Almost unplayable conditions for North-east Alliance fixture

John Duff and Brian Nicolson tie for 

Newburgh victory with rounds of 67
 

Joel Hopwood reporting  

Professional John Duff (Newmachar) and Hazlehead amateur Brian Nicolson tied for first place at today's North-east Alliance fixture at Newburgh. In almost unplayable conditions, they and 69 others, battled the icy paths - slippy tees and rock-hard playing surfaces to score matching two-over-par 67s, great scores under the circumstances.
Duff had birdies at the eighth, 10th and 18th with bogeys at the third, sixth, ninth, 12th and 17th in halves of 34 (two over) and 33 (level par).
Nicolson birdied the first, 10th and 16th but bogeys at the fourth, seventh, 11th, 14th and especially the 18th, cost him victory after halves of 33 (one over) and 34 (one over).
It was Duff's second win of the Alliance season but a first for Nicolson.  

They finished two shots ahead of third-placed Greg McBain (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) who had a double bogey 6 at the first hole in halves of 37 and 32
Laura Murray (PLGC), who had a triple bogey 7 at the first hole,  and Keil Beveridge (Kippie Lodge) finished joint fourth on 71.

Full scorecards for the top 5 can be found beneath the scoreboard.

CLASS 1

Today's Class 1 winner was Deeside's Alan Gall, who shot a superb 72 - 5 for 67. His nett score was a single shot ahead of Aboyne's David Nelson, David Mackay (Mackenzie Club) and Gordon Milne (Newburgh). Jim Morris of Craibstone completed the Class 1 top five. 

CLASS 2 

Nigel Parker (Murcar Links) shot a hugely impressive 76 - 15 = 61! He beat R Brown (Newburgh) by one shot, who must have thought he would seal the top prize! Banchory's Jim Murray was third with a nett 63 and both Peter Walker (Cruden Bay) and Michael Rendall (Stonehaven) were one shot further back with nett 64s.

 

SCRATCH SCORES

Par 65

67 J Duff (Newmachar), B Nicolson (Hazlehead)

69 G McBain (Paul Lawrie GC) 

71 K Beveridge (Kippie Lodge), Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie GC) 

72 B Ritchie (Inverallochy), G Esson (Portlethen), A Gall (Deeside)

73 J Murray (Banchory), R McKen (Trump International), K Duncan (Paul Lawrie GC)

74 G Milne (Newburgh)

75 D Mackay (Hazlehead), R Blackmore (Tarland), G Riley (Craibstone), S Finnie (Royal Aberdeen)

76 D Leslie (Bon Accord), D Brown (Kemnay), N K Parker (Murcar Links), D Bisset (Banchory), J Borthwick (Craibstone), M Merchant (Newmachar), P Walker (Cruden Bay), S Mackie (Kemnay), R Brown (Newburgh), J Morris (Craibstone)

77 D Nelson (Aboyne) 

79 K Zeynalov (Portlethen), T Boyle (Portlethen), M Rendall (Stonehaven), J Sunley (Northern), M Forster (Newburgh)  

80 G Homer (Northern), G Allan (Newmachar), R Tulloch, W Middler (Peterhead), P Low (Craibstone), D Lane (Deeside), S Ross (Hazlehead), D Lawrie (Aboyne)

81 D Wright (Northern), P Cheyne (Northern), J Scott (Peterculter)

82 M Rogers (Kemnay), J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen), M Brown (Newburgh)

83 R Reid (Tarland)

83 C Duffus (Kemnay) 

85 W Skene (Deeside), J Forrest (Northern)

86 D Booth (Tarland), P Morrison (Oldmeldrum)   

87 L Duncan (Craibstone), N Stewart (Northern)

91 S Davidson (Northern)

HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS

Class 1 - A Gall (Deeside) (5) 67; D Nelson (Aboyne) (9) bih, D Mackay (Hazlehead) (7) bih, G Milne (Newburgh) (6) 68; J Morris (Craibstone) (7) 69 bih.

Class 2 - N K Parker (Murcar Links) (15) 61; R Brown (Kemnay) (14) 62; J Murray (Banchory) (10) 63; P Walker (Cruden Bay) (12) bih, M Rendall (Stonehaven) (15) 64.

The North-East Alliance's next fixture will be at Peterhead Golf Club on the 27th of January 2016.

NEWBURGH

BEST SCORECARDS:

PAR

4-3-4-4-3-3-3-4-4 (32)

4-4-4-3-3-4-4-3-4 (33) = 65

JOHN DUFF (NEWMACHAR)

4-3-5-4-3-4-3-3-5 (34)

3-4-5-3-3-4-4-4-3 (33) = 67

BRIAN NICOLSON (MACKENZIE CLUB)

3-3-4-5-3-3-4-4-4 (33)

3-5-4-3-4-4-3-3-5 (34) = 67

GREG MCBAIN (PLGC)

6-4-5-3-3-4-5-3-4 (37)

3-4-5-4-3-3-3-3-4 (32) = 69

LAURA MURRAY (PLGC)

7-3-5-4-4-3-3-3-5 (37)

4-4-4-3-3-4-4-4-5 (34) = 71

KEIL BEVERIDGE (KIPPIE LODGE)

4-3-6-4-3-3-3-4-5 (35)

3-5-4-3-3-8-4-2-4 (36) = 71