HOWIE BEATS McCLUNG IN WEATHER-SHORTENED CRAIGMILLAR PARK OPEN TITLE PLAY-OFF

Craig Howie receives the Craigmillar Park Open championship trophy from club captain John Chapman. Image by courtesy of John Ingram of Craigmillar Park Golf Club. By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com  Last year's Scottish Under-18 boys' match-play Craig Howie (Peebles) scored his first big win since that SGU junior success at Murcar Links 12 months ago when he won a weather-hit Craigmillar Open today. Howie and Kyle McClung (Wigtownshire County) tied on nine-under-par 201, Howie hitting peak form in awful weather with a 65 to mjake up a six-shot leeway on McClung, the halfway leader by two shots. High winds and rain lashed the Edinburgh venue, forcing the organisers to scrub the fourth round. But Howie and McClung did go out again in a sudden-death play-off to avoid a "dead-heat" in the first tournament of the Scottish Golf Union Order of Merit series. Howie prevailed at the third extra hole. Former Craigmillar Park Open champion Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) finished third, two shots behind the play-off participants, with Stirlng student Mathias Eggenberger, a Swiss international team player and winner of the Scottish students' individual championship at Lossiemouth in the first week of April. Defending champion Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) hauled himself into contention with a second-round, seven-under-par 63 but finished five off the pace on 205. Lowest score of the weekend was a 61 returned by Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) which gave him a two-shot lead at the end of the first round. The course record of 60 was not in danger because preferred lies were in operation. Dunton went off the boil  and finished on 207. Scott Borrowman (Dollar), winner of the Scottish Champion of Champions tournament at Leven the previous Sunday, miss the second-round cut by two shots with rounds of 70 and 72. Other big names who failed to qualify for Sunday's action were Fraser McKenna (Balmore) (73-69 for 142) and Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) (74-71 for 145). CRAIGMILLAR PARK OPEN Craigmillar Park Golf Club, Edinburgh FINAL TOTALS +Fourth round cancelled because of high winds and rain. Par 210 (3x70) CSS 69 69 71 (reduction only) 201 Craig Howie (Peebles) 68 70 66, Kyle McClung (Wigtownshire County) 63 67 71 (Howie won sudden-death play-off  at third extra hole). 203 Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) 68 64 71.  204 Mathias Eggenberger (Switzerland) 70 66 68. 205 Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 69 65 71, Steven Higgins (Gourock) 64 69 72. 206 Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) 73 63 70, Jordyn Rhind (Kingsfield) 68 68 70, Ross Bell (Downfield) 68 66 72.  207 Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie) 67 68 72, Paul Gault (Westerwood) 67 67 73, Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 61 72 74. 208 Alasdair McDougall (Elderslie) 71 66 71, Steven Armstrong (Turnhouse) 68 68 72, Kevin Duncan (Cruden Bay) 67 69 72, Michael Daily (Erskine) 68 65 75.  209 Craig Ross (Kirkhill) 66 72 71, Darren Watson (Peterhead) 68 65 76. 210 Euan Walker (Kilmarnock Barassie) 68 68 74.  211 Connor O'Neil (Pollok) 68 71 72, Michael Bacigalupo (Longniddry) 68 70 73. 212 Allyn Dick (Kingsknowe) 68 71 73, Ewan McKinnon (Comrie) 72 66 74, David Morrison (Duff House Royal) 71 65 76, Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) 67 67 78. 214 Scott Crighton (Aberdour) 67 73 74, Steven Maxwell (Windyhill) 71 69 74, Alan Sutherland (Ladybank) 71 68 75.  215 Alex Robertson (Craigmillar Park) 68 71 76, Neil Henderson (The Renaissance) 72 67 76, Jamie Savage (Cawder) 72 67 76, Darren Hulston (Dollar) 72 67 76, Mike Howard (Royal Birkdale) 67 70 78, Benn McLeod (Musselburgh) 67 69 79. 216 Alexander Wilson (The Renaissance) 73 66 77, Craig Chalmers (Cawder) 70 69 77, Daniel Kay (Dunbar) 67 71 78.217 Greig Marchbank (Dumfries and Co) 69 70 78.  218 Fraser Grant (Ralston) 73 67 78, Elliot Wilson (Goswick) 70 69 79, Ewan Scott (St Andrews)71 67 80.  225 James Hendrick (Pollok) 67 73 85.  Withdrew: Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) 71 67 wd.  +SCROLL DOWN PAST THIS PICTURE FOR A FULL LIST    OF THOSE PLAYERS WHO DID NOT MAKE THE CUT     Craig Howie and Kyle McClung before they set out in the play-off    Image by courtesy of John Ingram of Craigmillar Park Golf Club. MISSED THE CUT  141 Keith Hamilton (Ayr Belleisle) 73 68, Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) 66 75, Keith Shanks (Elie) 71 70, Anthony Blaney (Liberton) 71 70, Fraser Moore (Glenbervie) 72 69, Christopher Lamb (Newmachar) 73 68. 142 Liam Halliday (Cardross) 71 71, Kenny MacAskill (Turnberry) 74 68, Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 70 72, Fraser McKenna (Balmore) 73 69, John Duff (Newmachar) 71 71, Graham Robertson (Silverknowes) 73 69. 143 Malcolm Pennycott (Whiting Bay) 72 71, Connar Cook (Caird Park) 71 72. 144 Tom Caldwell (Silverknowes) 68 76, Jake Hogg (St Andrews New) 72 72, Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 73 71, Ryan Campbell (Falkirk) 74 70, Cameron Farrell (Cardross) 75 69. 145 Craig Watson (East Rendrewshire) 74 71, Ross Noon (Craigielaw) 72 73, Sean McGarvey (Dunbar) 73 72, Angus Carrick (Douglas Park) 74 71. 146 Alistair Hain (St Andrews) 73 73, David Wilson (Troon Welbeck) 79 67.  147 Daniel Elder (Carnoustie) 69 78. 148 Hugh Nelson (Kilsyth Lennox) 75 73, Lyle McAlpine (Royal Dornoch) 75 73, Sean Heads (Hexham) 73 75. 149 James Aitken (Alloa) 70 79, Richard Docherty (Bearsden) 73 76, Ryan Walsh (Kirkcaldy) 75 74.  154 Jamie Lamb (Lanark) 79 75, Scott Brown (Turnberry) 74 80.  No Return - David Miller (Duddingston) NR 72.