Third Ayrshire Winter Golf Association victory

GRAHAM FOX WINS  AT WET AND 

WINDY PRESTWICK

Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf) scored his third win of the Ayrshire Winter Golf Association season with a one-over-par 72 in very wet and windy conditions at Old Prestwick today (Wed).
He was out in 34 with three birdies and two bogeys and home in 38 with two birdies and four bogeys.
Hayston's Stephen Gray and Ian Redford (St Andrews New) finished joint second, a shot behind on 73.
The first three finished well clear of the remainder of the professional field.
John Lappin (Troon Portland) won the amateurs' J R Mackay Trophy with a net 74 off six of a handicap.
LEADING PRO SCORES
Par 71
72 G Fox (Clydeway Golf)
73 S Gray (Hayston), I Redford (St Andrews New)
79 D Fleming (Prestwick), J Henry (Clydebank & Dist)
80 M Patterson (Kilmacolm), J McCreadie (Bothwell Castle), P Robinson (Largs)
81 N Walton (Glasgow GC), S Maxwell (Eastwood)
84 C Beveridge (West Kilbride).
NRs C Ronald (Carluke), S Garrett (Fereneze), r Arnott (Bishopbriggs DR).

LEADING AMATEUR SCORES (net)
74 J Lappin (Portland) (6)
75 J Rushbury (Kilmarnock Barassie) (4)
76 V McMahon (Irvine) (10)
78 G Cree (Troon Welbeck) (3)
79 H Miller (Royal Troon) (5)
80 N Lamond (Balmore) (1), J Matthewman (Kilmarnock Barassie) (13), P Thomson (Kilmarnock Barassie) (18), D Waddell (Glasgow GC) (1).
81 P Gallagher (Prestwick St Nicholas) (2), G Smith (Royal Troon) (3).
82 R Kerr (Torrance House) (7)
83 F Craig (Carluke) (12).

BORROWMAN HAS CHANCE OF BACK-TO-BACK

VICTORIES TO START HIS PRO CAREER

Dollar's Scott Borrowman, bidding to start his professional golf career with back-to-back wins in Egypt, leads by two strokes with one round to go in the PGA Mediterranean Tour's 54-hole event over the Jack Nicklaus-designed Palm Hills course near Cairo, writes Colin Farquharson.

Borrowman has shot 71-73 for a level par tally of 144.

His nearest rival is the Spaniard he beat in a title play-off last week, Xavi Puig who lost his overnight lead with rounds of 68-78 for 146.

Austrian H P Bacher, second overnight on 70, had a calamitous second-round 85 to drop well down with a tally of 155.

PGA MEDITERRANEAN TOUR

Palm Hills Golf Club, nr Cairo

LEADING SECOND-ROUND SCORES

Par 144 (2x72)

144 Scott Borrowman (Sco) 71 73

146 Xavi Puig (Spa) 68 78

147 Jack Hambett (Eng) 73 74

149 Stuart Archibald (Eng) 73 76

SELECTED SCORES

154 Ben Craggs (Sco) 72 82

155 H P Bacher (Aut) 70 85

160 Fraser McKenna (Sco) 81 79

165 Conor O'Neil (Sco) 83 82.

TWO SCOTS IN LAST EIGHT OF NORTHERN OPEN MATCH-PLAY

Scott Gibson (Southerness) and Craig Ross (Kirkhill) are through to the quarter-finals of the South African Northern Open amateur match-play golf championship over the Bushwillow course at Randpark Golf Club.
Ross beat another member of the SGU squad, Jamie Savage (Cawder) by 4 and 3 in the first round, then won by 3 and 2 against South African Fezekile Kana 3 and 2 today.
Gibson had wins by 5 and 4, then 2 and 1 against South African opposition.
Daniel Young (Craigie Hill), winner of the South African championship last week, went down by one hole in the second round to Cameron Moralee.
Ewen Ferguson (Bearsden) and Greig Marchbank (Thornhill) lost by 3 and 2, and 5 and 4 respectively against home opposition in the first round.

