NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE REPORT

BRATTON, BARNARD AND FINNIE
TIE ON 68 AT
McDONALD ELLON

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Two professionals – Ian Bratton (Newburgh-on-Ythan) and Inchmarlo assistant Mark Barnard - and Caledonian scratch amateur Stewart Finnie tied for first place on two-under-par 68 in today’s North-east Golfers’ Alliance competition at McDonald Ellon Golf Club.
Finnie came storming home in four-under-par 30 with an eagle 2 at the 260yd 13th and birdies at the 14th and 16th but a bogey at the 17th cost him outright victory.
Bratton, after birdies at the 10th and 16th, looked to be heading for a clear-cut win. Then he bogeyed the testing last two holes for 33 home and a 68.
Barnard, making his alliance debut, covered the inward half in a bogey-free 31, including a birdie at the last.
Joint fourth on one-under-par 69 were last week’s winner at Kemnay, Gary Esson (Portlethen), Inchmarlo Golf Centre pro Patrick Lovie, Richard Hyland (Newmachar), back in the fold after a year or two in the United States, and a 15-year-old debutant, Ryan Penny, who plays off 2 at Portlethen (That's Ryan pictured above right).
Let’s start with Gary’s tale of woe. He finished bogey, bogey, bogey, losing a ball at the 17th, to come home in 34 for a 69.
Patrick Lovie did not do so badly over the closing holes that claimed so many victims. Patrick birdied the 13th, 14th and 15th, bogeyed the 17th and then birdied the 18th for two-under-par 31 for the inward half of his 69.
Richard Hyland was on the winning trail, it seemed, when he birdied the 13th and 14th – but he had a double-bogey 6 at the 17th in his 34 home for 69.
Then comes Master Ryan Penny’s 69, which is a remarkable story in itself. Only 15 years of age, and starting a three-day schedule at Aberdeen College, Ryan came home in three-under-par 30, an inward half that contained six 3s in succession from the 11th.
But, even better than that, he single-putted every hole from the ninth (at which he had a bogey 6), onwards. His coach, Neil Marr of Meldrum House, would have been proud of his short game.
Ryan got down in two “from a long way out” at both the last two holes to salvage par 4s.
Hardest luck story of the day probably belonged to David Corkey (East Aberdeenshire). According to his playing partners, David played very well indeed for a 73. Pity about the quadruple bogey 8 at the 262yd 14th hole!
The field of 99 was the highest of the season so far.
Here are some of the more interesting cards:

MARK BARNARD 68 (-2)

OUT: 4 4 3 4 5 4 3 4 6: 37
IN: 4 3 3 3 4 3 4 4 3: 31

IAN BRATTON 68 (-2)

OUT: 4 4 5 4 3 3 3 4 5: 35
IN: 3 3 3 4 4 3 3 5 5: 33

STEWART FINNIE 68 (-2)

OUT: 3 4 4 6 4 4 3 4 6: 38
IN: 4 3 3 2 3 3 3 5 4: 30

GARY ESSON 69 (-1)

OUT: 4 4 3 5 4 3 3 4 5: 35
IN: 3 3 3 4 4 2 5 5 5: 34

PATRICK LOVIE 69 (-1)

OUT: 3 5 4 4 4 5 3 4 6: 38
IN: 5 3 3 3 3 2 4 5 3: 31

RICHARD HYLAND 69 (-1)

OUT: 4 4 4 4 3 5 3 3 5: 35
IN: 4 4 3 3 3 3 4 6 4: 34

RYAN PENNY 69 (-1)

OUT: 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 4 6: 39
IN: 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4: 30

LEADING SCRATCH SCORES

68 M Barnard (Inchmarlo), I Bratton (Newburgh), S Finnie (Caledonian).
69 G Esson (Portlethen), P Lovie (Inchmarlo), R Hyland (Newmachar), R Penny (Portlethen).
71 C Nelson (MacKenzie Club), L Sang (Aboyne), J Murray (Banchory), R McDonald (Kemnay).
72 A Campbell (Deeside), C Carnegie (Kemnay), C Stephen (Meldrum House), A Locke (Inchmarlo).
73 R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo), R McKen (Newburgh), S Green (Westhill), D Yeats (Newmachar).
74 C Duffus (Kemnay), F G Gray (Deeside), A Petrie (Oldmeldrum), F Bisset (Banchory), C Alexander (Murcar Links), D Corkey (East Aberdeenshire).
75 M Lawrie (Kemnay), A Stewart (Hazlehead)), I D Smith (Hazlehead), C Clark (MacKenzie Club).
76 N Reid (Deeside).
77 J Dalgarno (Hazlehead), B Ritchie (Inverallochy), S B Chalmers (Banchory), A Grant (Portlethen), S Troup (Kings Links), I Welsh (Nigg Bay),
78 S Kidd (Newburgh), A S Buchan (Newburgh), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen).
79 C Cassie (Nigg Bay), N A Ogston (Turriff), R L Nicoll (Murcar Links), N Parker (Murcar Links).
80 P Farnan (Royal Abgerdeen), N Hardie (Kintore), G Leslie (Newburgh), J M Hamilton (Murcar Links), D Bisset (Banchory).

LEADING HANDICAP

Class 1 – A Petrie (Oldmeldrum) (9), J Murray (Banchory) (6) 65; A Stewart (Hazlehead) (8), R Penny (Portlethen) (2) 67; F G Gray (Deeside) (6) 68; C Duffus (Kemnay) (5), C Alexander (Murcar Links) (5) 69; J Dalgarno (Hazlehead) (6), C Carnegie (Kemnay ) (2), M Lawrie (Kemnay) (5), N A Ogston (Turriff) (9), R Hyland (Newmachar) +1), A Grant (Portlethen) (7) 70.

Class 2 – B Sinclair (Caledonian) (14), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen) (10) 68; G Leslie (Newburgh) (11) 69; H McNaughton (Cruden Bay) (10) 70; G Travis (Auchmill) (16), R Addison (Newburgh) (18) 71; J Short (Murcar Links) (14) 73; R Alison (Deeside) (13), A Dent (McDonald Ellon) (16) 74.

++ Next Wednesday’s competition is at Huntly.

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