EDINBURGH EVENT CUT TO TWO ROUNDS BY BAD WEATHER

CRAIG WATSON WINS CRAIGMILLAR 

PARK  OPEN - 19 YEARS AFTER LAST WIN

Former British amateur champion Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) turned the clock back in Edinburgh on Sunday to win the Craigmillar Park Open - an event he won 19 years ago in 1995, when he was in his prime.
Watson has rarely missed a Craigmillar Park Open down through the years and his loyalty was rewarded in very testing conditions.
Gale-forced winds made play impossible on Saturday and reduced the scheduled first event in the SGU Order of Merit 72-hole calendar to 36 holes.
The weather was not all that much better when the field did get started
Watson's opening  par round of 70 kept him in the mix behind joint leaders on 68, Benn McLeod (Musselburgh) and Chris Hutcheon (Monifieth) who held a one-stroke lead over Kenny Mail (West Linton), former winner Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) and Craig Ross (Kirkhill)
Watson forged to the front with two-under-par second round of 68 for a two under total of 138.
That gave him victory by two shots from McLeod who drifted to a 72 in the second round but his 140 total was still three shots better than a bunch of players who shared third place on 143 - Scott Borrowman (Dollar) (76-67), winner of the Scottish Champion of Champions title at Leven the previous weekend, Keith Hamilton (Ayr Belleisle) (72-71), Michael Daily (Erskine) (73-70) and Graham Robertson (Silverknowes) (70-73).
Borrowmans 67 was the lowest round of the weather-truncated tournament.
LEADING TOTALS
Par 140 (2x70)
138 Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) 70 68
140 Benn McLeod (Musselburgh) 68 72
143 Keith Hamilton (Ayr Belleisle) 72 71, Graham Robertson (Silverknowes) 70 73, Michael Daily (Erskine) 73 70, Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 76 67
144 Kenny Mail (West Linton) 69 75
145 Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 75 70
146 Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) 69 77, Paul Reilly (Kilmacolm) 74 72.
147 Jordyn Rhynd (Kingsknowe) 71 76, Alex Moir (Thorn ton) 71 76, Chris Hutcheon (Monifieth) 68 79, Craig Ross (Kirkhill) 69 78, Edward Shannly (Linlithgow) 77 70, GreIg Forrester (Lundin) 71 76, James Hendricks (Pollok) 73 74
148 Ryan Campbell (Falkirk) 72 76, Jef) 79 7f Wright (Forres) 74 74, Fraser Moore (Glenbervie) 76 72, Scott Brown (Turnberry) 73 75, Connar Cook (Caird Park) 72 76, Andrew Campbell (Dumbarton) 75 73, Connor Syme (Dumfries and Co) 74 74, Lee Morgan (Dumbarton) 76 72
149 Willem Kerr (Craigielw) 73 76, Hugh Nelson (Kilsyth Lennox) 73 74, Cameron Farrell (Cardross) 73 76, Daniel Kay (Dunbar) 76 73, Greg Marchbank (Thornhill) 74 75, Gordon Miller (Cawder) 74 75, Andrew Burgess (Nairn) 76 73
150 Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) 73 77, Nick Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen) 76 74, John Laurie (Glasgow) 74 76, Alasdair Simpson (North Berwick) 79 71, Thomas Forster (Eden) 72 78
151 Andrew Davidson (Charleton) 71 80, Davd Hulston (Dollar) 75 76, Mike Howard (Royal Birkdale) 76 75
152 Alasdair McDougal (Elderslie) 75 77, John Shanks (Irvine) 76 76, Oliver Armour (Mahrihanish) 76 76, Jordan Shaw (Boat of Garten) 76 76, Alan Sutherland (Ladybank) 74 78
153 Stuart Blair (Royal Musselburgh) 76 77, Rory Thompson (Dalbeattie) 76 77

154 David Gillie (Torwoodlee) 80 74, John Douglas (Aberdour) 77 77, Derek Gillie (Torwoodlee) 77 77, Anthony Blaney (Liberton) 78 76, John Duff (Newmachar) 77 77, Kyle McClung (Wigtownshire) 79 75
155 Sean Heads (Hexham) 75 80 Calum Cochrane (Marriott Dalmahoy) 77 78, Fraser Grant (Ralston) 80 75
156 Jackson Berry (Torwoodlee) 71 85, Paul Gault (Westerwood) 82 74, Jake Hogg (St Andrews New) 78 78, Stuart Drummond (Palacerigg) 80 76, Michel Bacigalupo (Longniddry) 78 78
157 Jamie Lamb (Lanark) 74 83
158 Stuart Haddow (Falkirk) 74 84
159 Steven Aitken (Leven GS) 76 83, Kenny Macaskill (Turnberry Staff) 74 81
162 Blair Gavin (Kilmarnock Barassie) 82 80
164 Tom Watson (St Andrews) 79 85
Withdrew: Allyn Dick (Kingsknowe) 74 wd, Tam Caldwell (Silverknowes) 76 wd.
No Returns: Andy Utterson (Craigmillar Park) 78 NR, Simon Fairburn (Torwoodlee) 73 NR, Sean McGarvey (Dunbar) 81 NR, Niall Young (Insch) 79 NR.