Thrilling climax to Scottish champion of champions

EAGLE HAS LANDED - LLOYD
SALTMAN WINS PLAY-OFF
WITH 2 AT FIRST HOLE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Walker Cup man Lloyd Saltman rang the curtain down on the Scottish champion of champions tournament – the first 72-hole event of the Scottish amateur golf season –in dramatic style at Leven Links this evening.
After three-putting the 18th hole in a final round 74 to fall back into a tie on one-over-par 285 with John Gallagher (Swanston), the 21-year-old Craigielaw player sensationally holed an approach shot of 93 yards with a 60 degree lob wedge for an eagle 2 to win the sudden-death play-off almost before it had begun.
“It usually takes me a few weeks to get into my stride in a new season but I played well in the Australian stroke-play and match-play championships and I came here in very good nick,” said Lloyd.
“I’ve been working hard through the winter with my coach, Colin Brooks, and this is an early pay-off for that.”
Saltman led by three strokes at halfway after a magnificent second-round of five-under-par 66 – easily the lowest of the tournament – but a 20 to 25mph wind for the final two rounds over very hard greens saw the conditions get very tough indeed, so much so that the CSS for the Sunday rounds rose to 75, compared with 73 for the first two rounds.
Lloyd dropped back to third place as Gallagher and Scottish match-play champion Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) came with strong runs over the final round.
Gallagher three-putted the last two greens a 72 and 285.
McAlpine saddled himself with a triple bogey 7 after losing a ball off the tee at the 10th and even a birdie-eagle burst at the next two holes could not give him a cushion for bogeys at the 14th, 15th and 17th and a 76 for 288, which gave him third place.
Lloyd Saltman’s older brother, Elliot, was well in contention with one round to go but went bogey-bogey-double bogey from the seventh to the ninth and finished fourth on 290 after a closing 78.
+Picture shows Lloyd Saltman receiving the trophy from Leven Golfing Society captain Alistair Rennie.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4 x 71). CSS 73-73-75-75
285 J Gallagher (Swanston) 70 71 72 72, L Saltman (Craigielaw) 72 66 73 74 (Saltman won sudden-death play-off at first hole).
288 K McAlpine (Alyth) 71 71 70 76.
290 E Saltman (Craigielaw) 71 72 69 78.
291 M Clark (Kilmacolm) 77 69 72 73.
293 S Elder (Kirkcaldy) 71 72 77 73, J White jun (Lundin) 73 69 75 76
294 I Colquhoun (Ranfurly Castle) 70 74 72 78.
295 G Campbell (Blairgowrie) 71 70 80 74.
296 A Lynch (Glenbervie) 75 72 76 73, P O’Hara (Colville Park) 71 70 77 78.
298 A Farmer (Kilmacolm) 74 73 72 79, M Kerr (Dalmahoy) 73 72 74 79, S Borrowman (Dollar) 73 71 74 80.
299 G Dear (Murrayshall) 70 73 81 75.
301 J King (Glasgow) 72 74 77 78, K Reilly (Silverknowes) 70 74 80 77.
303 A Dick (Shotts) 76 71 80 76.
304 C Watson (East Renfrewshire) 74 73 83 74, F Pintor (Spain) 75 71 79 79.
305 B Fotheringham (Forres) 78 70 79 78.
306 S Hume (Murrayshall) 80 75 76 75.
307 A Culverwell (Dunbar) 81 75 74 77, R Kellett (Colville Park) 74 79 75 79, P McLean (Peterhead) 75 77 78 77, R Coull (Edzell) 75 73 75 84.
308 S McAllister (Craigielaw) 72 76 79 81.
309 M Grunwell (Powfoot) 75 72 82 80, S Wilson (Forfar) 70 73 82 84..
310 C Checkley (Vale of Leven) 71 74 85 80.
311 S McEwan (Barassie) 74 78 80 79.
312 R McKnight (Barassie) 74 76 75 87.
315 E Moir (Hamilton) 78 76 79 82.
318 R McKenzie (Easter Moffat) 78 79 77 84.
319 D Gillie (Galashiels) 76 82 79 82.
320 N Hamilton (Dumfries & Co) 79 80 79 82.
323 M Buchan (Cruden Bay) 79 78 81 85.
324 C Timms (Rothesay) 79 81 81 83.
326 Z Saltman (Craigielaw) 76 80 84 86.
334 M Moir (Hamilton) 88 80 82 84.

No Returns: G Sharp (St Andrews) 77 78 84 - , B Rushford (Grangemouth) 75 77 82 - , K Young (Glencorse) 77 72 77 - , L Miller (Cawder) 75 70 76 - .
Retired: G MacDonald (Callander) 74 76 - , G Taylor (Meldrum House) 70 82 83 - .