KEIR McNICOLL FINISHES STRONGLY TO CATCH PAUL O'HARA

Carnoustie's Keir McNicoll, who played off +6 at his peak as an amateur, achieved one of his best performances as a professional in winning the Shotts Young Pros' 54-hole Order of Merit event at the Lanarkshire venue.
McNicoll, pictured, playing out of Gullane Golf Club, shot a pair of three-under-par 67s over today's (Monday) final 36 holes to surge past the first and second round leader, Paul O'Hara (Clydeway).
McNicoll, whose sister Katy is a LETAS professional who also plays on the Paul Lawrie Scottish Ladies Open Tour and whose father Dave was a professional footballer with Dunfermline Athletic, finished with a six-under-par total of 204 over the par-70
Shotts lay-out to win by two strokes from O'Hara whose last round 72 allowed McNicoll to turn over five shots on him.
It was Keir's first win in 11 starts this season and earned him £698, which is not his biggest this year. His joint 11th place finish in the Gleneagles Scottish PGA championship at the end of July earned him £933.
McNicoll finished strongly with an eagle 3 at the 10th and birdies at the 11th and 12th.
In contrast, O'Hara, younger brother of Steven, bogeyed the 11th and 12th and had a double bogey 6 at the 15th in his final round. 
McNicoll and O'Hara finished well clear of the field.
Ross McConnachie (Peterculter) finished third on 214 - eight shots adrift of runner-up O'Hara.

SHOTTS YOUNG PROS' ORDER OF MERIT TOURNAMENT
Shotts Golf Club, Lanarkshire.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
 Par 210 (3x70)
204 Keir McNicoll (Gullane) 70 67 67 (£698)
206 Paul O'Hara (Clydeway Golf) 69 65 72 (£482)
214 Ross McConnachie (Peterculter) 72 69 73 (£383).
215 Christopher Robinson (Portpatrick Dunskey) 72 70 73 (£267).
217 Paul Robinson (Largs) 74 70 73 (£203)
218 Craig Haugh (Linlithgow) 75 69 74, Calum Lawson (Wellsgreen) 71 75 72 (£165 each)
219 Neil Cameron (Blairgowrie) 77 7567 (£149)
220 Craig Armstrong (Burntisland) 77 72  71 (£143)
221 Kevin Moran (Balbirnie Park), Louis Gaughan (Bathgate) 72 75 74, Jamie Mackay (North Gailes) 77 72 72 (£130 each)
222 Scott Costello (Strathaven) 74 74 72, David Addison (Kilmarnock Barassie) 78 74 70, Ian Anderson (Colville Park) 73 77 72 (£117 each).
223 Grant Smith (Gleneagles Hotel) 75 76 72 9£108)
224 Ailsa Bain (Macdonald Cardrona Hotel) 74 78 72 (£104).
225 Chris Brown (Carrick on Loch Lomond) 76 75 74, Robert Rushford (Swanston New) 73 75 77 (£97 each).
226 Ross Jack (Dumfries and Galloway) 74 81 71, Mark Heyes (Dunbar) 72 73 81, David Ritchie (unatt) 77 75 74 (£87 each)
227 Jrdan Gallagher (Douglas Park) 75 77 75, Matthew Robertson (Balmore) 74 74 79, Callum Beveridge (West Kilbride) 77 75 75 (£74 each).