STEWART PIPS McNICOLL FOR BERWICKSHIRE 

TROPHY IN EAST ALLIANCE AT EYEMOUTH
 
By ALAN GREENSHIELDS
Edinburgh and East of Scotland Alliance
Despite the weather again attempting to disrupt the East Alliance schedule, Eyemouth Golf Club yet again managed to deliver a snow- free course in very good condition to make an enjoyable day's play to the 66 members who made the trip. 
Snow was around East Lothian as players travelled down but somehow the venue on the Berwickshire coast missed the white activity, rewarding those who made the trip.
With the venue being in Berwickshire it was appropriate The Berwickshire Trophy be contested for on the day and yet again the second nine holes' play were required to produce the new name on the trophy.
Duncan J Stewart (Turnhouse) and Keir McNicoll (Gullane) were in the same group and were the two contenders for the trophy with their superb score of 71 on the par 72 course .
Duncan's birdie 4 at the last hole  secured the silverware with an inward 36 compared with Keir's 37.
Duncan and Keir shared the spoils in the scratch prizelist with their 71s and third spot was shared on 72 by Jamie Fraser (Renaissance Club) and Alan Reid (West Lothian).
Handicap prizes were closely contested. Steven Lees (Dalmahoy) with a net 72 (78 less 6) won the top prize.
 Danny Airens (Falkirk Tryst) was second with a net 73 which does not fully reflect his great play as he unfortunately incurred a four-stroke penalty for having an extra club in his bag. 
Third place went three ways on net 74 by Stuart Brown (Glencorse), James Silvestro (Musselburgh) and Jim Watson (West Lothian).
Top Trainee on the day was Nathan Free (Londniddry) on 76.
Top Senior was Jimmy Rankeillor (Baberton) net 75 (86 less 11).
The Scratch Order of Merit sees Chris Morris extend his lead but there are changes below him -
1. Chris Morris (Kingsknowe) - 522.5
2. Ryan Buckley (Royal Musselburh) - 442.5
3. Craig Gordon (Edinburh Golf Centre) - 441.0
The Handicap Order of Merit sees the top three change places -
1. Daniel Airens (Falkirk Tryst) - 134.5
2. Stuart Brown (Dunbar) - 132.5
3. Walter Forsyth (Peebles) - 125.5

 The next event is the Invitational Better Ball at Winterfield Golf Club in two weeks.
  
Alan Greenshields
Secretary/Treasurer
Edinburgh and East of Scotland Golfers' Alliance
70 Sydney Crescent
Auchterarder

+The top 50 scratch scores and top 30 handicap returns will be published on this website on Thursday evening.

NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE FINALISE AN ORDER

OF MERIT SCRATCH AND HANDICAP SYSTEM

The North-east Golfers' Alliance hierarchy have now settled on a
format for its three Order of Merit sections - Scratch (sponsored by Craibstone Golf Club's open to non-members restaurant, Brimmond Bistro) and the two Handicap sections (sponsored by self-employed teaching pro Willie McKenzie's WLM Golf company).

Joel Hopwood's system has been adopted, whereby the top 20 in each section at a weekly Alliance fixture earn points.
We will publish the Scratch

points table as it stands in tomorrow's (Thursday) Scottishgolfview.com
Handicap Class 1 table will be displayed on Friday and Handicap
Class 2 on Saturday.
All three Orders of Merit will end on the second round of the Alliance championship at Craibstone in March.

