BORROWMAN IS TOP DOLLAR AT CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS OPENER

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com Dollar's Scott Borrowman  won the SGU Order of Merit title for his consistency last season and he is off and running again with a three-shot victory in the opening 72-hole event of the 2013 campaign, the Scottish Champion of Champions Tournament at Leven links. It doesn't count for this year's Order of Merit as it is not strictly an "open event, but the former Scottish youths champion and past Palmer Cup student international player looks set for another very good season on this past weekend's form. Borrowman shot rounds of 70 and 67 to surge three shots clear on five-under-par 137 at the halfway stage. Scott peaked on the inward half of that second-round 67, birdieing four of the last nine holes. That was the purple patch that separated him from the star-studded field and he was never really challenged after that. Borrowman, although off the boil, increased that lead to four shots with a third-round, one-over-par 72 on Sunday morning and he then coasted to a closing par 71 for a four under par total of 280. Runner-up was Matthew Clark of Kilmacolm on 283. Only in the final round did he return a lower score than the winner but he stuck to his task and was clear second best in the final analysis - four shots ahead of the joint third placed trio, Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar), Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) and last year's Scottish Under-18 boys' match-play champion Craig Howie (Peebles) on 287 David Wilson (Troon Welbeck), another recent winner of the Scottish boys title, finished a creditable sixth on 288. His last two rounds of 70 and 68 added up to the "Sunday best" of 138 by any player Defending champion Fraser McKenna (Balmore) finished seventh on 289. Only five shots off the pace after three rounds, he went backwards over the final 18 holes which cost him a four-over-par 75. Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), the SGU's Player of the Year in 2012, had, by his high standards, a poor tournament, finishing 19th on 12-over-par 296. James White (Lundin) suffered a wrist injury during his third round and was unable to go out again for the final circuit. Former Scottish amateur champion and past winner of the Champions' title, Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) had a hole in one at the ninth hole, using a six-iron, during his final round. FINAL TOTALS Par 284 (4x71) CSS 74 73 74 74 280 Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 70 67 72 71. 283 Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) 71 69 73 70. 287 Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) 73 74 70 70, Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) 72 70 75 70, Craig Howie (Peebles) 75 71 70 70. 288 David Wilson (Troon Welbeck) 77 73 70 68. 289 Fraser McKenna (Balmore) 71 72 71 75. 290 Conor O'Neil (Pollok) 72 74 68 76, Andrew Farmer (Kilmacolm) 73 71 75 71. 292 Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 70 73 75 74, Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) 73 74 75 70. 294 Michael Daily (Erskine) 78 70 76 70, William Bremner (Edzel) 74 72 77 71, Steven Higgins (Gourock) 72 78 71 73, Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) 75 75 70 74. 295 Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) 74 75 71 75, Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 76 74 72 73, Kyle McClung (Wigtownshire Co) 76 74 72 73. 296 Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) 75 75 73 73. 299 Fraser Moore (Glenbervie) 81 71 75 72, Stephen Machin (Cowglen) 75 76 74 74. 300 Steven McEwan (Caprington) 72 75 75 78. 301 Clark Brechin (Murcar Links) 74 77 80 70, Lindsay Blair (Grangemouth) 78 75 78 74, Allan Watson (Braehead) 70 78 76 77. 303 Scott Michie (Kinross) 80 73 78 72, Scott Crichton (Aberdour) 73 78 76 76. 304 Scott Brownlie (Burntisland) 74 75 76 79. 306 Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 76 76 79 72, Connor Neil (Blairgowrie) 76 75 81. 307 Mark Lutton (Bellshill) 74 80 73 80. 308 Stephen Renfrew (Port Bannatyne) 77 79 77 75. 309 Alan Sutherland (Ladybank) 81 77 76 75, Connor Cook (Caird Park) 81 71 79 78, Callum McNeill (Lauder) 79 74 81 75. 313 Gordon Miller (Cawder) 78 77 80 78. 314 David Paterson (Leven GS) 80 80 76 78, Dean Armstrong (Lochmaben) 80 77 78 79, Scott Graham (Arbroath Artisan) 80 75 79 80. 316 Paul Ratcliffe (Thornton) 73 75 83 85 317 David Gardner (Broomieknowe) 76 77 81 83 321 Declan Dooey (Colville Park) 77 84 80 80 322 Chris Brown (Marriott Dalmahoy) 81 76 82 83. Withdrew: Allyn Dick (Shotts) 72 77 wd, Brian Erskine (Merchants of Edinburgh) 83 73 wd, Ross Bell (Downfield) 79 77 wd, James White (Lundin) 76 71 75 wd. Retired: Graham Gordon (Newmachar) 72 73 76 ret. Disq - Steven Aitken (Falkirk Tryst) 76 71 80 dq.