RECORD-SETTING PERFORMANCE BY KILMACOLM BANKER

Matthew Clark wins

'Craigmillar' by five

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Beaten in a play-off by Gavin Dear last year, Kilmacolm's Matthew Clark made no mistake in the 2010 Craigmillar Park Open but the 28-year-old banker left himself with a lot of ground to make up.
Six strokes off the pace at the start of play on Sunday, it was astonishing that Clark was not only able to overhaul everyone ahead of him - but also to finish FIVE strokes clear.
There is something about Craigmillar Park which brings out his best, certainly over the last two opens. If we accept that Martin Dempster of The Scotsman is good at maths, then worth repeating his story line that Clark is a combined 39 under par for the 2009 and 2010 Craigmillar Park Opens. That's some scoring!
Perhaps it's really the air in Edinburgh that gets Matthew's juices flowing - he won the 2007 Scottish mid-amateur championship at Duddingston.
His 72-hole aggregate of 20-under-par 260 on Sunday was a tournament record low for four rounds.
Never considered a contender for Scottish international honours in the past - winners of the Scottish mid-amateur title never are - this could be Clark's year for a first cap with so many holes in the Scotland line-up to be plugged with the departure of Gavin Dear, Wallace Booth, Paul O'Hara and others to the pro ranks.
Incidentally, what a difference seven days made for Matthew Clark. He had a No Return in the final round of the Champion of Champions' tournament at Leven the previous weekend after disappointing rounds of 74, 76 and 77. Perhaps Matthew is a better player at parkland courses than he is at links venues? We shall see as the domestic circuit unfolds.
There was some exceptionally low scoring in this year's Craigmillar Park Open. Clark's scores were 66, 68, 62 and 64 over the quirky, par-70 lay-out.
Runner-up Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) also had an eight-under 62, which helped him to lead at halfway with a 128 aggregate. Paterson's four rounds were 66, 62, 67 and 70.
Ross "Mr Consistent" Kellett (Colville Park) finished third on 267 with scores of 66, 68, 68 and 65 for 267.
Scottish boys' and men's match-play champion David Law (Hazlehead) finished joint fourth on 268, his best performance since he broke a knuckle on his left hand when he was the victim of an unprovoked assault on an Aberdeen city centre street back in November.
Former Scottish youths champion Scott Borrowman (Dollar) was lying joint second at halfway after a pair of five-under-par 65s for 130 on Saturday. Somebody turned Scott's switch to "off" on Sunday ... he required 151 shots for the third and fourth rounds of 74 and 77.
To be fair to Scott, for a player of his quality to slump so much suggests that he injured himself in some way early in the third round. It would be interesting to hear if this was the case.
Players had to score one-under-par 139 or better for the first 36 holes to qualify for the last two rounds. The "failures" included such big names as former Scottish champion Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) on 141, former British boys title-winner Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh), also on 141, last year's Leven Gold Medal winner Philip McLean (Peterhead) on 143 and Steven McEwan (Caprington) on 146,

FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x72)
260 Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) 66 68 62 64.
265 Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) 66 62 67 70.
267 Ross Kellett (Colville Park) 66 68 68 65.
268 Jack Senior (Heysham) 72 65 66 65, Gordon Yates (Hilton Park) 69 66 67 66, Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) 64 69 69 66, David Law (Hazlehead) 69 62 69 68.
269 Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) 63 68 68 70, Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) 63 67 68 71.
270 Roger Roper (Wike Ridge, Leeds) 74 64 66 66.
271 Robert Gill (Craigmillar Park) 71 67 63 70, William Bremner (Edzell) 68 69 66 68, Fraser McKenna (Balmore) 67 69 65 70, Liam McGowan (St Andrews New) 66 69 71 65, James Whitelaw (Mouse Valley, USA) 68 65 66 72, Paul Shields (Kirkhill) 64 66 69 72.
272 Tom Caldwell (Silverknowes) 64 72 66 70.
275 Stephen Neilson (Craigmillar Park) 69 68 71 67, Mark Hillson (Craigielaw) 67 66 70 72, Tom Blennerhassett (Marriott Dalmahoy) 68 63 72 72.
276 Ross Bell (Downfield) 70 64 75 67.
277 Scott McGrenaghan (Cochrane Castle) 68 69 71 69.
278 Sean McGarvey (Glencorse) 72 64 74 68, Paul Betty (Hayston) 67 68 70 73.
279 David Booth (Rotherham) 68 70 72 69, Andrew Lynch (Glenbervie) 68 69 69 73, Paul Gault (Westerwood) 67 65 75 72.
280 Keith Hamilton (Ayr Belleisle) 67 71 74 68.
281 Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) 68 69 71 73, Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 65 65 74 77.
285 Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 71 67 76 71, Mark Bookless (Sandyhills) 68 69 76 72.
Retired: Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) 67 71 76 ret.
MISSED THE CUT (138 or better qualified).
139 Ross Crowe (Westerhope) 71 68, Sean Heads (Hexham) 67 72, Michael Daily (Erskine) 74 65, Andrew Wallace (Glenbervie) 65 74, Ben Sloan (Cathkin Braes) 70 69, Jamie Mackay (Kilmarnock Barassie) 67 72.
140 Scott Larkin (Banchory) 75 65, Euan Brown (Kilmarnock Barassie) 72 68, Mike Howard (Royal Birkdale) 69 71, Graham Davidson (Winterfield) 71 69.
141 Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) 69 72, Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 72 69, Myles Cunningham (Craigielaw) 71 70, Kit Holmes (Hunstanton) 74 67.
142 Duncan Martin (Longniddry) 71 71, Fraser Moore (Glenbervie) 74 68, Kevin Duncan (McDonald Ellon) 72 70, Graeme Mitchell (Braemar) 74 68.
143 Michael Main (Thornton) 71 72, Allyn Dick (Kingsknowe) 69 74, Philip McLean (Peterhead) 71 72, Michael Wilson (West Lothian) 73 70, Bobby Rushford (Grangemouth) 73 70, Michael Buchan (Cruden Bay) 73 70, David Addison (Kilmarnock Barassie) 70 73, Anthony Bews (Murcar Links) 69 74.
144 Alex Robertson (Craigmillar Park) 70 74, James Hendrick (Pollock) 74 70.
145 Colin Baird (Bothwell Castle) 72 73.
146 Keith Reilly (Silverknowes) 76 70, Steven Armstrong (Turnhouse) 72 74, Steven McEwan (Caprington) 71 75.
147 Chris Lawton (Falkirk Tryst) 73 74, Daniel Sommerville (St Andrews) 78 69.
149 Aaron Howard (Glenearn) 76 73, Darren Hulston (Dollar) 76 73.
150 Scott Knowles (Kingsknowe) 74 76.
151 Neil McKinnon (Murcar Links) 71 80.
152 Derrick Williams (Duddingston) 79 73, John Duff (Newmachar) 78 74, James Barrett (Muckhart) 74 78.
No Returns: Stuart Smith (Duddingston) 69 NR, Colin Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 77 NR.