DINWIDDIE WINS SCOTTISH CHALLENGE PRIZE
FROM McLEARY WITH 20-UNDER-PAR 268

By MICHAEL GIBBONS
Press Officer, European Challenge Tour

Robert Dinwiddie cantered to a four-shot victory at the Scottish Challenge presented by Bank of Scotland Corporate title with a final round performance oozing class and confidence at the Macdonald Cardrona Hotel Golf and Country Club, near Peebles today.
The 24 year old Englishman, a member of the 2005 GB&I Walker Cup team, may have bogeyed the last hole of the tournament, but by that time he had written his name on the trophy and first place cheque for €32,000.
Dinwiddie signed off with an excellent five under par 67 to record a winning total of 20 under par 268 – four strokes clear of second placed Jamie McLeary from Kinross.
Dinwiddie, who reset the Cardrona professional course record with a second round 63, was in imperious form throughout the four days and thoroughly deserved his maiden professional victory.
“It is always going to be a milestone to get you first professional win and to do it in the UK makes it that little bit more special,” said Dinwiddie who hails from the North of England.
“It’s also a great feeling to win in my first year as a professional because it means I am improving and progressing. I always felt that I was good enough to win on the Challenge Tour but saying and doing it are two different things so I am delighted to have won.”
With a packed leaderboard just a few strokes behind Dinwiddie at the start of the day, it was hard to escape the notion that someone would emerge from the chasing pack to pile the pressure on the Englishman.
That charge came in the form of McLeary and Irishman David Higgins, but, in terms of the outcome of the tournament, was rendered meaningless by Dinwiddie’s sensational form.
Five birdies on the front nine from Dinwiddie mean there was only ever going to be one winner, but McLeary and Higgins did their own causes no harm with their final round surges.
Higgins' outstanding seven under 65 that contained a hole in one at the par-3 fifth hole catapulted him from 21st place to third on the final leaderboard.
McLeary’s rousing finish of four birdies in his closing five holes ensured a final round 67 and the second place prize money of €22,000.
That was good enough to see the Scot vault 75 places on the Challenge Tour rankings, from 101st to 26th, while Higgins also made a significant move from 126th to 46th.
Other big movers following the Challenge Tour’s third richest event on the 2007 schedule included Dutchman Joost Luiten, whose share of fourth place took him back to the top of the Rankings.
Felipe Aguilar of Chile moved to second place, while the Scottish Challenge presented by Bank of Scotland champion climbed to eighth spot.
Walker Cup Scot Lloyd Saltman will have been encouraged with his joint fourth place finish
on 275. It augurs well for his professional career which will start after next month's match against the United States at Royal County Down, Northern Ireland.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72). 6,990yd.
268 Robert Dinwiddie (Eng) 70 63 68 67.
272 Jamie McLeary (Sco) 67 72 66 67.
273 David Higgins (Ire) 69 69 70 65.
275 Jamie Donaldson (Wal ) 68 68 68 71, Andrew McArthur (Sco) 66 69 72 68, Joost Luiten (Ned) 69 66 70 70, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 70 66 70 69, Carlos Del Moral (Esp) 70 70 69 66, Lloyd Saltman (Sco) (am) 70 69 66 70.
276 Stuart Manley (Wal) 64 73 69 70, Eric Ramsay (Sco) 66 68 71 71.
277 George Murray (Sco) 70 68 65 74, Hernan Rey (Arg) 66 71 72 68, Peter Whiteford (Sco) 66 67 71 73.
278 Peter Baker (Eng ) 70 68 69 71; David Dixon (Eng) 72 68 67 71, Anders Schmidt Hansen (Den) 73 66 69 70.
279 Gustavo Rojas (Arg ) 71 69 68 71; Colm Moriarty (Irl ) 69 72 67 71; David Patrick (Sco ) 67 69 71 72, Alvaro Velasco (Esp ) 65 71 69 74;
280 Christian Reimbold (Ger ) 69 68 68 75; Dean Robertson (Sco ) 70 69 70 71; Simon Thornton (Irl ) 70 71 67 72; François Calmels (Fra ) 70 71 69 70; André Bossert (Sui ) 68 68 70 74;
281 Manuel Merizalde (Col ) 68 71 71 71; Chris Gane (Eng ) 68 72 68 73; Gary Clark (Eng) 71 70 69 71; Gareth Maybin (Nir ) 68 71 72 70; Kariem Baraka (Ger ) 72 67 72 70;
282 Julio Zapata (Arg ) 72 69 75 66; Liam Bond (Wal ) 71 68 73 70; Craig Williams (Wal) 67 71 71 73;
283 Richie Ramsay (Sco ) 67 70 72 74; Scott Henderson (Sco) 68 71 71 73; Luis Claverie (Esp ) 70 71 70 72; Ricardo Santos (Por ) 68 71 71 73; François Delamontagne (Fra) 68 72 71 72; Duncan Stewart (Sco) (am) 68 68 71 76.
284 Matt Ford (Eng ) 69 68 76 71; Paul Nilbrink (Nor) 72 69 72 71; Peter Fowler (Aus) 68 73 70 73; Jean Hugo (Rsa ) 71 67 72 74; Inder Van Weerelt (Ned ) 69 69 77 69; Anthony Snobeck (Fra ) 69 71 73 71; Alvaro Salto (Esp) 70 68 73 73;
285 Gary Marks (Eng ) 70 69 75 71; Greig Hutcheon (Sco) 73 66 72 74; Mahal Pearce (Nzl) 70 70 72 73; Stuart Davis (Eng ) 74 67 73 71; Rolf Muntz (Ned ) 70 68 69 78; Gareth Paddison (Nzl ) 70 69 74 72;
286 Euan Little (Sco ) 73 65 73 75; Stephen Scahill (Nzl) 71 70 71 74; John Mellor (Eng ) 68 68 70 80; Jan-Are Larsen (Nor ) 65 74 78 69;
287 James Ablett (Eng ) 66 75 72 74; Oskar Bergman (Swe) 71 69 75 72; Jerome Theunis (Bel ) 69 72 69 77;
288 Raphaël De Sousa (Sui ) 66 72 81 69; Scott Jamieson (Sco ) 73 67 72 76.
289 Chris Kelly (Sco ) 72 68 72 77; Van Phillips (Eng ) 68 71 74 76;
290 James H Williams (Wal ) 71 69 74 76; Adrien Mörk (Fra ) 70 71 74 75; Felipe Aguilar (Chi ) 67 72 75 76; Kevin McAlpine (Sco) (am) 67 73 70 80.
295 Murray Urquhart (Sco ) 68 72 82 73;