NEWMACHAR KEEP NORTHERN COUNTIES CUP

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS - AGAIN!                           Picture by courtesy of tournament director Eddie Sherwood                   Left to right: Chris Simpson, Mark McKechnie, John Duff and Richard Barr. Newmachar's Mark McKechnie, Chris Simpson, John Duff and Richard Barr retained the Northern Counties Cup in the 100th staging of the inter-club double foursomes match-play golf tournament over the Moray Golf Club's Old Course links at Lossiemouth on Saturday. The last club to win the trophy two years in a row was Elgin in 1995-96. From a field of 40 teams, the final came down to Newmachar v Brora in the final - and Newmachar won by an aggregate of four holes. McKechnie and Simpson finished two up on Liam MacDonald and Euan Polson, while Duff and Barr were also two up on James McBeath and Ian Stewart. Next year's Northern Counties Cup three-day tournament will be hosted by Royal Aberdeen Golf Club.  SATURDAY'S RESULTS  Moray Golf Club Old Course, Lossiemouth Semi-finals Newmachar bt Meldrum House by two holes. Mark McKechnie, Chris Simpson 0, G Watson, C McCombie 0. J Duff, R Barr 3, N Robson, C Brodie 0.  Brora bt McDonald Ellon by seven holes. Liam MacDonald, Euan Polson 3, M Stewart, Chris Gilbert 0. James McBeath, Ian Stewart 4, Kevin Duncan, Adam Dunton 0). Final Newmachar bt Brora by four holes McKechnie, Simpson 2, MacDonald, Polson 0. Duff, Barr 2, McBeath, Stewart 0.