Murcar Links' Bryan Innes is top home Scot in third place at Glasgow Gailes

Vive la France! Wattel wins

Scottish open title by six

FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
Romain Wattel continued the trend of French success in the Home of Golf with an emphatic six-shot victory in the Scottish men's open amateur stroke-play championship at Glasgow Golf Club’s Gailes links course in Ayrshire today.
The 19-year-old French champion, pictured right by courtesy of the Scottish Golf Union, recovered from a double-bogey 6 on the opening hole of the final round after losing a ball to post a final round 69 and a nine-under-par aggregate total of 275. Englishman Billy Hemstock, bronze medallist in the European amateur championship last year, clinched the runners-up spot after a final round 70 left him on 281.
Bryan Innes, a one-time Scotland cap from Murcar Links, produced a stirring final round, equalling the best of the day 69 to leave him third on 285, one-over par for the championship. Glenbervie’s Stirling University student Graeme Robertson finished tied fourth on 287 alongside Matthew Nixon and Wattel’s French compatriot Guilluame Cambis.
Wattel’s success is the latest in a long list of French triumphs in Scotland, including Gregory Havret’s wins at the Scottish Open and Johnnie Walker Championship, Thomas Levet’s 2004 victory at Loch Lomond and Gladys Nocera’s capture of the 2008 Ladies Scottish Open.
A delighted Wattel said:
“I am very happy to win in Scotland and join some of the great French golfers who have won here. This is my first win in the UK which is a big honour.”
“The key was to stay focused, keep concentrating throughout the round and hole some good putts which I managed to do. I was quite nervous after starting the final round with a double bogey but I put it to the back of my mind and kept my cool.”
The Frenchman, who defeated Scotland’s Ross Kellett in the final of the Argentinean Amateur Championship last year, shot rounds of 68, 67, 71 and 69 and was never behind from the middle of the second round onwards.
Devon’s Billy Hemstock birdied three of the last four holes to finish of a good week, while Innes, who helped the North-east to victory in the recent Moneygate Scottish Area Team Championship, stormed home in three-under par this afternoon to cap an excellent fortnight for the 40-year-old, a semi-finalist at the Scottish Amateur Championship at Royal Troon last year.
“It’s been a good couple of weeks for me and I’m delighted with the way I’ve played at Gailes this weekend. My putting was great and I kept the ball in play off the tee, although I was giving some of these young guys about 70 yards in length,” admitted Innes.
“My game is suited to tough courses and it’s nice to have two bronze medals from Royal Troon last year and the Stroke Play this year. It’s not easy competing at this level with working full time and having two kids to look after, but I’ve proved again I can do it.”
Leven’s Brian Soutar finished strongly in a tie for seventh with Korean Ji Jeong and New Zealander Ben Campbell, while Kris Nicol was in joint tenth on five-over par alongside fellow Scot Peter Latimer (St Andrews New) and first round leader Chris Lloyd from Bristol.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71)
275 WATTEL, Romain (France) 68 67 71 69.
281 HEMSTOCK, Billy (Teignmouth) 67 70 74 70.
283 INNES, Bryan (Murcar Links) 70 71 75 69.
287 NIXON, Matthew (Ashton-Under-Lyne) 71 73 72 71, ROBERTSON, Graeme (Glenbervie) 71 72 70 74, CAMBIS, Guillaume (France) 73 70 71 73.
288 SOUTAR, Brian (Leven GS) 71 73 71 73, CAMPBELL, Ben (NZ) 72 70 74 72, JEONG, Jin (South Korea) 69 72 75 72.
289 LATIMER, Peter (St Andrews New) 71 74 74 70, NICOL, Kris (Fraserburgh) 73 70 74 72, WRIGHT, Darren (Rowlands Castle) 70 70 72 77, LLOYD, Chris (Kendleshire) 66 73 80 70, SENIOR, Jack (Heysham) 71 68 73 77.
290 BELL, Ross (Downfield) 75 70 74 71, McLEAN, Philip (Peterhead) 70 71 75 74.
291 CUTLER, Paul (Portstewart) 72 73 73 73, HOWARD, Paul (Southport & Ainsdale) 75 69 73 74, SMITH, Richard (Notts) 69 70 79 73.
292 WHITE, James (Lundin) 73 69 75 75, WINSTANLEY, Ian (Formby) 70 70 74 78, HARKINS, Chris (Ayr Belleisle) 71 68 79 74.
293 ROBINSON, James (Southport & Ainsdale) 73 70 76 74,YATES, Gordon (Hilton Park) 74 68 75 76,
294 HILLSON, Mark (Craigielaw) 72 72 75 77, SHIELDS, Paul (Kirkhill) 71 73 77 75.
297 WOOD, Ed (Crow Wood) 74 70 77 76, DUNTON, Adam (McDonald Ellon) 71 72 80 74.
298 WALLACE, Andrew (Glenbervie) 70 74 75 79, McEWAN, Steven (Caprington) 75 69 74 80, ZUNIC, Jordan (Australia) 68 76 79 75, PALMER, Andrew (Chorley) 72 71 79 76, BOOKLESS, Mark (Sandyhills) 70 73 81 74.
299 McPHEE, Paul (King James VI) 72 73 78 76.
300 BOLTON, Sandy (Goring & Streatley) 72 73 75 80, GIBSON, Scott (Southerness) 72 70 84 74.
301 REDFORD, Ian (St Andrews New) 73 71 81 76.
302 RENNIE, Steven (Drumpellier) 73 72 77 80, DOCHERTY, Richard (Bearsden) 72 73 76 81.
303 ALEXANDER, Paul (Caldwell) 72 71 81 79.
304 COWAN, Rob (Canada) 71 73 77 83.
306 CROWE, Ross (Westerhope) 69 75 83 79, CRICHTON, Scott (Aberdour) 77 67 77 85.