LLOYD SALTMAN WINS CRAIGMILLAR
PARK OPEN TO COMPLETE BIG
EARLY-SEASON SCOTTISH DOUBLE

Lloyd Saltman, the 21-year-old Craigielaw player, showed his Walker Cup class in winning the Craigmillar Park Open with 16-under-par total of 233 at the Edinburgh parkland course today (
The second round on Saturday was reduced to 10 holes because fog delayed the start of play by 2 ½ hr and there was not enough daylight left for all the field to get round twice.
Saltman became only the third player to complete the double in the big early-season events on the Scottish amateur circuit – the Scottish champion of champions’ tournament at Leven the previous weekend, followed by the Craigmillar Park Open, the first counting event for Scottish Golf Union Order of Merit points.
Saltman failed to beat the halfway cut in the Craigmillar Park Open last year and he admits that normally he takes a month or so to get into his stride on the home circuit.
“The big difference this year is that I played in the Australian stroke-play and match-play championships in March and that definitely put an edge on my game which is not usually there at the time of the Craigmillar Park Open,” said Lloyd who also paid tribute to his coach Colin Brooks, twice winner of the Northern Open, for tightening up his game.
Saltman had rounds of 66 36 (for 10 holes) 64 and 67 for 233 and he won by only one shot in the end from 20-year-old Scott Henry, last year’s Scottish open amateur stroke-play champion fro Cardross.
Without any disrespect to Henry who is obviously set for another great season, he was slightly flattered by his proximity to Saltman in the final totals.
Lloyd, having reached the turn in 30 in his final round with an eagle at the second and birdies at the first, third and six, was well clear of the field after birdies at the 12th and 14th. But Saltman cooled off down the home stretch and dropped four strokes to par over the last four holes – a double bogey at the 15th and bogeys at the 17th and 18th for 37 home.
Henry, in contrast, birdied the 16th and 17th but bogeyed the 18th when a par would have earned him a play-off. Scott’s rounds were 66, 38-, 63 and 67.
Former American college circuit player Gavin Dear (Murrayshall) produced his best SGU Order of Merit performance by tying with Perthshire team-mate and former Scottish match-play champion Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) for third place on 236.
Dear scored 67 and 39 on Saturday and then peaked with a pair of five-under-par 65s on Sunday. He reached the turn in 31 in the fourth round.
Campbell shot 70, 37, 63 and 66 for 236. He had seven birdies in flawless halves of 32 and 31 for his third-round 63.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 249 (70-39-70-70).
*Second round reduced to 10 holes because of fog delay.
233 L Saltman (Craigielaw) 66 36 64 67.
234 S Henry (Cardross) 66 38 63 67.
236 G Dear (Murrayshall) 67 69 65 65, G Campbell (Blairgowrie) 70 37 673 66.
239 M Kerr (Craigielaw) 69 37 66 67.
240 R Kellett (Colville Park) 66 38 65 71.
241 S McEwan (Caprington) 65 38 66 72, J King (Glasgow) 71 38 66 66.
242 A Lynch (Glenbervie) 67 40 68 67.
244 K McAlpine (Alyth) 63 42 75 64, C Wilkinson (Blyth) 65 40 70 69, S Armstrong (Turnhouse3) 71 35 71 67.
245 K McNicol (Carnoustie) 70 36 68 71, M Clarke (Kilmacolm) 75 32 70 68.
246 C Heslip (Monifieth) 71 35 71 69, P O’Hara (Colville Park) 65 43 69 69.
247 C Watson (East Renfrewshire) 66 39 70 72, S Hume (Murrayshall) 71 39 66 71.
248 B Edmond (Bon Accord) 67 38 70 73, G Paterson (St Andrews New) 73 36 71 68.
249 K Nicol (Fraserburgh) 69 38 72 70.
250 D Miller (Kilmacolm) 65 40 72 73, S Neilson (Craigmillar Park) 69 38 66 77, P McLean (Peterhead) 68 41 67 74.
251 R Bell (Downfield) 70 39, 72 70, B Soutar (Leven GS) 71 39 72 69.
252 D Miller (Duddingston) 66 39 72 75, P Betty (Hayston) 70 38 72 72, G Mitchell (Northern) 70 38 75 69, B Fotheringham (Forres) 73 37 77 65.