McARTHUR'S SMASH-AND-GRAB FIRST WIN ON Hi5 SPANISH TOUR

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com It must have been written in the stars that Andrew McArthur was going to score his first win for some time. How else can one explain the fates conspiring for the Scot to pull off a smash-and-grab victory for his first success on the Spanish Hi5 Pro Tour today. McArthur, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, played well over the three days but he had all the breaks that were a-going. The Windyhill man, winner of the 2002 Scottish amateur championship - he beat Scott Jamieson in the final - was three shots behind the leader, Walker Cup hero Andy Sullivan (Nuneaton), winner of the Scottish open amateur stroke-play championship at Blairgowrie in May, with three holes to play in the Hacienda del Alamo Futures Open at the Murcia golf resort.. Rookie pro Sullivan left the door wide open for the Scot by bogeying the 16th, but McArthur was still two shots behind on the 18th tee. McArthur, however, birdied the long 18th and Sullivan had a three-putt bogey - a two-shot swing in favour of the Scot which saw him finish the regulation play with a 68 for 13-under-par 203, the same total as Sullivan achieved with a closing 69. Then McArthur completed his come-from-behind "steal" by winning the sudden death play-off with a par at the first extra hole where Sullivan again had three putts for a bogey. Victory was worth 5,200 Euros to McArthur who also overtook Anglo-Scot Scott Drummond over the closing holes. Drummond finished third with a five-under-par 67 for 204, one stroke away from making it a three-way play-off. The hole that removed Drummond from the equation was the 17th which cost him his only bogey of the tournament. Drummond's financial reward was 1,800 Euros. McArthur and Drummond later received a 500 Euros bonus each for finishing third in the Hi5 Pro Tour Order of Merit for the year. Chris Kelly (Cawder) finished with a 71 for one-under 215 and joint 29th place. Murrayfield's Mark Kerr had a 74 for level par 216 and a share of 31st place. Kelly and Kerr both earned 143 Euros. Dutchman Reinier Saxton, leader with one round to go, dropped like a stone out of the lead, eventually signing for a 74 which earned him only a joint seventh place finish. LEADING FINAL TOTALS Par 216 (3x72) 203 Andrew McArthur (Sco) 68 67 68, Andy Sullivan (Eng) 66 68 69 (McArthur won sudden-death play-off at first extra hole). 204 Scott Drummond (Sco) 69 68 67. 205 Espen Kofstad (Nor) 68 69 68. 206 Morten Madsen (Den) 68 69 69, Jens Dantorp (Swe) 68 68 70. 207 James Ruth (Eng) 69 69 69, Matthew Webb (Eng) (am) 67 70 70, Reinier Saxton (Net) 68 65 74. OTHER SCOTS' SCORES 215 Chris Kelly 72 72 71 (T29). 216 Mark Kerr 71 71 74 (T31).