McARTHUR WINS MARATHON PLAY-OFF AT PAUL L INVITATIONAL

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfviewcom 

Paul Lawrie couldn’t have written a better script for his inaugural Invitational tournament at Deeside Golf Club.

It produced one of the longest play-offs in Tartan Tour history with former Scottish amateur champion Andrew McArthur beating Kenny Ferrie from the North-east of England at the SIXTH hole of a sudden-death play-off.

They had tied on 11-under-par 199 at the end of the regulation 54 holes over the parkland course in Aberdeen’s leafy western suburbs, about half a mile from Paul Lawrie’s front door.

With a buggy shuttle service working overtime, McArthur and Ferrie halved the 18^th five times.

PGA Scotland supreme Michael McDougall then decided to use the par-3 first hole for the sixth attempt at a tie-breaker – and it worked!

McArthur birdied it to win the £4,000 first prize. Ferrie earned £3,000 for his visit to the North-east.

And Paul Lawrie himself finished third for a £2,200 pay-out – from his own prize fund - on 10-under-par 200, only one shot behind the play-off participants after a final round of five-under-par 65 (33-32), compared to the 67s by both McArthur (32-35) and Ferrie.(34-33).

Ross Cameron (McDonald Ellon_) earned £1,800 for finishing fourth on 203 with a final round of 67 (35-32).

Mark Kerr (Murrayfield), who had started the final day on level terms with McArthur and Ferrie, dropped out of contention with a double bogey at te second and bogeys at te first, fourth and fifth, and he finished with a 73 (39-34) for joint fifth place on 205 with Malcolm Isaacs (Nairn Dunbar) who signed off with a 64 (30-34). Kerr and Isaacs each went home with £1,500 for their efforts.

Former Scottish boys and men’s amateur champion David Law, a late entry to the field, finished a creditable joint 10^th on 208 with a final round of 67 (36-31).

In all 13 players had final totals under the 54-hole par of 210.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 210 (3x70)
199 Andrew McArthur (unatt) 70 62 67, Kenny Ferrie (unatt)  67 65 67 (McArthur, £4,000, bt Ferrie (£3,000) at the sixth hole of a sudden-death play-off).
200 Paul Lawrie (Paul Lawrie Foundation) 70 65 65 (£2,200).
203 Ross Cameron (McDonald Ellon) 68 68 67 (£1,800).
205 Malcolm Isaacs (Nairn Dunbar) 68 73 64, Mark Kerr (Murrayfield) 67 65 73 (£1,500 each)
206 Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) 68 68 70, Graeme Brown (Montrose Links) 70 65 71.
207 Stephen Gray (Hayston) 70 70 67.
208 David Law (Hazlehead) (am) 68 73 67, David Patrick (Elie) 70 71 67, Lindsay Mann (Carnoustie) 67 71 70.
209 Paul O’Hara (unatt) 70 68 71.
210 Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) 74 67 69, Graham Fox (East Kilbride) 70 69 71.
212 Greg McBain (Royal Dornoch) 72 71 69, Daniel Wood (Eyemouth) 70 72 70, Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) 72 69 71, Stewart Savage (Dalmuir) 68 72 72, Christopher Currie (Caldwell) 71 69 72, Scott Henderson (Kings Links) 71 70 71, Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs) 71 71 70, Kenneth Hutton (Downfield) 68 69 75.
213 Peter Smith (Deeside) 75 68 70, Alastair Love (St Andrews) 73 69 71, Paul Wardell (Whitekirk) 72 70 71, Eric Ramsay (Carnoustie) 73 67 73, Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) 71 68 74.
214 Gareth Wright (West Linton) 72 69 73.
215 Michael Patterson (unatt) 73 69 73.
217 Craig Gordon (Edinburgh GC) 72 71 74, Stephen McAllister (Renaissance Club) 69 73 75.
218  Mark Loftus (Adam Hunter Golf) 70 73 75, Lee Vannet (Carnoustie Links) 72 71 75.

Ends final totals