North-est Alliance Championship Round 2 tee times

Venue: Craibstone Golf Club
 Wednesday, March 18
 
8-15 A. Smith G. Esson A. Campbell
8-23 C. Cassie B. Harper G. Leslie
8-31 C. Nelson S. Lawrie B. Fyfe
8-39 P. Morrison R. O'Donnell R. Ord
8-47 M. Rendall H. Roulston L. Roger
8-55 S. Kiloh P. Mckena S. Macneil

9-03 S. Davidson M. Brown B. Masson
9-11 A. Benton R. Brown S. Dillon
9-19 S. Thompson N. Chisholm M. Winton
9-27 J. Duff M. Smith D. Mackay
9-35 K. McGillivray, L. Duncan W. Beattie
9-43 M. Forster D. Cragie C. Grant
9-51 J. Scott, B. Skene R. McConnachie
9-59 A. Gall L. Vannet I. Clark

10-07 D. Wright B. Lumsden T. Robertson
10-15 D. Leslie W. Shaw G. Homer
10-23 D. Fleming J. Emslie L. Fowler
10-31 Keil Beveridge, J. Hopwood, S. Shand
10-39 M. Duncan, Kim Beveridge, Laura Murray
10-47 P. Walker H. Mcnaughton M. Rogers
10-55 D. Townsley N. Forster

11-03
11-11 D. Bisset F. Bisset J. Murray
11-19 S. Allison G. Mackie S. Finnie
11-27 G. Milne J. Duncan S. Murray
11-35 D. Nelson N. Parker A. Graham
11-43 J. Jessiman I. Grant
11-51 W. Skene D. Lane C. Duffus
11-59 R. Duncan G. Thom

12-07 J. Borthwick P. Low B. Robson
12-15 S. Mackie B. Nicolson J. Nicolson
12-23 I. Taylor N. Mcandrew K Shanks
12-31
12-39 J. Forrest N. Stewart
12-47
12-55

13-03 S. Lawrie C. Goodwin B. Murray


+It is hoped to present the Brimmond Bistro Scratch Order of Merit 1-2-3 prizes and the WLM Golf Handicap Order of merit prizes - £50 vouchers to Class 1 winner and also to Class 2. If you are in contention, it would be appreciated if you could stay on after you have played your round.
Colin Farquharson

North-east Alliance Championship

EARLY BIRD JOHN DUFF DODGES THE 

GALE, LEADS BY FOUR AT HALFWAY

Newmachar's John Duff,  the leading amateur of the North-east Golfers' Alliance 2014-15 season and already winner of the Brimmond Bistro Scratch Order of Merit, carried on the good work today at Duff House Royal Golf Club, Banff in the first round of the 36-hole championship, writes Colin Farquharson.

Metaphorically speaking, Duff already has one hand on the trophy he won two years, having surged into a four-stroke lead to carry over to the final round at Craibstone Golf Club next Wednesday
Duff, champion two years ago,  took full advantage of playing early and avoiding the half-gale that saw the later starters' scores soar well above the par of 68. John's 71 hoisted him well clear of the field of 90 competitors and he was never going to be deprived of the £130 amateur voucher first prize.
"I was very lucky," said Inverurie-based Duff who was among the first men off the tee before 9am.
 "We only had to contend with the rising wind over the last two or three holes. By that time I had a decent score in the making."
Duff birdied the first and the 12th and bogeyed the third, seventh, ninth,  11th and 15th in halves of 36 (two over par) and 35 (one over).
He managed to par the last three holes as the  wind got up and started to make life really difficult for the rest of the field.
Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre), one of the few North-east pros in the field, Paul Lawrie having taken most them off to Portugal this week, including last year's champion Greig Hutcheon, is tied second with Portlethen one-handicap amateur Ben Murray on 75. Both players were out in the worst of the wind.
Laura had only one birdie but it was a day for amassing par figures and avoiding wind-blown disasters.
"We could hardly stand on the exposed 18th tee," said Laura. "We were just about blown off our feet, so you had to aim your drive well away from the out of bounds fence down the right."
Although the Alliance championship is over 36 holes, each of the meetings, at Duff House Royal today and Craibstone next Wednesday, has a stand-alone scratch and handicap prize list.
+Lots of praise for the Banff course from the competitors, Duff House Royal Golf Club having provided the Alliance with use of the "proper" greens and a course in good nick despite the time of year.
"A pleasure to play despite the gale," said one competitor who had more bogeys than pars on his scorecard.


