Kevin Duncan wins NE Alliance opener 

with a pro course record 65 at Craibstone

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Kevin Duncan bounced back from a double bogey 6 at Craibstone's  first hole to post a four-under-par 65, the lowest score of the first North-east Golfers' Alliance competition of the season.

The professional (pictured) from the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre stable, shot an eagle 3 (at the 574yd fourth), and birdies at the short second, par-5 fifth, short seventh, and the par-4 15th and 17th in halves of 32 (three under par) and 33 (one under). He had a bogey at the 13th.
Duncan earned £130 for heading a field of 85 players by two shots from +3 amateur Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon), and Peterhead-based pro Ross Cameron (Saltire Energy).
Dunton birdied the fourth, 10th, 16th and 17th in halves of 34-33 while Cameron had six birdies (first, fifth, ninth, 10th, 12th and 15th) in similar halves but including four bogeys.
Sam Kiloh (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) finished fourth on 68, finishing with birdies at the 14th, 16th and 17th after a bogey at the 11th was followed by a double bogey at the 13th.
A triple bogey 7 at the 11th cost Kamran Zeynalov (Portlethen) second place and offset his five birdies. He finished with a par 69, the same mark as Michele Thomson (Meldrum House) who had a double bogey 6 at the 15th.
A new award of a £50 voucher for the leading amateur was won by Ian Esslemont (Cruden Bay) with a 70. Technically, Adam Dunton was the leading amateur with a 67 and Bryan Ritchie (Inverallochy) had a 69 but they earned higher vouchers in the scratch prizelist.
Curiously, nobody returned a 72 or a 73!
The condition of the Craibstone course was commented on favourably by many of the competitors although some thought the greens was just a little bit too fast! Shades of the Masters!

SCRATCH SCORES
 Par 69 (white tees). Yardage 5,8709
65 K Duncan (Paul Lawrie GC) 32-33
67 A Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 34-33, R Cameron (Saltire Energy) 34-33
68 S Kiloh (Paul Lawrie GC) 34-34
69 P McLean (Paul Lawrie GC) 33-36, B Ritchie (Inverallochy) 36-33, K Zeynalov (Portlethen) 34-35, Michele Thomson (Meldrum House) 34-35
70 I Esslemont (Cruden Bay) 36-34, C Grant (Portlethen) 34-36, G McLaggan (Bon Accord) 33-37
71 L Smart (Banchory) 37-34, W Fyfe (Paul Lawrie GC) 35-40, C Dempster (Paul Lawrie GC) 36-35, G Chalmers (Alford) 35-36, C Law (Kings Links) 35-36, C Nelson (Mackenzie Club) 38-33, D Brown (Kemnay) 35-36, I Still (Craibstone) 36-35, J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen) 36-35.
74 A Campbell (Murcar Links) 35-39, I Bratton (Bratton Golf) 37-37, S Mackie (Kemnay) 36-38, J Borthwick (Craibstone) 42-36
75 C Cassie (Nigg Bay) 39-36, J Emslie (Royal Aberdeen) 37-38, R Ruddiman (Royal Aberdeen) 38-37, R Davidson (Caledonian) 38-37, W Fyfe (Paul Lawrie GC) 35-40
76  P Craig (Kintore) 39-37
77 D Fleming (Portlethen) 40-37, D Leslie (Bon Accord) 38-39
78 J Sunley (Northern) 41-37, S Shand (Kemnay) 40-38, S Finnie (Royal Aberdeen) 37-41, M Merchant (Newmachar) 40-38.
79 H Roulston (Stonehaven) 38-41, G Adamson (Stonehaven) 38-41, S Hanson (Paul Lawrie GC) 38-41, G Patterson (Royal Aberdeen) 41-39, S Scott (Hazlehead) 38-41.
80 R Reid (Tarland) 39-41, G Riley (Craibstone) 37-43, J Stewart (Banchory) 39-41
81 D Booth (Tarland) 35-46, D Lawrie (Aboyne) 39-42, D Lane (Deeside) 41-40, W Beattie (Craibstone) 39-42, D Craigie (Portlethen) 38-43
82 R Lamb (Newmachar) 44-38, M Allan (Hazlehead) 41-41
83 D Mackay (Hazlehead) 41-42
84 W Clarke (Tarland) 43-41, D Nelson (Aboyne) 42-42, T Boyle (Portlethen) 45-39
85 H Macnaughtan (Cruden Bay) 41-44, M Smith (Inverurie) 40-45, J Forrest (Northern) 42-43, L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen) 43-32, G Homer (Bon Accord) 40-45, I D Smith (retired pro) 43-42, S Allison (Caledonian) 42-43
86 P Cheyne (Northern) 43-43, L Roger (Royal Aberdeen) 40-46, B Lumsden (Northern) 44-42, A Clark (Deeside) 41-45
87 J Scott (Peterculter) 42-45, M Winton (Caledonian) 44-43.
88 J Barclay (Hazlehead) 48-40, D Robertson (Hazlehead) 44-44
90 N K Parker (Murcar Links) 45-45
91 P Walker (Cruden Bay) 45-46, J Crawford (Craibstone) 41-50
92 M Brown (Kemnay) 46-46, S Davidson (Northern) 41-51
93 R Brown (Kemnay) 52-41
NRs M Rendall (Stonehaven), R Macrae (Newmachar), M Duncan (Murcar Links), N Chisholm (Kemnay), G Mackie (Caledonian), L Duncan (Craibstone), A Graham (Aboyne), R Tulloch (Kemnay), M Lawrie (Kemnay), P Low (Craibstone).

HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS
Class 1 - G Chalmers (Alford) (7) 64; B Ritchie (Inverallochy) (4) bih, G McLaggan (Bon Accord) (5) 65; R Davidson (Deeside) (8) 67; I Still (Craibstone) (3) 68.
Class 2 - R Ruddiman (Royal Aberdeen) (12) 63; D Lawrie (Aboyne) (16) 65; W Beattie (Craibstone) (12) 69; D Lane (Deeside) (10) bih, I D Smith (retired pro) (14) 71 bih. 

BEST SCORECARDS
 KEVIN DUNCAN 65
OUT -  624 343 244 - 32 (-3)
   IN  -  343 543 434 - 33 (-1)

Bogeys in black
Double bogeys in black and underlined
Birdies in red
Eagles in purple 

ADAM DUNTON 67
OUT -  434 453 344 - 34 (-1)
   IN  -  244 544 334 - 33 (-1)

ROSS CAMERON 67
OUT - 334 643 443 - 34 (-1)
    IN - 242 553 444 - 33 (-1)

SAM KILOH 68
OUT  - 435 553 234 - 34 (-1)
    IN  - 353 644 334 - 34 (level)