BAD LIGHT CALLS TIME ON TRIPLE
DEAD-HEAT FINISH AT D AND G

New Scottish professional champion Mark Loftus (Cowglen) made up a shot on overnight leaders Bob Arnott (Bishopbriggs) and Steven Gray (Hayston) for the trio to finish in a tie for victory in the Tartan Tour’s Kerr Investments Classic 36-hole pro-am at Dumfries & Galloway Golf Club today.
By the time play had ended it was too dark to start a three-man play-off so the first, second and third cash prizes were divided, giving Loftus, Arnott and Gray each a cheque for £1,723 – not back for a weekend’s work.
Loftus was the first of the trio to finish. He birdied the 18th for a 65 to post a clubhouse target of nine-under-par 131. A bogey at the 16th in halves of 33 and 32 would come back to haunt him in the final analysis.
Bob Arnott was next up and he birdied the 11th, 15th and 18th for an inward 31 and a 66 to match Loftus’s 131 total.
That put the pressure on Steven Gray, the last man to finish. Having birdied the 13th to get to nine-under-par for the tournament, Steven could not get a single birdie putt to drop as he parred the last five holes for a 66 and 131.
It was also a photo-finish in the pro-am team event with Jason McCreadie and the Re Max Property Centre trio of Alan Miller (handicap 18), Andrew Goodwin (6) and Martin Thomson (6) winning on the better last round (128 to 129) after their 36-hole net total of 249 (two scores to count) was matched by Gerrard Duncan (Westin Turnberry) and the Dumfries & Galloway Golf Club team of Keith Miller (7), James Johnstone (9) and Stan Leslie (18).


LEADING PROFESSIONALS
Par 140 (2 x 70)
131 M Loftus (Cowglen) 66 65, R Arnott (Bishopbriggs GR) 65 66, S Gray (Hayston) 65 66 (£1,723 each).
134 C Gillies (Kingsfield GR) 70 64, S Cairns (Westerwood) 68 66 (£890 each).
136 K Hutton (Downfield) 71 65, P McKechnie (Braid Hills) 70 66 (£605 each)
137 G Hutcheon (Peterculter) 69 68, E Thomson (Largs) 68 69, D Robertson (Mearns Castle) 68 69, S Taylor (Bothwell Castle) 67 70, E Cameron (Hamilton) 67 70 (£377 each)
138 C Doak (unatt) 72 66, M Urquhart (Inverness) 69 69 (£272 each).
139 C Lee (All Golf Swing Centre) 73 66, D Orr (East Renfrewshire) 72 67, J McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) 70 69, F Mann (Musselburgh) 70 69, D Park (Wishaw) 69 70 (£200 each).
140 G Law (Uphall) 70 70, M King (Kingsfield GR) 69 71, C Ronald (Carluke) 67 73 (£131 each).
141 C Kelly (Cawder) 76 65, J McKinnon (Irvine) 72 69, A Forrow (Whitecraigs) 71 70, A Crerar (King James VI) 70 71, P Wardell (Whitekirk) 70 71, J McGhee (Turnhouse) 70 71, K Glen (Royal Musselburgh) 68 73 (£99 each).
142 F McLaughlan (Bothwell Castle) 767 64, L Mann (Carnoustie) 73 69, R Cameron (McDonald Ellon) 71 71, S Syme (Dumfries & Co) 71 71, G Duncan (Westin Turnberry) 70 72, G McFarlane (Clober) 68 74, G McInnes (Murcar Links) 67 75 (£13 each).
144 G Cook (Prestonfield) 73 71, S Morrison (Glenbervie) 72 72, E Davie (Dunblane New) 72 72, A Lockhart (Ladybank) 71 73.
145 C Gordon (Edinburgh) GC) 73 72.
146 A Gorman (Cluny Clays) 73 73, R Valentine (Craigielaw) 72 74, B Mason (Drumoig DR) 71 75.
147 L Vannet (Carnoustie GL) 71 76.
148 T Buchanan (Duddingston) 73 75.
151 S Lamb (Broomieknowe) 79 72, N Huguet (Musselburgh) 76 75, J Stevenson (Braehead) 72 79.
158 S Gillespie (Burntisland) 78 80.

UPDATED ORDER OF MERIT POINTS TOTALS
1 G Hutcheon 953.75, 2 P McKechnie 841.88, 3 M Loftus 829.17, 4 D Orr 805; 5 R Arnott 796.05, 6 C Lee 738.75, 7 S Gray 696.05, 8 S Cairns 689.25, 9 C Doak 648.33, 10 C Kelly 617.58, 11 M Urquhart 601.21.