Double win for on-form Hutcheon

Greig Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) and his amateur partner Scott Mackie (Hazlehead) played par golf to win the North-east Alliance foursomes scratch final for the Evening Express Shield.

Three up after five holes at Murcar Links, Hutcheon and Lawrie eventually won by five and three against Banchory golf writer Fergus Bisset and John Borthwick (Craibstone).

Hutcheon thus completed a North-east Alliance title double over the closing weeks of the circuit's season. He won the individual championship and has now won the foursomes tournament for a second time in three years (David Fleming was his winning partner in 2012).

The handicap championship final for the Press and Journal Shield saw a 4 and 3 win for Paul Cornfield (Hazlehead) and Alister Petrie (Oldmeldrum).

Receiving one shot from Charles Cassie (Nigg Bay) and Hamish McNaughton (Cruden Bay), Cornfield and Petrie triumphed by 4 and 3.

Like Hutcheon, Cornfield was winning the latter competition for a second time in three years. His winning partner in 2012 was Mark Lawrie (Kemnay).

McNaughton also reached the handicap final last year, when he and Alan Gall (Deeside) were the winners.

Hutcheon and Mackie jumped into a three-hole lead after only five holes at a chilly Murcar Links. Bisset and Borthwick lost the second and fourth holes to birdies and the short fifth to a bogey.

Hutcheon played a magnificent approach with a nine-iron into a slight wind to within six inches of the flagstick for a "gimme" birdie three at the second.

He then holed a tricky five-footer for a winning birdie four at the long fourth.

Bisset and Borthwick missed the green left at the short fifth and had to settle for a bogey four.

Mackie was strong with his approach putt but Hutcheon confidently holed a five-footer back the way to win the hole with a par three.

Hutcheon and Mackie strengthened their grip on the outcome by going four up at the seventh but lost the eighth to be three up at the turn.

Hutcheon and Mackie, by their own admission, had some "great, fighting halves" and the writing was on the wall for Bisset and Borthwick when their birdie at the 14th was matched by their opponents who clinch victory by winning the 15th for a five and three win.

With birdies at the second, fourth and 14th, Hutcheon and Mackie reckoned they were an approximate level par for the 15 holes played.

Cornfield and Petrie were never behind, or even pulled back to square, after winning the first two holes of the handicap championship.

Cassie and McNaughton won the fourth, lost the fifth before winning the sixth to be one down on the seventh tee.

That was as good as it got for them.          

Cornfield and Petrie won the ninth to be one up, and with the assistance of their conceded stroke, won the 10th to go three up.

That promptly became a four-hole lead at the 11th.

It was nip and tuck from there with Cassie and McNaughton winning the 12th but losing the third, then winning the 13th but losing the 15th for the match by four and three.