LANCASHIRE'S JACK SENIOR HITS THE JACKPOT

           A senior moment ... of triumph. Jack Senior with the championship trophy at Montrose.
 

ELLIOTT SALTMAN BEATEN IN £10,000 

THREE-MAN PLAY-OFF AT MONTROSE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Elliot Saltman, who had a 69 for four-under-par 137,  bogeyed the last hole when a par would have won him the £10,000 first prize in the Eagle Orchid Masters' PGA EuroPro Tour event, reduced to 36 holes because of fog at Montrose Links.
Saltman dropped into a three-way play-off with Lancashire's former Walker Cup player Jack Senior (Heysham) (71-66), who birdied the 18th in regulation play, and James Frazer (Pennard) who shot the low round of the tournament, a seven-under-par 64 after an opening 73..
Senior won the sudden death play-off to pocket the £10,000 jackpot. Saltman and Fraser earned £3,750 each.
The sudden-death play-off started and finished at the par-4 18th. Saltman was bunkered and made bogey at the hole for the second time in the day.
Welshman Frazer two-putted for a par but Senior
was able to make a winning, two-putt birdie 3 after a huge drive to the front of the green.
“I have started the season well, straight out of the traps,” said Senior, who also collects a brand new Motocaddy and Shotsaver range finder for this win. “I will hopefully be able to get back on the Challenge Tour next year. If I keep going as I am hopefully I can progress.
“Saltman had hit a great bunker shot on the 18th at the end of his final round, but he missed a short putt to take us to a play-off. We all hit driver and the green was reachable. Fortunately enough mine found the gap between the bunkers and I was able to make three.”
Senior’s final-round 66 took him from level par after the first 18 to five under at the end of the event, which was reduced to 36 holes after the first two days were severely disrupted by heavy fog.
He was already four under at the turn, despite bogeying the fourth, and made birdies at ten and 18 to earn his place in the play-off after a bogey on 13.
Frazer began the final 18 two over par but a run of four consecutive birdies from the fifth, and three more at ten, 12 and 13 saw him sign for a seven-under 64 to set the clubhouse target of 137.
Saltman shot 68 for a three-under first round, and knew he needed just a par on the 18th to win.
After a wayward tee shot he found a greenside bunker with his second, but played out of it superbly to give himself a short putt to win. However, his putt lipped out to send the event to a play-off.
Balmore's Fraser McKenna had one of his best finishes since turning pro. He tied for eighth place on 140 with scores of 71 and 69, earning £850.Callum Macaulay (73-68) and David Law (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) (71-70) shared 11th place and earned £675 each.
Wallace Booth (Comrie) (73-69) and Neil Fenwick (Dunbar) (74-68) earned £446 each for a joint 15th place finish on 142

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 142 (2x71)
137 J Senior (Heysham) 71 66 (£10,000), E Saltman (Archerfield Links) 68 69 (£3,500), J Frazer (Pennard) 73 64 (£3,500). Senior won sudden-death play-off.
138 Paul Reid (Bristol and Clifton) 69 69 (£1,700)
139 Alex Wrigley (Hartlepool) 74 65, Jason Timmins 9Wychwood Park) 68 71, Steve Uzzell (Hornsea) 68 71 (£1,200 each)
OTHER SCOTS' TOTALS
140 F McKenna (Balmore) 71 69 (T8) (£850)
141 C Macaulay (Tulliallan) 73 68, David Law (Paul Lawrie GC) 71 70 (T11) (£675 each)
142 W Booth (Comrie) 73 69, N Fenwick (Dunbar) 74 68 (T15) (£446 each) 
146 R Cameron (Saltire Energy) 74 72 (T37) (£250)
148 Z Saltman (Archerfield Links) 74 74 (T48) (£202).
149 Paul Doherty (Vale Hotel) 73 76 (T52) (£187).

ends.