ROBB TAKES THREE-SHOT LEAD INTO SECOND
 

ROUND OF NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE CHAMPIONSHIP

    

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Former Scottish amateur champion Chris Robb (Meldrum House) from Banchory shot an excellent six-under-par 65 at Portlethen Golf Club today (Wed) and will carry over to next Wednesday's second round a three-stroke lead from Paul Lawrie (Gleneagles), who won the title "in the 1980s," and Greig Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre),  champion in 2014.
The 27-year-old Robb escaped the worst of the strong cold wind that hampered the early starters in a field of 90 competitors and made the most of a course "in very good nick, especially the greens" with halves of 33 and 32 (three under par both ways).
"I played well to get seven birdies and only one bogey," said Chris who birdied the second, third, fourth, sixth, 11th, 16th and 18th, dropping only one shot, at the seventh where he was through the green with his approach.
But Robb, pictured above, who won £170 for his sparkling effort, knows better than anyone that it is only halfway in the 36-hole championship which will be concluded at Craibstone Golf Club next Wednesday
Lawrie (33-35) and Hutcheon (34-34) are two dangerous men to have on your tail, even though Robb has a three-shot cushion.
Lawrie, who invariably plays well at Portlethen, hit every green in regulation and birdied the second, 11th and 14th. He had no bogeys.
Hutcheon three-putted the third and also bogeyed the 12th where he missed a short putt. His five birdies came at the second, fourth, fifth, 15th and 16th.

Philip McLean (Peterhead) had a 70 and John Duff (Newmachar), NE Alliance champion in 2013 and again in 2015,returned a 71.
Defending champion Sean Lawrie (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) had a double bogey 7 at the 13th in compiling a three-over 74 (36-38).

Craig Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC), NE Alliance title-winner in 2016, looks out of the running this year after a 79 which, curiously enough, included three birdie 2s: at the fifth, eighth and 17th.

Promising young Portlethen amateur Ben Murray, pictured right, was in the last four to finish after 4pm. He signed his scorecard for a 70 but actually his figures added up to 69 (or maybe it was the other way round!)
To cut a long story short, a clerical mistake was made by the player marking Ben's card. Murray failed to spot it and, unfortunately, organiser Michael MacDougall had to disqualify him.
Ben would have figured on the day's prize list and been in the mix as a championship contender over the second round. It's a hard way to learn a lesson but it should drive home to the youngster that it's HIS responsibility to check all the figures on his scorecard before he signs it.

NORTH-EAST GOLFERS' ALLIANCE 36-hole CHAMPIONSHIP
First round
Portlethen Golf Club
par 71 (36-35)
65 C Robb (Meldrum House) 33-32
68 P Lawrie (Gleneagles) 33-35, G Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 34-34.
70 P McLean (Peterhead) 35-35, B Nicolson (Newmachar) 37-33
71 J Duff (Newmachar) 35-36.
72  A Smith (Turriff) 37-35, S Finnie (Caledonian) 39-33, C Dempster (Paul Lawrie GC) 37-35.
73 K Zeynalov (Portlethen) 39-34
74 Sean Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC) 36-38
75 I Taylor (Kemnay) 37-38, P McKenna (Portlethen) 40-35
76 B Harper (Newburgh), A Campbell (Murcar Links), Laura Murray (Kippie Lodge), I Esslemont (Cruden Bay).
77 R Reid (Tarland), D Fleming (Portlethen), S Kiloh (Paul Lawrie GC)
78 J Calder (Newmachar), K Duncan (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre), B Henderson (Deeside), J Pirie (Hazlehead)
79 D Craigie (Portlethen), C Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC), D Leslie (Bon Accord), W Skene (Deeside)
80 M Herbertson (Newmachar)
81 R Blackmore (Tarland)
82 B Ritchie (Inverallochy), S Shand (Kemnay)
83 R McNeill (Westhill), J Chalmers (Alford), A Gall (Deeside), J Borthwick (Craibstone), I Still (Craibstone)
84 T Boyle (Portlethen), S Kidd (Longside), G Chalmers (Alford), I Birnie (Deeside), K Bedborough (Deeside), G Thom (Murcar Links)
85 D Booth (Tarland), G Burnett (Westhill), D Adam (Kemnay), M Lawrie (Kemnay), J Nicolson (Newmachar), D Townsley (Peterculter)
86 J Scott (Peterculter), M Smith (Newmachar)
87 G Leslie (Newburgh), J Sunley (Newmachar), R Duncan (Deeside), C Duffus (Royal Aberdeen).
88 P Morrison (Newmachar), P Cheyne (Northern), D McLean (Kemnay), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen)
89 C Cassie (Nigg Bay), S Allison (Bon Accord), S Davidson (Kemnay), S Ross (Hazlehead), N Chisholm (Kemnay), D Nelson (Aboyne)
90 J Forrest (Northern), R Coupar (Inverallochy), G Cochrane (Kemnay), G Homer (Aboyne)
91 H McNaughton (Cruden Bay)
92 J Stewart (Banchory), L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen), R Denning (Inverurie), R Ruddiman (Royal Aberdeen)
93 N K Parker (Murcar Links)
94 R Brown (Kemnay), W Beattie (Craibstone), M Rogers (Kemnay)
95 J Hosie (Kemnay), P Low (Craibstone)
97 S Christie (Aboyne), Donald Lawrie (Deeside), L Duncan (Craibstone)
99 M Brown (Kemnay)
Disqualified: B Murray (Portlethen)

NO RETURNS
D Templeton (Murcar Links)
C Craig (Kintore)
R Wright (Auchmill)
N Stewart (Northern)
K Beveridge (Kippie Lodge)

PRIZEWINNERS
SCRATCH - 65 C Robb (£170). 68 P Lawrie, G Hutcheon (£125 each). 70 P McLean (£90). 71 J Duff (£70)
HANDICAP
prizes in vouchers
Class 1 - B Nicolson (2) (bih) (£90), A Smith (4) (£80)  68; S Finnie (1) (£70) 71; D Fleming (5) (bih) (£60), I Taylor (3) (£50) 72.
Class 2 - G Thom (12) (bih) (£90), S Ross (17) (£80) 72; I Birnie (11) (£70) 73; D Townsley (11) (bih) (£60) T Boyle (10) (£50) 74.

BEST SCORECARDS:
Portlethen par 71 from yellow tees:
OUT: 4-5-4 5-3-4 4-3-4 (36). IN: 3-4-3 5-4-4 4-3-5 (35)
CHRIS ROBB 65
OUT: 4-4-3 4-3-3 5-3-4 (33). IN: 3-3-3 5-4-4 3-3-4 (32)
PAUL LAWRIE 68
OUT: 4-4-4 5-3-4 4-3-4 (35).  IN: 3-3-3 5-3-4 4-3-5 (33)
GREIG HUTCHEON 68
OUT: 4-4-5 4-2-4 4-3-4 (34).  IN: 3-4-4 4-4-4 3-3-5 (34)
PHILIP McLEAN 70
OUT: 5-4-4 5-3-4 4-3-3 (35).  IN: 3-4-3 5-4-5 4-2-5 (35)
BRIAN NICOLSON 70
OUT: 4-4-5 5-3-5 5-2-4 (37). IN: 3-4-2 4-5-3 5-3-4 (33)
JOHN DUFF 71
OUT: 4-5-4 5-3-3 3-3-5 (35).  IN: 4-4-4 5-4-4 3-4-4 (36)