Interesting what he says............also interesting to note the name of the competitor that shot 85....chopper!!
BELLY-PUTTER SHOULD BE BANNED - SAYS WINNER IAN BRATTON
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Newburgh club pro Ian Bratton shot a three-under-par 68 to chalk up his third win of the North-east Golfers' Alliance season at Murcar Links today.
But whereas his early-season successes were achieved with a conventional putter, this was his first since he switched to a belly-putter.
"I've been using it for a month and what a difference it makes. I had only 29 putts today. Having said that, they're going to have to ban the belly-putter," said Bratton (pictured).
"It's not really a golf stroke. By anchoring the putter in your mid-riff you are able to get a so-smooth pendulum swing you can never duplicate with a normal putting stance. It should be declared illegal and probably will be within the next two or three years," said Bratton who was two over par after bogeys at the first and third.
He covered the remaining 15 holes in five under par, five birdies, including three in a row, coming in a purple patch of seven holes from the fourth to the 10th.
Bratton, who is still waiting for an operation on his left wrist which was, as usual, quite painful by the end of his round, headed a field of 85 in spring-like temperatures but a bit of a breeze by a single shot from Inchmarlo Golf Centre staff pro Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick's eagle 2 at the 17th, where he holed a nine iron approach, left him needing a birdie at the last to win and a par to tie. Instead he missed the green with his second and took three more to get down for a bogey 5 and a 69.
Former North-east Alliance champion Bill Urquhart, making a rare appearance these days, finished third over his home course with a round of 70.
LEADING SCRATCH
Par 71. Yardage: 6,516
68 I Bratton (Newburgh)
69 R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo).
70 W S Urquhart (Murcar Links).
71 L Vannet (Carnoustie Links), B Nicolson (Auchmill), S Larkin (Royal Aberdeen).
72 K Nicol (Fraserburgh).
73 C Nelson (Mackenzie Shop), G Paterson (Northern), S Finnie (Caledonian), G Nethercott (Deeside), J Duff (Newmachar), C Dempster (Inchmarlo), K Duncan (McDonald Ellon), R McKen (Newburgh).
74 T Mathieson (Murcar Links), D Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen), J Mitchell (Fraserburgh), M Lawrie (Kemnay), F Clarke (Newmachar).
75 A Smith (Turriff), A Campbell (Deeside).
76 J Nicolson (Auchmill).
77 B Harper (Newburgh), R Lamb (Newmachar), C Alexander (Murcar Links).
78 K Watson (Deeside), M Forster (Cruden Bay), A Gall (Deeside), D Fleming (Portlethen), G Milne (Newburgh), J Forrest (Murcar Links).
79 J Hopwood (Carnegie), D Leslie (Northern), M Merchant (Newmachar).
80 C Brown (Kemnay), Laura Murray (Alford), M Duncan (Murcar Links), L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen). L Roger (Royal Aberdeen).
81 E Kennedy (Newmachar), J Duncan (Newburgh), A Graham (Aboyne), J Murray (Banchory), W McKenzie (Berryhill DR).
82 Claire Prouse (Hazlehead).
83 C Carnegie (Kemnay). J Thomas (Newmachar).
84 H Roulston (Stonehaven), D Wilson (Duff House Royal).
85 R Brown (Newburgh), S Davidson (Northern), B Lumsden (Northern), P Cheyne (Northern), F Bisset (Banchory), D McKay (Caledonian).
86 J Dalgarno (Hazlehead), M Booth (Kemnay), D Nelson (Aboyne), N K Parker (Murcar Links), R Orr (Auchmill).
87 P Morrison (Oldmeldrum), G Homer (Northern), W Shaw (Banchory).
88 D Bisset (Banchory), C Duffus (Kemnay).
89 J Scott (Peterculter), H McNaughton (Cruden Bay).
90 J Forrest (Northern).
91 P Cornfield (Auchmill), K Stephen (Northern).
92 J Jessiman (Oldmeldrum), D Wright (Northern).
94 M Brown (Newburgh).
95 M McLean (Murcar Links).
97 C Brindley (Banchory).
108 P Leach (Oldmeldrum).
HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS
Class 1 - M Lawrie (7) 67; B Nicolson (Auchmill) (1) 70; M Forster (Cruden Bay) (7), G Paterson (Northern) (2), J Forrest (Murcar Links) (7), C Alexander (Murcar Links) (6), A Smith (Turriff) (4) 71.
Class 2 - L Roger (Royal Aberdeen) (12) 68; J Murray (Banchory) (10), B Lumsden (Northern) (14) 71; S Davidson (Northern) (13) 72; R Brown (Newburgh) (12) 73.
