REPORT AND ALL OF TODAY'S SCORES

Four share NE Alliance championship lead 

with 64s at Inverallochy in Round 1

JOEL HOPWOOD REPORTING 

Inverallochy's winter course of nine par-3s and nine par-4s proved a surprisingly difficult test for the 91-strong field in the first round of the North-east Alliance championship.
No-one matched the par of 63 (32-31) and four players will move into next week's final round at Craibstone sharing the lead on the 64 mark- Newmachar amateur Chris Lamb (33-31) and professionals Sean Lawrie (29-35) and Kris Nicol (36-28) from the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre, and defending champion John Duff (32-32) from the Newmachar club.

It was the proverbial game of two halves for young Lawrie, pictured, a nephew of Paul. Sean was out in a bogey-free, three-birdie 29 and at that stage was clear of the field.
It was a different story after the turn. Lawrie could not buy a birdie and bogeyed the 12th and 17th before the calamity of a double bogey 5 at the short 18th for four-over-par 35 for the inward half.
Nicol had the reverse story. He bogeyed four holes on his way to 36 to the turn but then came sailing home in three-under 28 with birdies at the 12th, 14th, 15th and 17th. A bogey at the 16th cost him the out right lead.

Lamb, pictured left, bogeyed the 18th when a par would have given him a one-stroke advantage to carry over to the Craibstone finale.
Golf Monthly have generously added £150 to the prize list for today and again at Craibstone.

ALL THE SCRATCH SCORES

Par 63 – 91 Players

TOP SCRATCH SCORECARDS BENEATH SCOREBOARD

64 C Lamb (Newmachar), J Duff (Newmachar), K Nicol (Paul Lawrie GC), S Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC)

65 A Campbell (Murcar Links), G McBain (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre)

66 C Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC), J Borthwick (Craibstone), F Bisset (Banchory), J Nicolson (Hazlehead), K Duncan (Paul Lawrie GC)

67 D Fleming (Portlethen), G Esson (Portlethen), 

68 J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen), T Mathieson (Murcar Links), B Harper (Newburgh), R McKen (Trump International) 

69 A Smith (Turriff), B Nicolson (Hazlehead), D Brown (Kemnay), D Leslie (Bon Accord)

70 D Craigie (Portlethen), S Finnie (Royal Aberdeen), C Nelson (Mackenzie Club), S Roger (Cruden Bay)

71 R Lamb (Newmachar), S Mackie (Kemnay), B Ritchie (Inverallochy), S Hanson (Paul Lawrie GC)

72 R Blackmore (Tarland), R Reid (Tarland), S Macneil (Aboyne)

73 C Goodwin (Duff House Royal), G Chalmers (Alford), P Cheyne (Northern)

75 M Merchant (Newmachar), D Clark (Duff House Royal), G Riley (Craibstone), D Booth (Tarland), K McGillivary (Craibstone), M Forster (Newburgh), S Shand (Kemnay), A Gall (Deeside)    

76 C Cassie (Nigg Bay), M Winton (Caledonian), W Skene (Deeside)  

77 S Lawrie (Portlethen), E Riley (Craibstone), R Brown (Kemnay), G Homer (Bon Accord), T Collie (Kemnay)

78 D Mackay (Hazlehead), M Duncan (Murcar Links), S Scott (Hazlehead), N K Parker (Murcar Links), D Nelson (Aboyne)

79 T Boyle (Portlethen), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen), W Beattie (Craibstone), G Moir (Oldmeldrum), S Allison (Deeside), R Davidson (Caledonian)

80 D Townsley (Peterculter), S Davidson (Deeside), J Scott (Peterculter), J Forrest (Northern), D Lane (Deeside)

81 H Macnaughton (Cruden Bay), N Stewart (Northern), J Murray (Banchory), G Cochrane (Kemnay), P Low (Craibstone), G Thom (Murcar Links)

82 J Hosie (Kemnay), M Rogers (Kemnay)

83 J Stewart (Banchory), B Lumsden (Northern), R Ruddiman (Royal Aberdeen),    

84 G Mackie (Caledonian)  

85 M Brown (Kemnay)

86 M Rendall (Stonehaven), A Clark (Newmachar)

87 R Duncan (Deeside) 

No Returns:

A Graham (Aboyne), J Morris (Craibstone), C Grant (Portlethen), B Skene (Peterculter), D Wright (Northern), M Lawrie (Kemnay), D McKay (Caledonian)

HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS

Class 1 – D Craigie (Portlethen) 70 - 9 = 61; J Borthwick (Craibstone) 66 - 4 = 62 bih; J Nicolson (Hazelhead) 66 - 4 = 62 bih; D Fleming (Portlethen) 67 - 5 = 62, F Bisset (Banchory) 66 - 3 = 63 bih
Class 2 - M Winton (Caledonian) 76 - 13 = 63 bih; P Cheyne (Northern) 73 - 10 = 63; R Brown (Kemnay) 77 - 13 = 64; T Collie (Kemnay) 77 - 12 = 65 bih; N Parker (Murcar Links) 78 - 13 = 65 bih

BEST SCORECARDS:

INVERALLOCHY WINTER SCORECARD

3-3-4 4-3-4 4-4-3 : 32

3-4-3 3-4-4 3-4-3 : 31  TOTAL 63

KRIS NICOL 64

4-3-4   4-4-4   5-5-3   36 (four over)

3-4-2   3-3-3   4-3-3   28  (three under)

CHRIS LAMB 64

3-3-4   4-3-4   5-3-4   33 (one over)

3-4-3   3-4-3   3-4-4   31  (level par)

JOHN DUFF 64

3-3-4   4-3-4   4-4-3   32 (level par)

3-5-3   3-4-4   4-3-3   32 (one over)

SEAN LAWRIE 64

3-3-3   4-3-3   4-3-3   29 (three under)

3-4-4   3-4-4   3-5-5   35 (four over)

GREG McBAIN  65

4-3-4   4-3-5   4-5-4   36 (four over)

2-4-3   3-5-3   3-3-3   29 (two under)

ANDY CAMPBELL 65

4-3-4  4-4-4  5-3-4   35 (three over)

3-4-3  2-3-4  3-4-4   30 (one under)

KEY:      PAR

                BIRDIE

                BOGEY

                DOUBLE BOGEY

The next three North-east Alliance fixtures are generously sponsored by Golf Monthly. 

The North-east Alliance's remaining fixtures are listed below:

*March 16 Craibstone (Round 2 NE Alliance championship)

 * Last counting event for Brimond Bistro Order of Merit final tables.

March 17 NE Alliance Four-ball best-ball team event

March 23 McDonald Ellon (does not count for Order of Merit final tables)