100th City of Aberdeen foursomes for the Maitland Shield at Kings Links

Northern v Murcar Links and Hazlehead v 

Portlethen in Thursday's semi-finals

                                      Portlethen team. Picture by Matty Beattie.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Extra holes were needed in three of the four quarter-finals to decide Thursday's semi-finalists in the 100th City of Aberdeen men's double foursomes match-play tournament for the Maitland Shield at the Kings Links on a cold, damp and windy night.
Northern won the all-Links match against Caledonian at the 20th, thanks to a great bunker shot from Cameron Johnstone at the second extra hole. Northern's first string of Stuart Slessor and George Paterson had won the 20th so Johnstone and Walker's success in the second tie clinched victory.
Murcar Links beat Nigg Bay at the 19th where Bryan Innes holed a match-winning birdie putt of 12ft. 
Hazlehead's quartet of Greig Kennedy, Adam Strachan, Paul Lawrence and Brian Nicholson KO'd Royal Aberdeen at the 20th.
Portlethen's Kevin Daglish, Clark Brechin, Keith Horne and Gary Esson, conquerors of title-holders Newmachar in the first round followed that up with a two-hole win over Bon Accord who reached the semi-finals last year.
Thursday's semi-finals are:
Northern v Murcar Links
Hazlehead v Portlethen

TONIGHT'S RESULTS

 QUARTER-FINALS
 Northern bt Caledonian at 20th
S Slessor, G Paterson 1, B Reid, A Doig 0.
N Walker, C Johnstone 0, M Beattie, A Cruickshank 1 

Murcar Links bt Nigg Bay at 19th.
A Styles, B Innes 2, G Grimmer, S Jamieson 0.
A Brews, R Brechin 0, Z Wood, R Forbes 2. 

Hazlehead bt Royal Aberdeen at 20th
G Kennedy, A Strachan 0, D Macandrew jun, M Halliday 1.
P Lawrence, B Nicholson 1, G Joss, D Sim 0. 

Portlethen bt Bon Accord by 2 holes
K Daglish, C Brechin 1, G Somers, B Edmond 0.
K Horne, G Esson 1, M Greig, M Dunn 0. 

THURSDAY'S SEMI-FINALS
4.47 Northern v Murcar Links
5.01 Hazlehead v Portlethen

      Murcar Links team. Left to right R Brechin, A Styles, B Innes and A Bews.. Pictures by Matty Beattie. 

   Northern team: C Johnstone, N Walker, S Slessor and G Paterson

                       

          Royal Aberdeen team: S Buchan, D Macandrew jun., G Joss and Daniel Sim. 

           Caledonian team: Alex Cruickshank, Matty  Beattie, Barry Reid and Alan Doig. 

 Hazlehead team (not in left to right order): Brian Nicholson, Greig Kennedy, Adam Strachan, Paul Lawrence