SCROLL DOWN PAST SCORES TO FIND OUT
TODAY'S HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS

CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST ROUND
Par 68 (34-34)
71 J Duff (Newmachar) 36-35.
75 Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie GC) 36-39, B Murray (Portlethen) 39-36
76 G Esson (McDonald Ellon) 39-37,  R O'Donnell (Oldmeldrum) 37-39, S Murray (Nevada Bob's, Scotland) 37-39, S Macneil (Aboyne) 37-39, A Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 41-35.
77 R McConnachie (Peterculter) 38-39, S Finnie (Royal Aberdeen) 38-39, C Goodwin (Duff House Royal) 40-37.
78 R Ord (Meldrum House) 43-35, C Grant (Portlethen) 38-40, D Leslie (Northern) 39-39, J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen) 39-39, P McKenna (Paul Lawrie GC) 39-39,  Sean Lawrie (Portlethen) 39-39.
79 A Smith (Turriff) 40-39, A Campbell (Murcar Links) 37-42, L Vannet (Craibstone) 38-41, T Robertson (Peterculter) 39-40, J Nicolson (Hazlehead) 38-41, N Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen) 42-37.
80 C Nelson (Mackenzie Shop), W Skene (Deeside), B Nicolson (Hazlehead), I Taylor (Hazlehead)
81 B Fyfe (Paul Lawrie GC), L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen), G Milne (Newburgh), M Patterson (Cruden Bay)
82 B Harper (Newburgh), N K Parker (Murcar Links)
83 H Roulston (Stonehaven), D Mackay (Hazlehead), A Gall (Deeside), S Allison (Caledonian), S Kiloh (Paul Lawrie GC).
84 M Forster (Cruden Bay), J Emslie (Royal Aberdeen), A Graham (Aboyne)
85 B Robson (Newmachar), B Skene (Peterculter), J Forrest (Northern), Keil Beveridge (Kippie Lodge), Kim Beveridge (Aboyne).
86 D Fleming (Portlethen)
87 B Masson (Auchmill), J Duncan (Oldmeldrum)
88 C Cassie (Nigg Bay), S Davidson (Northern), S Lawrie (Portlethen), P Walker (Cruden Bay), B Lumsden (Northern), D Lane (Deeside), G Moir (Hazlehead), J Borthwick (Craibstone)
89 L Roger (Royal Aberdeen)
90 M Winton (Caledonian), M Smith (Newmachar), L Duncan (Craibstone), Beattie (Craibstone), S Dillon (Kemnay), D Nelson (Aboyne), R Duncan (Deeside), S Mackie (Hazlehead)
91 D Townsley (Peterculter), D Wright (Northern), G Homer (Northern), M Duncan (Murcar Links).
92 D Lawrie (Aboyne), N Chisholm (Kemnay), J Scott (Peterculter), J Murray (Banchory), J  Jessiman (Oldmeldrum), C Duffus (Kemnay), P Low (Craibstone)
93 P Morrison (Oldmeldrum)
94 H McNaughton (Cruden Bay)
95 M Brown (Kemnay), A Benton (Kemnay), D Bisset (Banchory)
97 M Rendall (Stonehaven)
98 R Brown (Kemnay)
100 M Rogers (Kemnay)
 
HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS
Class 1 - W Skene (8) bih, R O'Donnell (3) 73; A Smith (4) bih, D Leslie (3) bih, L Fowler (7) 75.
Class 2 - N K Parker (14) 68; S Dillon (16) 74; S Davidson (13) bih, B Skene (10) 75; G Moir (12) 76.

TOP SCORECARDS

JOHN Duff 71
OUT: 3-4-5 4-4-3 5-4-4: 36 (2 over)
    IN: 4-4-4 3-4-5 3-4-4: 35 (1 over)

LAURA MURRAY 75
OUT: 4-3-5 4-4-3 5-4-4:  36 (2 over)
    IN: 4-3-5 4-5-6 3-4-5: 39 (5 over)

+Apologies to Ben Murray, who also had a 75, for 
not taking a note of his figures at DHR today. If Ben
would like to E-mail them to Colin@scottishgolfview,
I will post them up here.