay (Hazlehead), S Shand (Kemnay), S Finnie (Royal Aberdeen)
82 G Leslie (Newburgh), D Fleming (Portlethen)
83 B Lumsden (Northern), J Scott (Peterculter), F Bisset (Banchory)
84 K McGillivary (Craibstone), Miss K Beveridge (Aboyne), W Shaw (Banchory), D McKay (Caledonian)
85 A Graham (Aboyne)
86 B Harper (Newburgh)
87 M Smith (Newmachar), D Nelson (Aboyne).
88 R Masson (Auchmill) 
89 M Winton (Caledonian), J Murray (Banchory)
90 M Rendall (Stonehaven), N K Parker (Murcar Links)
94 M Brown (Kemnay), D Wright (Northern), B Skene (Peterculter).
95 A Benton (Kemnay), S Dillon (Kemnay)
96 R Brown (Kemnay)
HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS
Class 1 - A Roger (8) bih, P Morrison (5) 72; C Cassie (7) bih, S Shand (8) 73; A Gall (4) 74 bih.
Class 2 - L Roger (10) 71; G Leslie (10) 72; M Smith (14) bih , B Lumsden (Northern) 73; M Brown (18) 76.