McKECHNIE STRIKES AGAIN TO WIN 36-HOLE CHALLENGE

By COLIN FARQUHARSONColin@scottishgolfview.com
Paul McKechnie followed up his £10,000 victory in the PGA EuroPro Tour event at Lossiemouth last week with a storming finish to snatch the £1,100 first prize in the PGA of Scotland's Rowallan 36-hole Challenge today (Tuesday).
McKechnie was three shots off the pace with his opening par round of 71 but, with overnight leader Chris Kelly struggling, Paul raced to the front with an outward half of 30 - birdies at the first, third, fourth, sixth and ninth - and added three more at the 13th, 15th and 16th at the Rowallan Castle venue in Ayrshire
He was able to afford the luxury of bogeying the last for a six-under 65 and a four-under-par total of 136 which gave him a two-shot win from runner-up Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) (72-66). The former PGA Cup player bogeyed the first in his second round and then birdied the third, sixth, eighth, ninth, 13th and 16th to collect £800 for second place on 138.
Aberdonian Scott Henderson (Kings Links) birdied four of the last six holes for a 67 and a total of 139 which earned him the third-place prize of £600.
Paul O'Hara (Clydeway Golf) finished in a tie for fourth place on 140 with Christopher Currie (Caldwell), Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle) and Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf).
Paul earned £450 while big brother Steven O'Hara finished well out of the money, tied for 41st place on 151. O'Hara senior had a
roller-coaster second round of 78 which included seven birdies but also a 9 at the par-4 15th and double bogeys at the short second and par-5 third.
Overnight leader Kelly finished joint 16th with a 76 - eight more than his first round - for 144 and a £160 payslip.
Kelly, uncharacteristcally, had three double bogeys - at the short
second, 11th and 14th. He also had four birdies.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 142 (2x71)
136 Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) 71 65 (£1,100)
138 Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) 72 66 (£800).
139 Scott Henderson (Kings Links) 72 67 (£600).
140 Christopher Currie (Caldwell) 74 66, Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle) 71 69, Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf) 70 70, Paul O'Hara (Clydeway Golf) 69 71 (£450 each).
141 Shaun McAllister (Craigielaw) 73 68, Greg McBain (Gamola Golf) 72 69, Steven Mackie (unatt) 72 69, David Orr (Meanrs Castle) 73 68 (£12 each).
142 David Patrick (Kingsfield) 71 71, Paul Shields (Kirkhill) 71 71
(£237 each).
143 Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) 73 70, Greg Paxton (Ralston) 69 74 (£190 each).
144 Mark Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy) 73 71, Stephen Gray (Hayston) 71 73, Chris Kelly (Cawder) 68 76 (£160 each).
145 Paul Wardell (Whitekirk) 74 71, Stuart Morrison (Tain) 74 71 (£135 each)
146 Michael Patterson(Kilmacolm) 73 73, Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) 73 73, John Gallagher (Duddingston) 73 73, Scott McGrenaghan (Cochrane Castle) 70 76 (£111 each).
147 Craig Ronald (Carluke) 77 70, Chris Robinson (Portpatrick Dunksey) 76 71, Iain Colquhoun (Dundonald Links) 76 71, James Erskine (Portpatrick Dunskey) 73 74, Matthew Burt (Helensburgh) 72 75 (£20 each).
148 Sean O'Donnell (Balbirnie Park) 78 70, Paul Robinson (Largs) 75 73, Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs) 73 75, Greg Nicolson (Mortonhall) 72 76
149 Tom Dingwall (Nairn Dunbar) 80 69, Steven Duncan (Carnoustie GL) 74 75, Scott Herald (Mearns Castle) 74 75.
150 Paul Affleck (unatt) 78 72, Mark Loftus (Mearns Castle) 75 75, Jordan Gallagher (Douglas Park) 74 76, Paul Wilson (Cawder) 73 77
151 Steven O'Hara (unatt) 73 78, Stewart Savage (Dalmuir) 74 77, Ross Neill (Drumpellier) 75 76, Craig Gordon (Edinburgh GC) 76 75, Patrick Walker (Ballumbie Castle) 77 74.
152 Graeme Brown (Montrose Links) 73 79, Neil Fenwick (Dunbar) 73 79, Malcolm Isaacs (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 77 75, Chrisopher Russell (RAW golf course design) 78 74.