NE ALLI GOLF INTRO FOR P AND J
Credit Cal Carson Golf Agency
From Colin Farquharson
Tel 01224 869782
LAWRIE v HUTCHEON CLASH OF SCOTTISH
TITANS AT PORTLETHEN NEXT WEEK
Paul Lawrie versus Greig Hutcheon with the North-east Golfers Alliance championship at stage is the mouth-watering prospect for the second and final round at Portlethen Golf Club next Wednesday.
The Scottish golfing Titans tied at the head of a field of 96 on five-under-par 65 after today's (Wed) first round in summer-like conditions at Buckpool Golf Club on the Moray Firth coastline - bright and sunny and with hardly a whisper of wind.
"That was my first competitive round since the European Tour event at Dubai a few weeks ago so I am pretty pleased with it," said Lawrie who is skippingthis weekend's Tour event in Morocco to support the Dons in the Scottish League Cup final on Sunday.
Buckpool conjures up great memories for Paul. He had a 10 at one hole and still won the Alliance event at this venue in 1999 ... and that year, of course, went on to win the Open at Carnoustie.
Lawrie, who cut his competitive teeth on the NE Alliance circuit as a PGA assistant at Banchory, won the championship in 1989 and 1991. Hutcheon has never won it although he came pretty close 12 months ago when he and John
Duff had the lowest 36-hole aggregates and the Newmachar amateur was adjudged the
title winner with the better second round.
Ironically, Hutcheon left his Banchory Golf Club tour attachment to play out of the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre only a few weeks ago.
"I'll have to watch what I am doing in the second round," quipped Greig. "Beating the boss is not good for one's career prospects!"
Hutcheon and Lawrie, whose playing attachment is to the Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle, led by two shots from two more ob the Paul Lawrie "stable" David Law and Jordan Findlay, both 67, but they will be absent from the Portlethen field .
They will both be playing in a German PGA developmental tour event in Egypt.
That means that Meldrum House +1 amateur Greg Watson, whose 68 included the best inward half of the day, 31, will be in third place, three off the pace, when he tees it up
in the second round.
The only other player to break 70 at Buckpool was Insch propsect Neil Young who had a 69.
Defending champion Duff has a 71.
HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS TO COM
ENDS
Published by scottishgolfview.com