Golf: Grieve holds a narrow lead

TURNHOUSE professional Scott Grieve holds a slender lead at the top of the Edinburgh & East of Scotland Alliance going into the final counting event – next week's championship at Gullane.

Grieve's advantage over Mike Thomson, the former Scottish Mid-Amateur champion from Torwoodlee, is less than ten points, with Merchants pro Neil Colquhoun also still in the running to claim the top spot.

Greenburn's Scott Catlin is defending his title in the 36-hole championship over the No.2 and No.3 Courses at Gullane next Wednesday.

Neil Fenwick, Tom Buchanan, Terry Mathieson and David Patrick, the players who chased Catlin home 12 months ago, are in the field again, as are Capital amateur aces Scott Knowles and Stuart Smith.

They've either won outright or shared the scratch spoils in the last two Alliance outings and will be looking forward to this two-round test against the pros.

Lochend's David Graham holds a big lead in the handicap order of merit going into the final event.

Championship Draw:

No.2 Course: 8.00 P Leggate, A Harper, J Scott; 8.08 S Gilhooley, M McAllan, G Johnston; 8.16 M Louden, W Morton, D McKean; 8.24 J White, I Fyfe, D Fish; 8.32 C Imlah, W Laing, T Wilson; 8.40 G Skinner, A Wight, N Bain; 8.48 T Buchanan, R Johnston, R Denholm; 8.56 D Patrick, A Reid, K Reid; 9.04 S Callan, M Chaplin, A Mackay; 9.12 T Mathieson, A Rothney, A Marshall.

No.3 Course: 8.00 K Bisset, P Sewell, G Rodaks; 8.08 T Cordery, R Ewen, C Morris; 8.16 N Huguet, I Taylor, C Robertson; 8.24 P Wardell, S Young, A Erskine; 8.32 I Jeavons, C Fraser, S Brown; 8.40 R Buckley, G Law, I Fraser; 8.48 N Fenwick, R Neill, R Fyvie; 8.56 S Doyle, G Wither, S Knowles; 9.04 S Smith, S Catlin, D Graham; 9.12 N Colquhoun, M Thomson, S Grieve.