The sweet smile of success - Duncan Stewart with the East of Scotland Open amateur championship trophy.

DUNCAN STEWART SIGNS OFF WITH A 64 TO

WIN EAST OF SCOTLAND OPEN BY FOUR

STROKES FROM CALLUM MACAULAY

Highlander Duncan Stewart scaled some personal peaks to win the East of Scotland Open amateur golf championship at Lundin Golf Club, Fife today.

The 23-year-old from Grantown on Spey, recently returned after four successful years on the American college circuit as a student at Jacksonville University, Florida, produced a brilliant last round of seven-under-par 64 to win by four shots from Callum Macaulay (Tulliallan) who was level with Duncan with one round to go.

Stewart's earlier rounds were 67, 71 and 70 and his final total was 12-under-par 272.

Macaulay, beaten semi-finalist in the recent British amateur championship and, like Stewart, home after four years golf in America as a student at the University of Mississippi, had scores of 67, 72, 69 and 68 for 276.

"I just love these greens," said Duncan who had only 27 putts in his final round of eight birdies – at the third, sixth, seventh, ninth, 10^th, 12^th and 16^th in halves of 32 (four under par) and 32 (three under pars).

"Hard to believe I played so badly in my practice round on Friday, that my partners were laughing at me. I seriously thought about pulling out of the tournament because I didn't think I could break 80 playing like that.

But I decided to have a go – and everything fell into place."

Duncan won the prestigious Chiberta Grand Priz over 72 holes in France last year and retained the North District championship within days of coming home from the States. But this is his first SGU Order of Merit 72-hole tournament success. He lost a play-off for the North-east Open title to Mark Kerr at Deeside two years ago.

Stewart did not make all the running. Macaulay took the lead on the inward half of Saturday's second round, played in torrential rain, but dropped three shots within sight of the clubhouse, that would come back to haunt him.

Then Callum, hanging on to Stewart's bootlaces throughout, hauled himself into the lead near the end of the third round – but took three from the edge of the 18^th green and a bogey allowed Stewart to go in for Sunday lunch sharing the lead.

Then came Duncan's birdie fireworks as thunder rumbled around the course with a soaking shower every so often.

Gavin Dear (Murrayshall) pulled himself into the picture with a third-round 66 and finished joint third with former Scottish match-play champion Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) on 280. Gavin was officially placed third after a countback. Both had a final round of 69.

The 72-hole tournament finished just in time. The heavens opened as the prizegiving took place in the clubhouse and so intense was the rain that the greens were awash in next to no time.

FINAL TOTALS

Par 284 (4 x 71). 6,371yd. CSS 73 74 71 71

272 D Stewart (Grantown on Spey) 67 71 70 64.

276 C Macaulay (Tullialan) 67 72 69 68.

280 G Dear (Murrayshall) 76 69 66 69, G Campbell (Blairgowrie) 71 71 69 69.

281 W Booth (Comrie) 68 74 69 70.

282 P O'Hara (Colville Park) 73 72 68 69.

283 J White (Lundin) 76 69 70 68.

284 M Lamb (Haddington) 74 69 72 69, M Hillson (Craigielaw) 73 70 70 71, S Henry (Cardross) 68 73 69 74.

285 S Neilson (Dunbar) 72 70 69 74.

286 G Paterson (St Andrews New) 73 73 70 70

287 R McCarthy (The Island) 72 71 74 70.

288 A Main (Thornton) 76 74 68 70, J Hamilton (NZ) 74 71 73 70.

289 D Downie (Sutton) 70 73 76 70, R Dixon (Barassie) 75 68 71 75.

290 Z Saltman (Craigielaw) 75 76 72 67, S Mann (Carnoustie) 70 78 73 69.

291 R Crowe (Newcastle United) 76 76 70 69, C Watson (East Renfrewshire) 74 77 69 71, A Lynch (Glenbervie) 74 76 71 70, M Stewart (Troon Welbeck) 72 72 79 68, S McAllister (Craigielaw) 69 74 72 76.

292 B Soutar (Leven GS) 70 74 72 76.
293 D Sommerville (St Andrews) 73 77 70 73, G Yates (Hilton Park) 72 77 72 72.

294 T Mathieson (Murcar Links) 72 77 73 72, I Colquhoun (Glasgow) 73 75 74 72.

295 D Gould (Ladybank) 74 77 70 74, K Nicol (Fraserburgh) 74 76 72 73.

296 R Carson (Dalmahoy) 75 75 72 74, S Clark (Haggs Castle) 75 75 73 73, J Mathers (Haggs Castle) 72 77 74 73.

297 B Fotheringham (Forres) 75 76 74 72, Z Culverwell (Dunbar) 71 77 72 77.

299 R Bell (Downfield) 71 78 76 74.

300 M Clark (Kilmacolm) 73 78 75 74.

301 S McEwan (Caprington) 74 78 73 76.

305 G Turner (West Linton) 78 73 74 80, N McBride (Cowglen) 73 78 77 77.

NON-QUALIFIERS

153 E Polson (Inverness) 76 77, J Clarke (Royal Montrose) 78 75, S Elder (Kirkcaldy) 79 74, J Paterson (Hayston) 80 73, J Yuille (Royal Burgess) 76 77, S Herald (Whitecraigs) 77 76, S Hume (Murrayshall) 79 74, M Kerr (Craigielaw) 73 80, G Smith (Stirling) 78 75.

154 J Welsh (Australia) 76 78, S Machin (Cowglen) 76 78.

155 M Cunningham (Longdiddry) 78 77, E Brown (Barassie) 73 82, M Main (Thornton) 80 75.

156 C Gray (West Kilbride) 74 82, K Mathieson (Royal Dornoch) 76 80, D Simpson (Crieff) 76 80, G Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 77 79, I Rennie (Royal Dornoch) 74 82.

157 J Farmer (St Andrews) 80 77.

158 C Haugh (Cathkin Braes) 82 76, R Noon (Longniddry) 81 77.

159 R Leeds (Muckhart) 81 78.

160 E Malcolm (Dunfermline), A Howard (Murrayshall) 77 83.

Withdrew from second round: G McNab (Leven Thistle) 75 -, L Miller (Cawder) 76 -, C Mundie (Falkirk) 76 -, P Betty (Hayston) 77 -, S Larkin (Banchory) 78 -, S Michie (Thornton) 78 -, S Rennie (Airdrie) 81 -, G Findlay (Ballumbie Castle) 78 – N Moore (St Andrews New) 83 -, J Puterbaugh (US) 84 -.