 EWEN FERGUSON LOSES LEAD IN SOUTH AFRICA 

BUT HE IS STILL IN THE MIX 

 Bearsden's Ewen Ferguson dropped out of the lead but is lying a close-up third at the halfway stage of the South African men's stroke-play championship at Port Elizabeth Golf club. Ferguson has had rounds of 65 and 71 for six-under 136. 
He has been overtaken by South Africans Luke Trocado and Rupert Kaminsky who are sharing the lead on 135.
 Ferguson stretched his overnight lead to two shots on the outward half but three bogeys in four holes on the back nine cost him the pole position.
 “My ball striking was as good as the first round, but the putter was just really streaky,” said the 18-year-old Glasgow golfer. 
“I made it look easy in the first round, but really struggled to hole them today. Still, two rounds to go, so I’m not complaining.”
 Craig Ross (Kirkhill) has had a pair of 70s for joint eighth place on 140. 
Drumoig's Connor Syme and Daniel Young (Craigie Hill) are sharing 17th place on 142. Syme repeated his opening 71 while Young slipped from a 69 to a 73. 
Scott Gibson is sharing 35tth place after roudns of 70 and 74 for 144. St Andrews' made the cut on the limit mark of 147 by adding a 73 to his first-day 74. 
The only Scot now reduced to a spectator's role - although he will probably caddie for one the Scotland squad - is Greig Marchbank (Thornhill). He missed out by four with scores of 77 and 74 for 151. 
 
LEADING HALFWAY SCORES
Par 144 (2x72) Players from S Africa unless stated
135 L Trocado 69 66; R Kaminski 68 67
136 E Ferguson (Sco) 65 71
137 U Coussaud (Fra) 66 71
138 K  Barker 69 69
139 D Naidoo 69 70; G Moynihan (Ire)  68
140 A Scholtz 73 67; J Weon Ko (Fra) 71 69; C  Ross (Sco) 70 70; F Kana 69 71; J Germishuys 69 71; Ian Snyman 68 72

SELECTED SCORES
142 C Syme (Sco) 71 71, D Young (Sco) 69 73, C Sharvin (Ire) 68 74, G Hurley (Ire) 70 71 (T17).
143 J Hume (Ire) 72 71 (T27)
144 D McElroy (Ire) 72 72, S Gibson (Sco) 70 74 (T35)
145 R Dawson (Ire) 73 72 (T46)
147 R Bridges (Ire) 78 69, B Kinsley (Sco) 74 73 (T65)

MISSED CUT (147 and better qualified)
150 J Galbraith (Ire) 81 69.
151 C Campbell (Ire) 77 74, G Marchbank (Sco) 77 74.

KENNY HUTTON IS ONLY SENIOR SCOT TO

SURVIVE THIRD-ROUND CUT ON ALGARVE

Downfield's Kenny Hutton, originally from Muir of Ord, north of Inverness, was the only Scot to survive the third-round cut in the European Senior Tour Final Qualifying School at the Pestana Golf Resort's par-71 Pinta course, Lagoa on the Algarve coastline,, writes Colin Farquharson.

Kenny, pictured, has had rounds of 78, 71 and 74 for a 10-over-par tally of 223 and is sharing 29th place behind long-time leader Ken Tarling (Canada) who had a 73 in a rising wind for five-under 208.

Only the top six players after 72 holes will gain full playing rights on the 2015 over-50s tour. That looks beyond Hutton's reach but a very good closing round could earn him a conditional card. Those finishing seventh to 14th will gain that "consolation" prize.

Alan Saddington missed the cut by three shots with a total of 228, sinking his hopes with a third-round 80 in the wind.

Meldrum House amateur Nick Robson closed with a 76 for 232 while David James (Dumfries) and Glasgow amateur Nicky Gold both totalled 234, James with a nightmare closing round of 82 and Gold a 79.

LEADING THIRD-ROUND SCORES

Par 213 (3x71)

208 K Tarling (Can) 67 68 73

210 M Atlevi (Swe) 65 72 73, G Bell (Eng) 67 73 70.

SCOTS' SCORES

223 K Hutton 78 71 74 (T29).

MISSED THE CUT (225 and better qualified)

