HUTCHEON'S THIRD ALLIANCE WIN IN FOUR WEEKS AT CRAIBSTONE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com    Greig Hutcheon must be wishing the PGA Play-offs in Turkey were next week instead of next month. His form is currently at a high level - he won the North-east Alliance today for the third time in the past four weeks. The Banchory tour pro, pictured, won the £140 top cash prize with a four-under-par 65 on a wet Craibstone course, heading a field of 88 by two shots from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo) and David Law (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre). John Duff (Newmachar) was the leading amateur in joint fourth place on 68 alongside Kris Nicol who has also won three times on the NE Alliance in recent weeks. "I played rather well in the wet conditions," said Hutcheon. "I  stayed out of trouble off the tee and the 12-footer I sank for a 2 at the short sixth was about my longest putt. I didn't have anything higher than a 4 on my card." Hutcheon birdied the long fourth, long fifth, short sixth and two par-4s after the turn, the 14th and 16th. His only bogey came at the short 10th in halves of 32 (three under) and 33 (one under). Early starter Fitzpatrick set the clubhouse target of 67 with birdies at the second, third and 16th with only one bogey, at the 10th in halves of 33-34. Law was out in 32 and was stlll three under par with six holes to play. Even though he birdied the 14th, 16th and 18th, David finished only two under as he had a double bogey 6 (lost ball off tee with drive too far left) at the 13th and three-putted both the 15th and 17th. ALLIANCE SNIPPETS  SHORT BUT TRICKY Craibstone is a short course but that doesn't make it any easier. The figure 8 was a common occurrence on many cards and Stuart Thomson (Caley) was going well, out in 38, until he had a 10 at the 13th. THAT'S THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY Former P and J editor and one time Scottish tennis champion Harry Roulston (Stonehaven) had 45 putts in his 83. SERVICE WITH A SMILE Possibly the only minister playing Alliance golf in Scotland, the Rev Manson Merchant (Newmachar) had a creditable 78. GOLF MONTHLY FOCUS ON ALLIANCE Look out soon for a feature about the North-east Alliance in the Golf Monthly magazine. It helps that one of their writers, Fergus Bisset (Banchory), is an alliance regular. Fergus and a Golf Monthly photographer will be focusing on the forthcoming fixture at Fraserburgh. AZERBAIJAN DEBUTANT  Kamran Zeynlove (Portlethen) - born in Azerbaijan - made his debut in the NE Alliance today. Unfortunately he had a No Return. TRAHAN DEBUT AS A PRO Callum Trahan (Meldrum House), who had a +handicap as an amateur, made his debut as a pro at Craibstone today.   JOHN DID NOT MISS A GREEN John Duff (Newmachar) hit every green in regulation today - and finished leading amateur with a 68  CRAIG CONTINUES LAWRIE TRADITION Paul Lawrie cut his competitive teeth on the NE Alliance when an assistant pro at Banchory. Elder son Craig played at Craibstone today and had a 76.   SCRATCH SCORES Par 69 Yardage: 5,708 65 G Hutcheon (Banchory) 32-33 67 R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo) 33-34, D Law (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 32-35 68 John Duff (Newmachar) 35-33, K Nicol (Fraserburgh) 35-33 70 S Finnie (Caledonian) 36-34, P McLean (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 35-35 71 D Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen) 38-33, G Mitchell sen (Braemar) 36-35, Justin Duff (Fraserburgh) 37-34 72 L Morgan (Kemnay) 34-38 73 G Mitchell jun (Braemar) 39-34, D Leslie (Northern) 37-36, J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen) 39-34 74 G Munro (Fraserburgh) 37-37, J Emslie (Royal Aberdeen) 36-38, G Paterson (Northern) 37-37 75 C Nelson (Mackenzie Shop) 36-39, B Mitchell (McDonald Ellon) 37-38, J Findlay (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 40-35, A Stuart (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 37-38 76 C Cassie (Nigg Bay) 41-35, C Dempster (Inchmarlo) 36-40, J Duncan (Newburgh) 35-41, C Trahan (Meldrum House) 37-39, C Lamb (Newmachar) 37-39, L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen) 40-36, J Nicolson (Auchmill) 41-35, G Lafferty (McDonald Ellon) 38-38, W Skene (Deeside) 37-39, C Lawrie (Deeside) 38-38, S Dunn (Deeside) 37-39. 77 G Watson (Meldrum House) 40-37, T Collie (Kemnay) 40-37 78 F Clarke (Newmachar) 40-38, G Milne (Newburgh) 42-36, R Lamb (Newmachar) 39-39, M Merchant (Newmachar) 42-36, Laura Murray (Alford) 41-37, K Beveridge (Inchmarlo) 40-38. 79 A Gall (Deeside) 43-36 80 K Watson (Deeside) 44-36, M Forster (Cruden Bay) 41-39, S Mackie (Auchmill). 82 J M Hamilton (Murcar Links), S Thomson (Caledonian) 83 H Roulston (Stonehaven), D Fleming (Portlethen), M Smith (Inverurie), J Forrest (Northern) 84 B Harper (Newburgh), N Stewart (Northern), G Homer (Northern), D Nelson (Aboyne), A Petrie (Oldmeldrum), J Murray (Banchory), D Bisset (Banchory) 85 R Brown (Newburgh), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen), M Booth (Kemnay), P Cornfield (Auchmill) 86 R Orr (Kemnay), J Borthwick (Craibstone) 87 A Graham (Aboyne) 88 M Winton (Caledonian), I D Smith (Hazlehead), H McNaughton (Cruden Bay) 89 P Cheyne (Northern), Graham Allan (Newmachar), A Clark (Newmachar) 90 I Taylor (Inchmarlo), D McKay (Caledonian), W Shaw (Banchory), J Jessima (Oldmeldrum) 91 N K Parker (Murcar Links) 92 D Randall (Banchory), C Brindley (Banchory) 93 D Wright (Northern), I Grant (Huntly) 97 P Leech (Oldmeldrum) 101 S Dillon (Kemnay) HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS Class 1 - G Mitchell sen (Braemar) (4) 67; W Skene (Deeside) (8) 68; S Finnie (Caledonian) (1), D Leslie (Northern) (4, G Lafferty (McDonald Ellon) (7) 69.Class 2 - T Collie (Kemnay) (12) 65; P Cornfield (Auchmill) (15), M Smith (Inverurie) (13) 70; N Stewart (Northern) (13), S Thompson (Auchmill) (11) 71 CRAIBSTONE PAR SCORECARD OUT 4-3-4-5-5-3-3-4-4: 35.     IN 3-4-3-4-4-4-4-4-4: 34 GREIG HUTCHEON 65 OUT: 4-3-4-4-4-2-3-4-4:32   IN: 4-4-3-4-3-4-3-4-4:33  DAVID LAW 67 OUT: 4-3-4-5-4-3-3-3-3: 32   IN: 3-4-3-6-3-5-3-5-3: 35 RYAN FITZPATRICK 67 OUT: 4-2-3-5-5-3-3-4-4: 33   IN: 4-4-3-4-4-4-3-4-4: 34 JOHN DUFF 68 OUT: 4-3-4-5-5-3-3-4-4: 35   IN: 3-4-3-4-3-4-4-4-4: 33   KRIS NICOL 68 OUT: 3-4-4-4-5-3-3-5-4: 35     IN: 3-5-3-4-3-4-4-4-3: 33  STEWART FINNIE 70 OUT: 4-3-4-5-4-3-2-5-6: 36    IN: 4-4-3-4-3-4-4-4-4: 34