BELLY-PUTTER SHOULD BE BANNED - SAYS WINNER IAN BRATTON
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Newburgh club pro Ian Bratton shot a three-under-par 68 to chalk up his third win of the North-east Golfers' Alliance season at Murcar Links today.
But whereas his early-season successes were achieved with a conventional putter, this was his first since he switched to a belly-putter.
"I've been using it for a month and what a difference it makes. I had only 29 putts today. Having said that, they're going to have to ban the belly-putter," said Bratton (pictured).
"It's not really a golf stroke. By anchoring the putter in your mid-riff you are able to get a so-smooth pendulum swing you can never duplicate with a normal putting stance. It should be declared illegal and probably will be within the next two or three years," said Bratton who was two over par after bogeys at the first and third.
He covered the remaining 15 holes in five under par, five birdies, including three in a row, coming in a purple patch of seven holes from the fourth to the 10th.
Bratton, who is still waiting for an operation on his left wrist which was, as usual, quite painful by the end of his round, headed a field of 85 in spring-like temperatures but a bit of a breeze by a single shot from Inchmarlo Golf Centre staff pro Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick's eagle 2 at the 17th, where he holed a nine iron approach, left him needing a birdie at the last to win and a par to tie. Instead he missed the green with his second and took three more to get down for a bogey 5 and a 69.
Former North-east Alliance champion Bill Urquhart, making a rare appearance these days, finished third over his home course with a round of 70.
LEADING SCRATCH
Par 71. Yardage: 6,516
68 I Bratton (Newburgh)
69 R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo).
70 W S Urquhart (Murcar Links).
71 L Vannet (Carnoustie Links), B Nicolson (Auchmill), S Larkin (Royal Aberdeen).
72 K Nicol (Fraserburgh).
73 C Nelson (Mackenzie Shop), G Paterson (Northern), S Finnie (Caledonian), G Nethercott (Deeside), J Duff (Newmachar), C Dempster (Inchmarlo), K Duncan (McDonald Ellon), R McKen (Newburgh).
74 T Mathieson (Murcar Links), D Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen), J Mitchell (Fraserburgh), M Lawrie (Kemnay), F Clarke (Newmachar).
75 A Smith (Turriff), A Campbell (Deeside).
76 J Nicolson (Auchmill).
77 B Harper (Newburgh), R Lamb (Newmachar), C Alexander (Murcar Links).
78 K Watson (Deeside), M Forster (Cruden Bay), A Gall (Deeside), D Fleming (Portlethen), G Milne (Newburgh), J Forrest (Murcar Links).
79 J Hopwood (Carnegie), D Leslie (Northern), M Merchant (Newmachar).
80 C Brown (Kemnay), Laura Murray (Alford), M Duncan (Murcar Links), L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen). L Roger (Royal Aberdeen).
81 E Kennedy (Newmachar), J Duncan (Newburgh), A Graham (Aboyne), J Murray (Banchory), W McKenzie (Berryhill DR).
82 Claire Prouse (Hazlehead).
83 C Carnegie (Kemnay). J Thomas (Newmachar).
84 H Roulston (Stonehaven), D Wilson (Duff House Royal).
85 R Brown (Newburgh), S Davidson (Northern), B Lumsden (Northern), P Cheyne (Northern), F Bisset (Banchory), D McKay (Caledonian).
86 J Dalgarno (Hazlehead), M Booth (Kemnay), D Nelson (Aboyne), N K Parker (Murcar Links), R Orr (Auchmill).
87 P Morrison (Oldmeldrum), G Homer (Northern), W Shaw (Banchory).
88 D Bisset (Banchory), C Duffus (Kemnay).
89 J Scott (Peterculter), H McNaughton (Cruden Bay).
90 J Forrest (Northern).
91 P Cornfield (Auchmill), K Stephen (Northern).
92 J Jessiman (Oldmeldrum), D Wright (Northern).
94 M Brown (Newburgh).
95 M McLean (Murcar Links).
97 C Brindley (Banchory).
108 P Leach (Oldmeldrum).
HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS
Class 1 - M Lawrie (7) 67; B Nicolson (Auchmill) (1) 70; M Forster (Cruden Bay) (7), G Paterson (Northern) (2), J Forrest (Murcar Links) (7), C Alexander (Murcar Links) (6), A Smith (Turriff) (4) 71.
Class 2 - L Roger (Royal Aberdeen) (12) 68; J Murray (Banchory) (10), B Lumsden (Northern) (14) 71; S Davidson (Northern) (13) 72; R Brown (Newburgh) (12) 73.