228 A Saddington 76 72 80

232 N Robson (am) 79 77 76

234 D James 79 73 82, N Gold (am) 77 78 79.

Canadian Tarling still the darling of Q School

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Ken Tarling will take a two shot lead into the final round of the European Senior Tour Qualifying School after preserving his overnight advantage with a battling two over par round of 73 in Portugal.
The Canadian admitted it was a grind at times during the third round, with strengthening winds adding to the challenge at Pestana Resort’s Vale Da Pinta course.
Tarling dropped back to five under  par at the 36-hole mark, but did not lose his cushion at the top of the leaderboard as playing partner Magnus Persson Atlevi, of Sweden, also signed for a round of 73 to stay in second position on three under par, where he was joined by Englishman Graeme Bell, who posted a one under par round of 70.
Tarling, therefore, remains on course to secure a full card for the 2015 Senior Tour season, with the top six players all earning full playing rights. He is seven shots clear of seventh position, and the 56 year old is hoping to show similar battling qualities in the final round, as he aims to fulfil his dream of playing a full schedule in Europe.
“It was very tough today,” said Tarling. “The velocity of the wind was so strong. I struggled big time today. Yesterday I felt like I was in control throughout the day, but today I had zero control.
“So it was a very good score in the circumstances. I was grinding like crazy, but given the way I was hitting it today, perhaps it was inevitable that I was over par, so I have to be happy.
“I never felt comfortable all day, so to still be top of the leaderboard is great. I’ll need to battle hard again tomorrow. We all know anything can happen, so I’ll be grinding hard again. I’d love to be in control like I was yesterday. It would mean so much for me to get a card so I just hope I can relax tonight and come out and play well tomorrow.”
Atlevi is aiming to earn a Senior Tour card at the first attempt, 33 years after he became the youngest player in European Tour history to progress from the Qualifying School at the age of 17.
After a seven-year absence from competitive action, Atlevi is slowly re-acclimatising to the rigours of tournament golf, and the two-time European Tour runner up is relishing the challenge of trying to complete the task of clinching a full card.
“It was a battle out there,” said Atlevi. “It was tricky and difficult, but for me I felt better out on the course than yesterday. I’ve not been able to capitalise on the opportunities I’ve had compared to the first day, but the feeling is good.
“I’m getting into the groove of tournament golf again. It’s hard not to let the thoughts wander off, but the game feels solid and I have a chance.
“I feel like I’m due a good day again. Ken has not got away from me either, and we will play together again, so hopefully we can play some good golf.”
France’s Roger Sabbaros posted a two under par round of 69 to move to fourth position on two under par, one shot behind Bell and Atlevi. He is joined in the all-important top six – the places that will earn full cards for 2015 – by Englishman Gary Marks, who also signed for a round of 69 following a four under par back nine of 33, which included an eagle on the tenth hole.
Marks shares fifth position on one over par with François Lamare, the Frenchman who led the Stage One qualifiers from Silves Golf, and Australian Tim Elliott. Lamare birdied the tenth hole and bogeyed the 13th in a level par round of 71, while Elliott birdied the last hole for a round of 73.
There will be 43 players competing in the final round after the 36-hole cut fell at 12 over par 225, with the players finishing in positions seven to 14 at the conclusion of Thursday’s final round receiving conditional cards for the 2015 season.

