STEVENSON OUTLASTS INNES TO WIN

NORTH-EAST DISTRICT OPEN

St Andrews University graduate Gordon Stevenson, a member at Whitecraigs Golf Club, Giffnock, and former Scotland international Bryan Innes (Murcar Links) turned the North-east District Open golf championship into a two-horse race over Sunday’s final 36 holes of the four-round SGU Order of Merit event at Cruden Bay.

Stevenson, 21, a former Scottish Under-16 boys' champion,  shot rounds of 67, 70, 71 and 73 for a one-over-par total of 281.

He won by three shots from Innes, a former semi-finalist at Muirfield in the one of the last British mid-amateur championships to be played and beaten semi-finalist in the Scottish amateur championship at Royal Troon last year.
It was Stevenson's first SGU Order of Merit tournament victory. Prior to this his best golfing win was in the 2009 Boyd Quaich international students tournament over four rounds at St Andrews.

Innes had rounds of 68, 69, 72 and 75 for 284.

After Saturday’s 36 holes in calm, sunny conditions, it was Stevenson, pictured right, and Innes locked togethercin the lead on three-under-par 137 – two shots ahead of local man Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon).

Sunday morning’s third round saw the leading pair draw clear, Stevenson with a 71 for 208, Innes a 72 for 209 … with Dunton, now joined by Stephen Neilson (Dunbar) five shots back on 214.

Stevenson could not get near the Cruden Bay par of 70 in the windy conditions for the fourth round but a 73 was still two shots better than Innes for a comfortable three-shot victory on 281 to Innes’ 284.

Dunton (287), last year’s Scottish amateur champion David Law (Hazlehead) (289) and Chris Gilbert (McDonald Ellon) (290) ensured that North-east representatives filled positions 2-3-4-5, with Neilson sharing that fifth spot on 290.
It was Law's highest finish in an Order of Merit event since receiving a knuckle injury in an uprovoked assault in an Aberdeen city centre street last November. Neilson was a semi-finalist in the Allied Surveyors' Scottish amateur championship at Gullane recently.
Scott Larkin (Royal Aberdeen), winner of the previous 72-hole event on the Scottish amateur circuit, the Standard Life Leven Gold Medal, had to withdraw after injuring a wrist at the 17th in Saturday's second round.

The tournament was sponsored by Crimond Estates Ltd.

FINAL TOTALS

Par 280 (4x70)

281 Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 67 70 71 73.

284 Bryan Innes (Murcar Links) 68 69 72 75.

287 Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 69 70 7573.

289 David Law (Hazlehead) 74 69 74 72.

290 Chris Gilbert (McDonald Ellon) 69 73 77 71, Stephen Neilson (Dunbar) 72 68 74 76.

291 Colin Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 70 75 75 71, Neil Henderson (Glen) 72 73 73 73, Bobby Rushford (Grangemouth) 73 70 75 73.

293 Michael Daily (Erskine) 73 74 74 72, James Ross (Royal Burgess) 73 71 73 76.

294 Greg Nicolson (Mortonhall) 72 73 78 71, Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) 77 75 70 72, Michael Buchan (Cruden Bay) 70 72 77 75, Grant Carnie (Newburgh on Ythan) 72 75 71 76.

295 Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) 76 73 75 71.

296 Andrew Wallace (Glenbervie) 72 77 76 71, Chris Lawton (Falkirk Tryst) 74 75 74 73, Fraser Fotheringham (Nairn) 71 882 72 73, Aaron Sweeney (Carnoustie) 74 74 76 74., Anthony Bews (Murcar Links) 71 72 75 78.

300 Ed Wood (Crow Wood) 73 77 76 74.

301 Daniel Thompsett (Aboyne) 74 74 78 75.

302 Cameron Gray (West Kilbride) 72 77 77 76, Daniel Kay (Dunbar) 72 75 78 77.

303 Jamie Reid (Cruden Bay) 74 78 76 75, Stewart McCulloch (McDonald Ellon) 76 75 77 75, George Finlay (Ballumbie Castle) 73 76 76 78, Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 77 69 78 79..

304 Ross McKen (Newquay) 77 77 73 77, David Morrison (Duff House Royal) 79 72 75 78.

306 John Duff (Newmachar) 76 75 80 75, Malcolm Campbell (Swanston) 73 74 76 83.

307 Robert Carson (Dalmahoy Hotel) 84 70 76 77, Chris Robb (Inchmarlo) 75 76 79 77.

312 Hamish King (McDonald Ellon) 70 76 81 77.

315 Steven Smith (Dalmahoy Hotel) 73 77 87 78.

316 Kevin Duncan (McDonald Ellon) 78 70 88 80.

Withdrew: Mark Hillson (Craigielaw) 77 75, Scott Larkin (Royal Aberdeen) 76 73.