Champion of Champions Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) receives the trophy from the smartly-attired Leven Golfing Society captain Gus Black. Philip McLean (Peterhead), beaten in a play-off, is on the right (Cal Carson Golf Agency image). You can enlarge the image by clicking on it.

Campbell beats McLean in play-off

for Champion of Champions' title

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Although the last three-four seasons have not been without their successes for him, I think it's safe to say that former Scottish amateur champion Glenn Campbell was scoring his first big win since that 2005 match-play triumph at Southerness when he claimed the Scottish champion of champions’ tournament title in a dramatic post-7pm finish to the 72-hole event at Leven links this evening.
And it was the 36-year-old Campbell’s match-play tiger qualities that prevailed again.
Blairgowrie member Campbell, the head greenkeeper at Murrayshall, beat Peterhead’s 22-year-old Philip McLean, a protégé of Paul Lawrie, at the second hole of a sudden-death play-off after they had tied on five-under-par 279 over the par-71 lay-out.
Campbell, leader at halfway by two shots, still had that advantage over the field with one round to go but McLean was snapping at his heels throughout the final 18 holes.
Campbell finally cracked under the pressure when he bogeyed the very last hole with three putts downhill from about 30yd. He finished with a par-matching 71 for a five-under-par total of 279.
Two putts would have won him the title but McLean was already in the clubhouse on 279 after an impressive two-under-par 69, his second such round of the day. Impressive because although McLean is undoubtedly in my opinion a rising star, certainly in the amateur ranks, he has never really felt the heat, the pressure, call it what you will, with which anyone in contention to win a four-rounder at this level has to cope .
Scotland youth cap McLean, a full-time amateur and winner of the North-east Alliance championship last month, did not have a single bogey in his closing circuit, which underlines how well he responded to the personal challenge of being in the spotlight.
With nine holes to play he had earned himself a share of the lead with Campbell bogeying the sixth and McLean getting a 2 at the short fifth. But the experienced Blairgowrie campaigner spurted ahead again with birdies at the 10th and 12th.
McLean had also birdied the 12th but could not get another one down the home straight.
On the 18th, after an excellent approach shot, the Buchan player’s putt from 12 feet for a closing and vital birdie stayed above ground.
The first play-off hole was halved in 4 but McLean bogeyed the next – the short 15th – to lose out but his day will come, as Campbell predicted in his winner’s speech.
McLean actually lipped out with his birdie putt to finish it at the first extra hole. Both missed the green right at the short second extra hole, the 15th. McLean pitched to 7ft – and missed; Campbell pitched to 5ft and holed it for victory.
Scottish stroke play champion Wallace Booth finished third on 281 after a closing 70 which included birdies at the 10th, 12th, 13th and 14th, a purple patch which put him right in the picture, level with the pursuing McLean a five under par overall, one behind Campbell.
But Booth’s charge came off the rails with bogeys at the 15th and 17th.
WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY
Glenn Campbell: "I played very steadily on both days. That three-putt at the 72nd hole was my first of the tournament. I'm 36 but I don't think I can be considered a backnumber by beating a field of this standard in the first 72-hole event of the Scottish season.
"I have to think that I am playing better since I returned to being a full-time greenkeeper! They gave me six months off to concentrate on my golf after I won the Scottish amateur title at Southerness in 2005 and later we reached a compromise which meant I didn't work the hours I had previously worked as head greenkeeper at Murrayshall.
"But now I am back in full harness once again - by choice ... and I have to say that I prefer it this way. Working for a living suits me.
"A pity there has to be a loser in a play-off. Young Phil did well this weekend. His time will come, no doubt about it.
Philip McLean: "I'm not as disappointed at losing the play-off as I you might think. Like Glenn, I played well over Saturday and Sunday. I holed more putts over the third and fourth rounds than I did on Saturday and that made a difference.
"But, having won the North-east Alliance championship last month, and now come a close second in the first rounder of the Scottish season, I'm really looking forward to the rest of the campaign. I feel a lot more confident about where my game can take me.
"When you think that I was only first reserve to get a place in the field for the Champion of Champions with just a week or two to go, then it's worked out really well for me. I enjoyed it very much."