ALL THE THIRD-ROUND SCORES
Par 213 (3x71)
208 K Tarling (Can) 67 68 73
 210 M Atlevi (Swe) 65 72 73, G Bell (Eng) 67 73 70,
 211 R Sabarros (Fra) 69 73 69,
 214 F Lamare (Fra) 71 72 71, G Marks (Eng) 75 70 69, T Elliott (Aus) 71 70 73,
 215 J Sallat (Fra) 69 72 74,
 216 M Wharton (Eng) 70 74 72, S Cipa (Eng) 72 71 73, D Westermark (Swe) 74 70 72, K Spurgeon (Eng) 74 71 71, M Bianco (Ita) 73 71 72,
 217 B Conser (USA) 72 76 69, D Wettlaufer (Can) 74 69 74, M Guzman (Arg) 73 69 75, J Harrison (Eng) 70 72 75,
 218 P Scott (Eng) 73 70 75, P Dahlberg (Swe) 76 69 73, P Martinez (Par) 74 71 73,
 219 G Joyner (Aus) 72 70 77, C Grenier (Aut) 72 73 74,
 220 J Sanchez (Mex) 73 72 75, P Parker (USA) 74 73 73, J Berendt (Arg) 74 75 71, A Macdonald (Eng) 73 69 78, S Bennett (Eng) 76 75 69,
 222 P Gresswell (Eng) 76 75 71,
 223 K Smith (Can) 75 74 74, K Hutton (Sco) 78 71 74, J Nougues (Arg) 71 72 80, K Hinton (Eng) 73 70 80, J Murphy (Eng) 73 72 78, R Fish (Eng) 70 75 78, S East (am) (Eng) 72 72 79,
 224 P Romero (Esp) 77 72 75, R Franco (Par) 76 76 72, P Dugeny (Fra) 77 73 74, G Norquist (USA) 75 77 72,
 225 S McNally (Eng) 75 69 81, Y Nilsson (Swe) 72 76 77, M Hallberg (Swe) 75 75 75, M Reynard  (Eng) 78 71 76,
 226 B James (USA) 77 73 76, D Ray (Eng) 75 78 73, A Firman (Eng) 78 69 79, D Narveson (USA) 71 77 78, J Laforce (Can) 72 78 76
 227 I Lyner (Eng) 73 75 79, J Davila (Esp) 78 73 76
 228 A Saddington (Sco) 76 72 80, L Perrins (RSA) 73 69 86,
 229 M Belsham (Eng) 77 78 74, G Milne (Eng) 76 79 74, T Cooper (am) (Eng) 77 71 81,
 230 D Pearce (Eng) 77 75 78,
 231 M Deboub (Alg) 77 79 75
 232 J Drummond (Eng) 74 81 77, N Robson (am) (Sco) 79 77 76
 233 F Grosset-Grange (Fra) 74 80 79, R Adams (Eng) 76 78 79, R Tlhabanyane (RSA) 79 74 80
 234 M McLean (Eng) 81 75 78, T Söderberg (Swe) 75 78 81, D James (Sco) 79 73 82, N Gold (am) (Sco) 77 78 79
 235 J Evans (Eng) 78 77 80, D Berry (Eng) 81 79 75
 236 J Lubieniecki (Pol) 79 77 80
 242 T Tirkkonen (am) (Fin) 80 82 80
 245 R Briars  (Eng) 82 84 79
 246 A Jarrett (Eng) 82 80 84
 ** A George (Eng) 76 76 WD, N Terry (Eng) 80 77 RT, R Roper (Eng) 79 71 WD, R Ellis (Eng) 74 73 RT, B White (Eng) 69 78 RT, A Mori (Ita) 77 82 WD
 ** C Milne (USA) 76 WD  0, K Tenmark (Swe) DQ  0 0,

VANNET FINISHES 3rd AFTER CATASTROPIC 8
 AT MONTROSE LINKS'' PAR-4 17TH 

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Without wishing to discredit the performances of Ladies European Tour rookie Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) and Peterculter amateur Tony Robertson, who finished joint first on the one-under-par 68 mark at today's North-east Alliance fixture at snow-free Montrose Links, first prize should have been won by former European Tour player and past British boys champion Lee Vannet, who is teaching pro at Craibstone

