PAUL LAWRIE GOLF CENTRE NORTHERN OPEN FINAL DAY

LAW LEADS BY FOUR WITH ONE ROUND

TO GO IN A HALF-GALE AT MURCAR

By

David Law on the first tee at windswept Murcar Links today. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Overnight leader David Law tamed a wind gusting at 25mph to surge four shots clear of the field with one round to go in the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Northern Open championship at Murcar Links this morning.
Law is out on his own at six-under-par 136, after repeating his first-round, three-under-par 68, thanks to covering his last 11 holes in four under par in his second round.
Aberdonian David, 23, was one of 33 players who did not hit a competitive ball on Wednesday when the second round was finally abandoned due to the haar which hung around most of the day - and then disappeared at 7.30pm last night after Tournament Director Roy Murray had abandoned hopes of getting the second round completed.
In the windiest conditions of the week, 20mph northwesterly wind gusting up to and above 25mph, Law played brilliantly to take a stranglehold on the £6,000 first prize ... and he could become the first player to win the title first as both an amateur (which he did at Meldrum House in 2011) and as a pro. He was runner-up to James Byrne last year after leading him by five shots at halfway in the 72-hole event 12 months ago
Law dropped a shot at the third this morning but got it back with a birdie at the long fourth. Then  he slipped to another bogey at the short fifth before he set off on is bogey-free run studded with birdies at the long eighth, 10th, long 14th and 18th.
Neil Fenwick starts the final round four shots behind leader Law after a par 71 for 140, two shots ahead of Greig Hutcheon, now lying third on 142 after a 69. 
Law and Hutch were the only players to break 70 in the wild northwesterly.
Jason McCreadie, Law's closest challenger at the start of the day, never recovered from a bad start to his second round and posted a 77 for 146.

ROUND 2 TOTALS
Par 142 (2x71)
136 David Law (Paul Lawrie GC) 68 68
140 Neil Fenwick (Dunbar) 69 71 
142 Greig Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie GC) 73 69.
144 David Patrick (Kingsfield) 71 73, Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf) 72 72 
145 Lindsay Mann (unatt) 73 72 
146 Stephen Gray (Hayston) 72 74
147 Greg McBain (Paul Lawrie GC) 74 73, Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) 69 77
148 Paul O'Hara (Clydeway Golf) 75 73, Corin Stewart (Murcar Links) (am) 75 73, Alan Reid (West Lothian) 74 74, Chris Kelly (Cawder) 73 75, Ross Noon (Craigielaw) (am) 73 75, Stephen Craig (Craig Golf) 72 76
149 Craig Everett (Caldwell) 74 75, Scott Henderson (Kings Links) 74 75, Anthony Bews (Murcar Links) (am) 73 76
150 Graeme Brown (Montrose Links) 75 75, Gavin Hay (Nairn Dunbar) 72 78
151 Stiart Morrison (Tain) 73 78
152 Malcolm Isaacs (Newmachar) 75 77, Kenneth Hutton (Downfield) 75 77, Alistair Brown (Archerfield) 74 78, Craig Sutherland (Cherry Lodge) 73 79, Colin Robinson (Elie SC) 72 80
153 Ross McConnachie (Peterculter) 75 78, Andrew Oldcorn (Kings Acre) 74 79, Mark Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy) 74 79
154 Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs) 75 79, Keir McNicoll (Gullane) 74 80, Christopher Currie (Caldwell) 74 80, David Orr (Mearns Castle) 73 81, Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) 73 81, Craig Ronald (Caldwell) 73 81
155 Mark Hillson (Tandridge) 75 80 
159 Ron Walker (Lundin) 74 85

+Prize money: 
1 - £6,000
2 - £4,000
3 - £3,200
4 - £2,500
First nine will all earn four-figure cheques (£1,000 for ninth).
The leading amateur will win the Bookless Cup.