DUNCAN STEWART WINS £10,000 FIRST PRIZE ON EUROPRO TOUR

DUNCAN STEWART ... BEST DAY SINCE HE TURNED PROFESSIONAL

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Grantown on Spey's Duncan Stewart scored his first big win as a professional when he produced final round of seven under par 65 for a nine-under-par total of 207 to win the £10,000 first prize in this week's PGA EuroPro Tour Event at Wychwood Park Golf Club, Crewe.
Stewart, a former Scotland boy international,  and his old sparring partner at Jacksonville University, Florida, Russell Knox from Inverness - who last week scored his first win on the US Nationwide Tour - played successfully for four years together on the US college circuit but Knox has been far more successful than Duncan, pictured, since they both turned pro.
Stewart's brilliant last round had eight birdies and one bogey. He birdied the long first, the short second, the third, the long seventh - bogeyed the ninth - birdied the long 12thy, the 15th, the short 17th and the long 18th.
Former Scottish boys match-play champion Paul Doherty, who plays out of a South Wales base, tied for second place, only a shot behind Stewart on 208. Doherty's rounds were 74, 67 and 67. In his final round Paul birdied the long first, the third, the fifth - bogeyd the short sixth - birdied the ieghth, short 11th and long 15th.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
207 Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey) 69 73 65 (£10,000).
208 Paul Doherty (Vale Hotel) 74 67 67, Paul Grannell (Eng) 68 72 68, Adam Stott (Eng) 69 69 70 (£3,066 each).
209 Jamie Abbott (Eng) 71 73 65 (£1,400).
OTHER SCOTS SCORES
212 Shaun McAllister (Craigielaw) 72 68 72 (T12) (£625).
216 Zack Saltman (Archerfield) 73 69 74 (T26)(£325).
217 Ed Wood (Crow Wood) 70 72 75, Steven Mackie (Dunnikier Park) 71 659 77 (£292 each) (T31).
221 Stephen Gray (Hayston) 70 73 78 (47th) (£220).

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE PGA EUROPRO TOUR
Scotland's Duncan Stewart compiled a sizzling final round of 65 to win EuroPro Tour golf's ABC Solutions UK Championship by a single shot in Crewe.
"It's definitely the best moment of my pro career so far, and the round today is up there among the best of my life," said 27-year-old Stewart after winning his first EuroPro Tour event. "I didn't play golf at all last year, I'd had enough of it. But I decided to give it a go this year and see what happens.

"I think I can finish in the top five now and get on to the Challenge Tour. Another win would make sure of that."
Starting the day four shots off the lead at two under at Wychwood Park Golf Club, Stewart raced through the field with his seven-under par round. He birdied the first three holes then picked up shots at the 7th, 12th, 15th, 17th and 18th, his solitary bogey coming at the 9th.
Stewart, from Grantown on Spey in the Cairngorms, finished nine under overall for the three rounds having opened with a 69 then scored 73 yesterday. He had to wait anxiously in the clubhouse for others to finish, and for a while it looked as if his total would not be enough, as overnight co-leader Alex Belt got to 11 under with four holes to play.
But Englishman Belt suffered double bogeys at the 15th and 17th, plus a bogey at the 16th, to finish tied sixth at six under.
Scotland's Paul Doherty and Englishmen Paul Grannell and Adam Stott could all have matched Stewart by finding a birdie in the closing holes, but none of them could manage it and those three finished in a tie for second at eight under.
"I got off to a great start today, I hit it to a foot on the second and three foot on the third," said Stewart. "After the front nine, I felt that if I could get to eight or nine under I would have a chance.
"When Alex Belt got to -11 I thought it was over, but it rained heavily for the last few groups and that helped me. I was watching from the clubhouse and preparing myself for a play-off. Paul Doherty and Paul Grannell both had putts from around 15 foot on the 18th to tie but luckily for me they both missed.
"I've been playing well this season but it's not really come together until today."
Stewart previously languished in 63rd place on the Order of Merit with just £812, but has boosted his earnings by £10,000 and is now into the top ten. The top five players at the end of the season will advance to the Challenge Tour, one step away from playing alongside the golfing elite on the main European Tour.
Early in the day, Jamie Abbott fired a bogey-free 65 to finish seven under, which was good enough for fifth.
Tied with Belt on six under were Tim Dykes, Zane Scotland and David Griffiths.
The next EuroPro Tour event is the World Snooker Association Championship at the Players Golf Club near Bristol, running from Tuesday to Thursday next week.


Final Leaderboard
1 Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey) -9 (69, 73, 65 = 207)
T2 Paul Doherty (Vale Hotel) -8 (74, 67, 67 = 208)
T2 Paul Grannell (Vale Royal Abbey) -8 (68, 72, 68 = 208)
T2 Adam Stott (Reddish Vale) -8 (69, 69, 70 = 208)
5 Jamie Abbott (Fynn Valley) -7 (71, 73, 65 = 209)
T6 Tim Dykes (Penrith Golf Club) -6 (72, 69, 69 = 210)
T6 Zane Scotland (Princes) -6 (72, 69, 69 = 210)
T6 Alex Belt (The De Vere Club) -6 (68, 70, 72 = 210)
T6 David Griffiths (Sea Island) -6 (72, 66, 72 = 210)
T10 Jon White (Saunton Golf Club) -5 (72, 70, 69 = 211)
T10 Adam Runcie (Abergele) -5 (70, 71, 70 = 211)