Golf Club.
The Carnoustie man, pictured,  out in 33, was three shots ahead of Murray and Robertson at that point but in the end he finished third, a shot behind the pair after running up a castrophic quadruple bogey 8 at the 17th.
Vannet, who scored back-to-back Alliance wins recently, explained: "My first tee shot at this hole was hit a little left. It turned on the wind and kicked left into a bush. My second ball bounced violently left off the fairway into the same bush.
"I lost both balls and made a par 4 with my third! I did drive the green at the par-4 18th to finish with a two-putt birdie 3 to set alongside the birdies at the 13th, 14th and 15th but I was pleased with my overall game as this was my first hit of a ball since the previous Wednesday.
"3-8-3 was an unusual finish! We took only 3hr 45min to get round in a four-ball. That's more like it. Montrose, as always, was a joy to play".
Laura Murray and reinstated amateur Robertson both  finished like trains to head a field of 49 players, many entrants calling off because of the heavy snow in an around Aberdeen overnight.
Laura birdied four of the last six holes for 32 home while Robertson birdied three of the last four, also for 32. Laura won £90 in cash, Tony an amateur prize voucher to the same value.
Robertson was also a winner at Fraserburgh on November 12 and has quite a few top-10 finishes to his credit.
The Nicolson brothers, Brian and John, played in the same fpur-ball late in the field and they both got it round in 70 to share fourth place.
TODAY'S SCRATCH SCORES
  Par 69 (34-35)
68 T Robertson (Peterculter) 36-32, Miss L Murray (Paul Lawrie GC) 36-32.
69 L Vannet (Craibstone) 33-36
70 B Nicolson (Hazlehead) 36-34, J Nicolson (Hazlehead) 34-36
71 F Bisset (Banchory) 35-36
72 H Roulston (Stonehaven) 37-35, J Douglas (Peterculter) 36-36
73 D Fleming (Portlethen) 37-36, C Duffus (Kemnay) 37-36,  B Lumsden (Northern) 35-38, S Finnie (Royal Aberdeen) 37-36.
74 D Leslie (Northern) 36-38, J Murray (Banchory) 38-36, G Allan (Newmachar)40-34
75 B Skene (Peterculter) 38-37,  B Harper (Newburgh)37-38
76 D Mackay (Hazlehead)  41-35, J Scott (Peterculter) 39-37
77 K McGillivary (Craibstone) 42-35, C Cassie (Nigg Bay) 38-39, P Morrison (Oldmeldrum) 37-40, H McNaughton (Cruden Bay) 40-37, S Mackie (Hazlehead) 39-38.
78 G Homer (Northern) 40-38, D Nelson (Aboyne)  39-39, S Shand (Kemnay) 41-37
79 A Gall (Deeside) 42-37, J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen) 43-36, D Bisset (Banchory) 40-39, D McKay (Caledonian) 39-40.
80 J Borthwick (Craibstone) 40-40, K Beveridge (Kippie Lodge) 41-39, R Brown (Kemnay) 42-38
81 I Taylor (Hazlehead), I Clark (Deeside), A Benton (Kemnay), S McNeill (Aboyne)
82 S Dillon (Kemnay)
83 D Wright (Northern), N Stewart (Northern), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen)

84 N K Parker (Murcar Links), M Brown (Kemnay)
85 J Forrest (Northern)
86 S Thompson (Caledonian), M Rendall (Stonehaven)
87 M Winton (Caledonian) 

HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS
Class 1 - H Roulston (7) 65; C Duffus (6) 67; J Scott (8) bih,

D Fleming (5) bih, J Douglas (4) 68.
Class 2 - G Allan (12) 62; B Lumsden (10) 63; J Murray (10) 64; 

B Skene (10) 65; R Brown 14) 66. 

BEST SCORECARDS

Par 69: OUT 4-4-3 4-4-4 4-3-4: 34

          IN  4-4-3 4-4-5 3-4-4: 35 

LAURA MURRAY 68

OUT 5-4-5 4-4-4 4-3-3: 36

 IN 4-4-4 3-4-4 3-3-3: 32 

TONY ROBERTSON 68

OUT  4-4-4 4-3-5 4-3-5: 36

 IN  4-4-3 4-4-4 3-3-3: 32 

LEE VANNET 69

OUT  3-4-3 4-4-4 4-3-4: 33 
 IN  4-5-3 3-3-4 3-8-3: 36

NEXT WEDNESDAY'S TEE TIMES

PROBABLY AT MURCAR LINKS 

8-15 C Cassie, P Morrison, B Harper
8-23 A Cambell, C Campbell, G Esson
8-31 J Douglas, S McNeill, A Smith
8-39 R Masson, G Leslie
8-47 H Roulston, M Rendall, L Roger
8-55

