SOUTH-EAST DISTRICT OPEN DRAMA

GREAT SCOTT! STEWART-CATION WINS FIRST PLAY-OFF AND 72-HOLE TITLE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Balbirnie Park’s Scott Stewart-Cation, a former student at Elmwood College, Cupar, scored a double first in the South-east District Open amateur golf championship at windy Mortonhall Golf Club, Edinburgh today,
Featuring in a play-off for the first time ever, the 22-year-old full-time golfer won his first 72-hole SGU Order of Merit event.
He beat Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) at the second hole of the play-off after they had tied on two-under-par 286.
The first play-off hole was halved in bogeys and Stewart-Cation won the second and the title, the last Order of Merit event of the season.
“I reckon my short game pulled me through. I had a double bogey at the 16th in my first round and that knocked me back a bit but I still managed to finish with a 69 and added another 69 to be on six-under-par 138 at halfway on Saturday night,” said Stewart-Cation (pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency)..
“It was quite windy for the third and fourth rounds but I was able to get away with a 75 and 73 and then win the play-off. My ambition is to become a tour pro.”
Lanarkshire's Eamon Bradley (Mount Ellen), only 17, and another teenager, Aberdeen's David Law (Hazlehead), winner of the Scottish boys’ and men’s match-play titles last year, tied for third place, only a shot behind the play-off participants.
Law also finished close to the play-off players the previous Sunday in the North of Scotland open stroke-play at Inverness.
Stewart-Cation, Bradley and Law shared the lead on 213 after the third round.
Halfway pacemaker Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs), winner of the North-east District Open at Cruden Bay a fortnight ago, dropped out of contention with a third-round 79 and a final score of 74 saw him finished joint seventh.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72) CSS 74 73 74 73.
286 S Stewart-Cation (Balbirnie Park) 69 69 75 73, G Paterson (St Andrews New) 70 71 74 71.
287 E Bradley (Mount Ellen) 75 65 73 74, D Law (Hazlehead) 70 70 73 74.
288 S Rennie (Drumpellier) 69 71 78 70, M Hillson (Craigielaw) 71 72 73 72.
290 G Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 67 70 79 74, G Robertson (Silverknowes) 72 70 79 69, A Dick (Kingsknowe) 72 73 74 71.
291 S Neilson (Dunbar) 69 70 80 72, G Nicolson (Mortonhall) 70 72 75 74.
293 G Robertson (Glenbervie) 73 72 78 70, J Findlay (Fraserburgh) 74 72 77 70.
294 P McLean (Peterhead) 72 76 71 75, F Campbell (Milngavie) 75 74 70 75.
295 A Culverwell (Dunbar) 74 67 73 81, A Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 73 72 75 75, S Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 75 74 73 73.
296 S Armstrong (Turnhouse) 72 75 75 74, A Wallace (Glenbervie) 74 75 72 75.
297 E Wood (Crow Wood) 77 71 76 73.
300 P Latimer (St Andrews New) 76 71 81 72.
301 A Hain (Ladybank) 65 79 81 76, C Wood (Longniddry) 77 72 78 74.
302 L Morgan (Newbattle) 73 75 79 75.
304 C Swanston (Uphall) 73 76 79 76.
305 G Findlay (Ballumbie Castle) 73 76 78 78.
306 L Gaughan (Bathgate) 76 72 78 80
309 J Lockie (Tantallon) 73 74 81 81.
Disqualified: G Yates 77 69 82 dq.
NR: D Martin (Longniddry) 75 74 79 NR.