TITLE WINNER INNES REVEALS HE WAS CLOSE TO WITHDRAWING LAST THURSDAY

SGU vice-president  Ian Howarth, title-winner Bryan Innes, and NE District president Jim Hunter                                       Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Bryan Innes, playing over his home course, led almost all the way to win the North-east District Open golf championship by a single shot at Murcar Links today.
It was the 43-year-old Aberdeen wealth manager's third win in the tournament, following up his previous wins in 1999 (at Peterhead) and 2002 (also at Murcar Links).
Bryan, who gained his only cap 10 years ago, used his local knowledge to cope best of all with a wind which was at its fiercest on Saturday morning, when it was laced with rain, but was still blowing the CSS up to 76 for the third and fourth rounds over the par 71 lay-out.
Innes led by two after an opening one-over-par 72; was joined in the lead on 143 by Craig Ross (Kirkhill) at halfway; then went two clear again after a third-round 73 to Ross's 75.
Innes extended his lead to six shots when he birdied the fourth as all of the other contenders dropped shots right, left and centre.
But that was the high point of the final round for Innes. He bogeyed the fifth, sixth, 10th and the  13th before a double bogey at the 15th and a 4 at the short 16th saw his big lead almost disappear.
Sam Binning emerged as Inne's most dangerous rival. The Ranfurly Castle man moved ominously closer and closer to Innes with a birdies at the ninth, 14th and 15th in a three-under-par run.
Then Binning made the slip that was to scupper his chances - a double bogey 5 at the short 16th.
Binning went on to finish with a 74 for the clubhouse lead on 10-over-par 294.
The tiring Innes needed a par 4 to win by one shot ... and, after leaving his approach putt from the fringe four or five feet short of the hole, he stepped up and rammed home the next one for a 77 and victory by one shot with a total of 293.
"I'm absolutely drained," said Bryan after he had handed in his scorecard. Four rounds in two days of strong winds took its toll on me in the closing stages and I was fortunate that all the players at the top of the scoreboard were having bogeys and double bogeys just like me.
"To think that on Thursday morning I was on the point of withdrawing from the tournament because I was not playing well.
I decided I would go and see Frank Coutts, the Deeside pro, to see if he could sort me out quickly - and he did."

NORTH-EAST DISTRICT OPEN
Murcar Links Golf Club
FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71) CSS 76 (reduction only)  75 76 76 (reduction only)
293 Bryan Innes (Murcar Links) 72 71 73 77
294 Sam Binning (Ranfurly Caslte) 74 75 71 74
298 Craig Ross (Kirkhill) 76 67 75 80
301 David Morrison (Duff House Royal) 79 70 80 72
302 Daniel Kay (Dunbar) 79 68 76 79
303 John Duff (Newmachar) 77 78 74 74
306 Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 79 73  81 73
307 Anthony Bews (Murcar Links) 77 78 76 76
308 Kyle McClung (Wigtownshire Co) 79 71 75 83
309 Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 79 71 79 80
310 Lyle McAlpine (Royal Dornoch) 79 78 79 74
311 Chris Robb (Meldrum House) 75 79 76 81, Andrew Hepburn (Fraserburgh) 80 77 77 77, Kyle Godsman (Moray) 76 79 81 75, George Mitchell (Fraserburgh) 82 72 81 76
312 Gordon Munro (Fraserburgh) 81 83 73 75
313 Clark Brechin (Portlethen)79 76 77 81, Colin A Baird (Bothwell Castle) 75 79 81 78.
315 Alan Sutherland (Ladybank) 82 69 87 77
316 Jake Scott (Duff House Royal) 81 76 81 78.
318 John Godward (Cruden Bay) 83 77 79 79
319 John Mitchell (Fraserburgh) 79 80 77 83, Kenny Gunnyeon (Murcar Links) 85 78 75 81, Ryan Campbell (Falkirk) 85 74 82 78, Kevin Duncan (Cruden Bay) 87 77 78 77
321 Corin Stewart (Murcar Links) 81 82 79 79.
324 Chris Lamb (Newmachar) 78 79 87 80
325 Callum Burgess (Monktonhall) 80 84 79 82.
326 Stuart Irving (Falkirk) 84 78 79 85, Jack Harling (Banchory) 82 76 84 84.
328 Sam Kiloh (Portlethen) 84 80 79 85
330 Jordan Shaw (Boat of Garten) 86 74 90 80
333 Lewis Bain (Musselburgh) 88 76 80 89
336 Neil McKinnon (Murcar Links) 85 78 86 87
337 Malcolm Pennycott (Whiting Bay, Arran) 81 83 86 87
338 Nathan Free (Musselburgh) 78 86 85 89.
NRs Justin Duff (Fraserburgh) 78 77 NR,  Barrie Edmond (Bon Accord) 78 75 79 NR