£5,000 CONSOLATION FOR WALLACE BOOTH, BEATEN BY BIRDIE IN PLAY-OFF

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com  Comrie's Wallace Booth earned £5,000 - his biggest payslip in a fledgling pro career - for being beaten in a play-off by Billy Hemstock (Teignmouth) in the PGA EuroPro Tour event in Ireland, the Concra Wood Open at Concra Wood Golf Club, Co Monaghan today. Booth was closer to the pin than his opponent at the first sudden-death play-off hole - the short ninth - but Hemstock holed his birdie putt and Wallace was unable to follow him in. Booth, out for most of last season with a shoulder injury, tied with Hemstock on six-under-par 210. Booth shot 73, 67 and 70 with six birdies and four bogeys in his final round. A bogey at the 17th cost him outright victory and the £10,000 jackpot prize. Hemstock scored 73, 67 and 70 with four birdies in his final round and a one-under-par run over the closing holes - he birdied the 14th and parred the rest - which was to prove decisive. But Booth, who highlighted his amateur career with a Walker Cup appearance in 2009 and helping Scotland win the Eisenhower Trophy in Australia, should be greatly encouraged by his performance. He is on the way up at last. Zack and Elliot Saltman - Elliot won last week's £10,000 prize - tied for 29th place on 218 and earned £290 each. Xack scored 71-74-73, Elliot 75-69-74. Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey), a winner on the circuit last year and in contention in the early stages of this event, had a catastrophic finish of 9-8 against the par of 4-4 for a closing 80 after earlier scores of 70 and 74. He tied for 46th and last place on 224. LEADING FINAL TOTALS Par 216 (3x72) 210 Billy Hemstock (Eng) 73 67 70, Wallace Booth (Comrie) 73 67 70 (Hemstock, £10,000, bt Booth, £5,000, at first hole of sudden-death play-off) 211 Stuart Manley (Wal) 72 71 68 (£2,500) 212 James Hepworth (Eng) 72 71 69 (£1,700). 213 Tom Haydock (Eng) 71 71 71 (£1,400). OTHER SCOTS' SCORES 218 Zack Saltman (Archerfield Links) 71 74 73, Elliot Saltman (Archerfield Links) 75 69 74 (£290 each). 224 Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey) 70 74 80 (£210).