Elliot Saltman falls short in Challenge Tour title bid as Alvaro

 Velasco surges to 65

FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
By Martin Dempster and Nick Rodger
Elliot Saltman's bid for a first Challenge Tour victory fell agonisingly short as he was pipped by Spaniard Alvaro Velasco in the Fred Olsen Challenge de España.
Five shots clear at the halfway stage and two in front going into the final round, Saltman got off to a promising start as he picked up two birdies in the opening three holes.
However, costly dropped shots at the fifth and eighth saw him overtaken by Velasco, who went on to card a closing round of 65 to become the first home winner of the event in 11 years.
The Spaniard finished on 18-under par 266, two strokes clear of Saltman, who signed for a final-round 69 in second place.
That smashed the Scot's best Challenge Tour finish – tied 21st in the 2008 Reale Challenge de Espana and the 2009 SWALEC Wales Challenge
"I played very well for three days and if someone had told me at the start of the week I'd finish second I would not have believed it," said the Archerfield Links player who earned 16,500 Euros for his performance (Velasco's cash prize was 24,000 Euros).
"I'm pleased for Alvaro, he played great, but this week I proved my golf is good enough to contend and my mental side is also working well."
George Murray, winner of the Scottish Hydro Challenge in Aviemore a fortnight ago, cemented his position in the order of merit by tying for fifth on 12-under after a closing 68. Callum Macaulay (69) and Lloyd Saltman (67) tied for 11th on 10-under after strong finishes.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x72)
Prize money in Euros
266 A Velasco (Esp) 70 63 68 65 (24,000).
268 E Saltman (Sco) 63 64 72 69 (16,500).
269 F De Vries (Ned) 70 68 64 67 (10,500).
271 M Laskey (Wal) 66 68 69 68 (9,000).
272 J Moul (Eng) 68 68 69 67, J Little (Eng) 66 66 69 71, G Murray (Sco) 69 65 70 68 (6,100 each).
273 J Legarrea (Esp) 67 70 68 68, B Evans (Eng) 68 71 67 67, C Moriarty (Irl) 65 73 71 64 (3,700 each).
274 D Denison (Eng) 67 70 69 68, C Macaulay (Sco) 70 67 68 69, D Ulrich (Sui) 72 66 67 69, A Bernadet (Fra) 68 66 70 70, A Salto (Esp) 66 71 67 70, O David (Fra) 67 69 69 69, J Sjöholm (Swe) 68 68 66 72 (2,550 each).
275 A Tadini (Ita) 66 70 68 71, L Saltman (Sco) 70 68 70 67, M Baldwin (Eng) 69 71 68 67, M Quiros (Esp) 71 66 66 72, J Campillo (Esp) 68 70 66 71, H Bacher (Aut) 70 68 68 69, P Oriol (Esp) 68 69 69 69 (1,614 each).
276 A Garcia-Heredia (Esp) 68 70 66 72, S Tiley (Eng) 68 70 67 71, R Kind (Ned) 71 69 66 70, C Smith (Wal) 69 68 70 69 (1,335 each).
277 A Johnston (Eng) 70 68 71 68, I Urquizu (Esp) 69 70 69 69, G Watremez (Bel) 73 68 67 69, N Bollini (US) 67 67 73 70, R Thuillier (Fra) 68 71 70 68, P Relecom (Bel) 72 69 68 68 (1,185 each).
278 A Willey (Eng) 70 69 70 69, T Remkes (Ned) 71 68 69 70, J Cunliffe (RSA) 72 67 70 69, M Bliss (Can) 68 70 69 71, T Whitehouse (Eng) 71 68 70 69, C Baker (USA) 68 70 68 72 (1,005 each.
279 M Higley (Eng) 71 70 68 70, G Woodman (Eng) 73 67 71 68, S Arnold (Aus) 67 73 72 67, S Manley (Wal) 70 70 70 69, A Ahokas (Fin) 73 68 68 70, M Cobo (Esp) 69 68 69 73 (825each)
280 G Houston (Wal) 71 68 68 73, A Bruschi (Ita) 69 72 67 72, S Walker (Eng) 68 67 74 71 (690 each).
281 Z Scotland (Eng) 69 71 70 71, M Rominger (Sui) 71 68 70 72, R Quiros (Esp) 71 68 68 74, A Snobeck (Fra) 70 69 69 73 (596 each).
282 J Garcia (Esp) 68 68 73 73, F Cabrera (Arg) 71 66 76 69 (548 each).
283 A Gutierrez (Esp) 71 70 67 75, J Adarraga Gomez (Esp) 69 69 72 73, P Dwyer (Eng) 70 70 72 71 (510 each).
284 J McLean (Aus) 68 73 69 74, S Surry (Eng) 68 71 74 71, X Guzman (Esp) 69 72 68 75 (465 each).
285 G Davies (Eng) 67 74 66 78 (435)
286 S Buhl (Ger) 71 70 72 73, A Wagner (Arg) 73 68 69 76 (412 each).
287 A Maestroni (Ita) 69 71 74 73, L Matthews (Wal) 68 70 72 77 (382 each).
290 D Brooks (Eng) 72 69 71 78 (360).
** J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 66 68 68 DQ,