Scott Pinckney, James Byrne and Steven McEwan at the conclusion of the SolarSport East of Scotland Open championship at Lundin Golf Club.

It's that man Byrne again! East of

Scotland Open champ by 8 shots

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
There’s simply no stopping James Byrne at the moment! The 20-year-old Banchory man, who plays on the American college circuit for Arizona State University, followed up his seven-stroke Tennant Cup win the previous weekend by winning the SolarSport East of Scotland Open amateur championship by eight shots with a professional-class total of 22-under-par 262.
That’s a record low for the Lundin links tournament, made up of rounds of 65, 63, 67 and 67 over the par-71 course which has been used as an Open qualifying test.
Byrne’s eight-stroke winning margin is probably also a record, although that will require more checking.
Since he returned from Arizona for the summer holidays, Byrne has finished joint fourth in the Scottish open amateur stroke-play, made the last 16 of the British amateur championship, won the Tennant Cup over 72 holes by seven shots by equalling the course record twice, finished second in the Open Regional Qualifying at Musselburgh – and now comes another great performance in an SGU Order of Merit event.
After three rounds at Lundin, the former Scottish boys’ stroke-play champion had a lead of ELEVEN shots but this was cut by three shots by American Scott Pinckney, an Arizona State University team-mate, whom James persuaded to come back to Scotland with him to play links golf.
Pinckney, who shaded Byrne into second place in the Open Regional Qualifying at Musselburgh at the beginning of last week, finished second at Lundin links, thanks to two great Sunday rounds of 64 and 63 (matching Byrne’s second-round as the lowest of the weekend) and a final total of 14-under-par 270.
Steven McEwan (Caprington), last year’s SGU Order of Merit winner, also put together two fine Former Scottish amateur match-play and stroke-play champion Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) did well to secure a top-1o finish in his first competitive outing since a knee cruciate operation last February. He was lying second after a second-round 65 and had another good round of 68 on Sunday morning but he must have tired in another "double-duty" day with a fourth-round 72.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71) CSS 73 71 70 70
262 James Byrne (Banchory) 65 63 67 67
270 Scott Pinckney (Arizona State Univ) 73 70 64 63.
273 Steven McEwan (Caprington) 72 69 66 66.
274 Ross Crowe (Westerhope) 71 69 66 68.
276 Mohammed Arie Irawan (Malaysia) 71 70 67 68, David Law (Hazlehead) 71 69 71 65.
277 Philip McLean (Peterhead) 71 71 67 68, James White (Lundin) 71 69 69 68.
278 Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) 73 65 68 72, Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) 74 69 68 67..
280 Brett Drewett (Australia) 70 72 69 69.
281 Mark Hillson (Craigielaw) 76 68 67 70, Mark Bookless (Sandyhills) 73 67 69 72, Lewis Kirton (Newmachar) 76 65 69 71.
282 Henry Smart (Banstead Downs) 73 70 69 70.
283 Grant McNab (Lundin) 73 70 69 71, Michael Williams (Australia) 70 73 72 68
284 Gordon Yates (Hilton Park) 72 72 70 70, Fraser McKenna (Balmore) 76 69 66 73, Nick Barr (Craigie Hill) 77 67 71 69.
285 Barry McDermott (Leven GS) 73 72 68 72, Paul Ferrier (Baberton) 72 70 76 67.
286 Ross Bell (Downfield) 72 73 70 71, Chris Harkins (Ayr Belleisle) 71 70 72 73, Bryden Macpherson (Australia) 72 68 74 72.
287 Nick Robson (Meldrum House) 76 71 68 72, Michael Daily (Erskine) 75 72 68 72, Alex Main (Thornton) 70 71 70 71, Colin Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 71 73 72 71.
288 James Hamilton (NZ) 70 74 72 72. Cameron Gray (West Kilbride) 74 71 75 68, Martin Brown (Monifieth) 76 69 72 71.
289 Bobby Rushford (Grangemouth) 74 71 70 74, Michael Main (Thornton) 71 74 71 73, Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) 69 73 73 74, Daniel Sommerville (St Andrews) 71 70 75 73.
290 James Hendrick (Pollok) 75 72 71 72.
293 Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 72 74 73 74, Francisco Pintor Smith (Spain) 76 69 75 73.
295 Raphael Becker (Brazil) 73 74 73 75.