LIFE OF BRYAN (Fotheringham)
Bryan Fotheringham, the popular former Scotland cap from Forres, had the distinction of being the first-round leader with a six-under-par 65 in which he had a magical finish of six successive 3s. The par for the last six holes at Leven adds up to 24 shots. Bryan covered them in only 18 shots ... an eagle 3 at the 13th, a par-3 at the 15th and birdie 3s at the 14th, 16th, 17th and 18th.
"I had only 26 putts in the first round," said Bryan later. "But when I went out again on Saturday afternoon, the magic had gone. I needed 37 putts and scored a 78. But that's golf for you."
Things did not get better on Sunday for Bryan. He had another 78 in the third round a 75 in the fourth round, when he tried one of his spare putters.

FINAL ROUND SCORECARDS
Leven Links par:
OUT: 4-4-4-4-3-5-3-4-3--34. IN: 4-4-5-5-4-3-4-4-4--37

GLENN CAMPBELL: 71
OUT: 4-4-4-4-3-6-3-4-3--35. IN: 3-4-4-5-4-3-4-4-5--36
PHILIP McLEAN: 69
OUT: 4-4-4-4-2-5-3-4-3--33. IN: 4-4-4-5-4-3-4-4-4--36

PLAY-OFF (1st hole, par-4; 15th hole, par-3)
CAMPBELL: 4-3.
McLEAN: 4-4.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4 x 71). CSS 72 74 73 72
279 P McLean (Peterhead) 71 70 69 69, G Campbell (Blairgowrie) 68 69 71 71 (Campbell won sudden-death play-off at second extra hole).
281 W Booth (Comrie) 68 72 71 70.
282 P O’Hara (Colville Park) 73 70 70 69.
283 R Kellett (Colville Park) 70 69 73 71.
284 S Borrowman (Dollar) 73 73 68 70, K McNicoll (Carnoustie) 70 74 72 68
286 S Rennie (Drumpellier) 76 72 67 71, G Dear (Murrayshall) 71 74 72 69.
289 J Cairney (Irvine Ravenspark) 69 76 74 70, G Paterson (St Andrews New) 71 74 72 72.
290 P Betty (Hayston) 72 72 70 76.
291 G Yates (Hilton Park) 68 79 74 70, S Michie (Thornton) 71 75 73 72, S McEwan (Caprington) 71 73 72 75, M Main (Thornton) 71 73 77 70.
292 K Nicol (Fraserburgh) 73 78 71 70.
296 R Coull (Edzell) 70 80 73 73, M Bookless (Sandyhills) 75 74 71 76, S Armstrong (Turnhouse) 72 73 78 73, B Fotheringham (Forres) 65 78 78 75.
297 G Finlay (Ballumbie Castle) 71 73 76 77.
298 M Clark (Kilmacolm) 74 81 69 74.
299 C Checkley (Vale of Leven) 74 78 73 74.
300 A Dick (Kingsknowe) 76 78 74 72, S Stewart-Cation (Ladybank) 74 73 78 75.
301 S Wallace (Prestwick St Cuthbert) 74 75 76 76, R Carson (Dalmahoy) 72 76 76 77.
303 C Martin (Balbirnie Park) 77 77 77 72, G Bolton (Bute) 75 78 75 75, D Booth (Rotherham) 75 78 78 72, A Bews (Murcar Links) 75 75 74 79.
304 D Imrie (Thornton) 77 75 75 77, C Donaldson (Downfield) 77 77 74 76, S Graham (Blairgowrie) 69 81 82 72..
307 S Kennedy (Dumfries & Galloway) 76 80 77 74
308 J Donaldson (Falkirk Tryst) 71 83 72 82.
309 J Shanks (Irvine) 77 75 79 78.
311 G Robertson (Irvine Ravenspark) 80 81 74 76, L Pirie (Millport) 75 79 80 77
312 G McDougall (Bishopbriggs) 77 80 78 77, T McInally (Loudoun Gowf) 75 79 83 75.
315 G Lyons (Tulliallan) 80 79 78 78.
327 M Ishaq (Bonday) 87 86 73 81.

NR M Campbell (Renfrew) 74 79 79 NR.
Withdrew: C Hamilton (Ballochmyle) 74 81, A Ballantyne (Hawick) 75 84, R Stewart (Tulliallan) 75 82.