9-03 S Davidson, R Brown, M Brown
9-11 A Benton, D Townsley, N Forster
9-19 N Stewart, J Forrest
9-27 M Winton, S Thompson D. McDougall
9-35 L Duncan, K McGillivary, D Mackay
9-43 J Duff, M Smith, S Dillon
9-51 T Robertson, D Wright, B Lumsden
9-59 A Gall, L Vannet, I Clark

10-07 G McDonald, J Scott, B Skene
10-15 S Shand, K Stewart, C Angus
10-23 D Fleming, J Emslie, L Fowler
10-31 J Hopwood, K Beveridge, I Taylor
10-39 Miss K Beveridge, Miss L Murray, W Shaw
10-47 G Homer, D Leslie, H McNaughton
10-55 G Thom, D Lane, R Duncan

11-03 J Duncan, G Milne, A Graham
11-11 J Borthwick, N K Parker, D Nelson
11-19 J Murray, F Bisset, D Bisset
11-27
11-35 S Finnie, D McKay, C Duffus
11-43 M Booth
11-51
11-59 J. Nicholson S. Mackie G. Allan

Death at 92 of Charlie Sifford, trail-blazing African-American

Charlie Sifford, who broke golf's colour barrier and helped desegregate the game, died Tuesday at age 92 (from Golf Channel.com).
Sifford, who became the first black golfer inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001, and was just the third golfer, after Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom last November, suffered a bacterial infection and a stroke last week. He is pictured with the Medal.

He won twice on the US PGA Tour, but his scores on the course pale in comparison to what he did for the game. He was the first African American to receive a tour card after the PGA of America desegregated in 1961, and was known as the "Jackie Robinson of golf."
Tiger Woods has often cited Sifford as an inspiration, referring to him in a congratulatory tweet in November as "the grandpa I never had," adding, "Your past sacrifices allow me to play golf today. I'm so happy for you Charlie."
Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Sifford began caddieing at 13. As he developed as a player, he competed in tournaments organized by black golfers, who were excluded from the PGA of America. He also coached band leader Billy Eckstine.
Sifford first tried to qualify for a PGA event at the 1952 Phoenix Open, using an invitation he got from former heavyweight champion Joe Louis, an avid golfer. Sifford was the object of threats and racial harassment there and at other tournaments.
In 1957 he won the Long Beach Open, which was not an official PGA event, but was co-sponsored by the PGA. After gaining his tour card, he won the 1967 Greater Hartford Open Invitational and the 1969 Los Angeles Open. Neither win, however, procured him an invitation to the Masters, which did not invite an African American to play until Lee Elder in 1975.
Sifford's 1992 autobiography, "Just Let Me Play," written with James Gullo, revealed some of the prejudice and abuse Sifford was subjected to, on and off the course, including not being allowed to eat in many clubhouse dining rooms, not being allowed to stay in many hotels and not being allowed to play in many tournaments. And there were death threats, but despite everything, Sifford refused to back down.

Another black golfer, Walter Morgan, told Rhonda Glenn of the USGA that he tried to read Sifford's book, but became too emotional to finish it. “The stuff that he had to go through ... I couldn’t have gone through that, but thank God he did,” Morgan told Glenn. “His book is right, ‘Just Let Me Play.’ And he took it, that kind of stuff. I just don’t think I could have taken that. I really don’t.”

As a senior player, Sifford had two individual wins and six team wins. He captured the US PGA Seniors' Championship in 1975, five years before it became a Champions Tour major. He also won the 1980 Suntree Classic. He had six wins in the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf tournament, teaming with Roberto DeVicenzo to win the Legendary Division in 1988, '89 and '91, and with Joe Jimenez to win the Demaret Division in 1998-2000.