Sean Lawrie wins again - leads team of four

 to NE Alliance pro-am victory

 Sean Lawrie (second left) with his winning team in the NE Alliance pro-am. Left to right: Justin Barclay, Steve Lawrie (Sean's father), Jackie Forrest with Billy Sim (Craibstone general manager) who made the presentation. Pictures by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Sean Lawrie just keeps on winning! The 24-year-old second-year pro from Portlethen, playing out of the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre, today followed up his capture of the North-east Alliance championship by five strokes by leading his team of four to victory in the Alliance pro-am at Craibstone.
Lawrie, his father Steve (Portlethen) (7), Justin Barclay (Hazlehead) (7) and Jackie Forrest (Northern) (11) posted a best two net scores per hole total of 19-under-par 119 (65-54) to win the Press and Journal Shield (best handicap total) and the Evening Express Shield (best scratch total). They each earned £100, Lawrie in cash, the amateurs in vouchers.

Runners-up (pictured right) on 122 (63-59) were professional Laura Murray (Kippie Lodge) and her amateur partners John Sunley (Northern) (7), Steve Shand (Kemnay) (7) and Les Roger (Royal Aberdeen) 10). They earned £75 each.

There were not enough pro qualifiers to have one in each team so Portlethen scratch amateur Gary Esson was the nominal pro in the last of the eight teams to finish and they claimed third place with a total of 124 (60-64) (pictured above). 
Esson's amateur partners were Brian Nicolson (Hazlehead) (2) and the Craibstone pair of John Borthwick (3) and Willie Beattie (10). They each earned a £50 voucher.

NE ALLIANCE PRO-AM
Craibstone Golf Club
FINAL TOTALS
Par 138 (2x69)
119 Sean Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC), Justin Barclay (Hazlehead) (6), Steve Lawrie (Portlethen), Jackie Forrest (Northern) (11) (£100 each).
122 Laura Murray (Kippie Lodge), John Sunley (Northern) (7), Steve Shand (Kemnay) (7), Les Roger (Royal Aberdeen) (10) (£75 each).
124 Gary Esson (Portlethen) (scr), Brian Nicolson (Hazlehead) (2), John Borthwick (Craibstone) (3), Willie Beattie (Craibstone) (10) (£50 each).
126 Greig Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie GC, Inchmarlo), Stewart Finnie (Caledonian) (scr), Tom Boyle (Portlethen) (7), Mike Brown (Kemnay) (17); Kamran Zeynalov (Portlethen), David Fleming (Portlethen) (5), Colin Duffus (Royal Aberdeen) (6), Hamish McNaughton (Cruden Bay) (12).
128 John Duff (Newmachar), Scott Mackie (Kemnay) (3), Alfie Smith (Turriff) (4), Richard Ruddiman (Royal Aberdeen) (11); Joel Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen), John Nicolson (Hazlehead) (4), Raymond Reid (Tarland) (5), Doug Booth (Tarland) (9).
129 Jake Scott (Moray) (1), Graham Riley (Craibstone) (5), Steve Scott (Hazlehead) (5), George Murdoch (Craibstone) (13).

DAVE WILSON FAREWELL

+Next Wednesday's concluding fixture of the 2016-17 season at McDonald Ellon Golf Club will be the last North-east Alliance event for joint secretary Dave Wilson. The Turriff-based taxi driver is retiring from the post after the best part of eight years. He and Dave Mackay jointly took over the job when Ron Menzies died suddenly.

Dave Mackay has since moved North and Joel Hopwood took his place.

STEWART FINNIE AND WESTMINSTER BRIDGE

+Former Aberdeen Links champion Stewart Finnie, down in London to watch a big pro fight last week, last Friday walked over Westminster Bridge which was the scene of Wednesday's lone terrorist atrocity.

NEISH CHISHOLM FORCED TO PULL OUT OF PRO-AM
Kemnay senior golfer Neish Chisholm qualified to play in today's NE Alliance pro-am but he to pull out this morning.
When he woke up, he realised that golf was out of the question, his back having "seized up."
Craibstone member George Murdoch took Neish's place.