LAST-ROUND PGA EUROPRO TOUR DRAMA AT EDINBURGH VENUE

WATTS WINS ROYAL BURGESS PLAY-OFF
Leader Ross has triple bogey 6 at last hole

NEWS RELEASE

James Watts moved into the crucial top five on the HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour Order of Merit after winning a three-way play-off at Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh.

The Hertfordshire man shot a final-round 66, four under par, to finish tied third with Neil Fenwick (Dunbar Golf Club) and Stiggy Hodgson (The Wisley Golf Club) on nine-under-par after 54 holes to take the event to a play-off on the par-three 18^th.

Watts (Kingsway Golf Centre) landed his tee shot by far the closest of the three to the pin, and was unlucky not to see his first putt drop. However, he made par while Fenwick, who had carded a final-round 67, and Hodgson, who shot 65 on the last round, both took three putts and bogeyed the hole.

“It feels amazing to win,” said Watts, who wins £10,000, a brand new Motocaddy and a Shotsaver range finder, climbing to fourth on the Order of Merit, from which the top five at the end of the season earn Challenge Tour cards.

“I have been in good form over the last few weeks. I have been playing well and knew that if I kept going through my processes then something would happen. I had a few chances last year but didn’t break through, so very pleased to win today.

“The goals change now considerably. I will play all the remaining EuroPro tournaments this year in a bid to come in that top five.

“The play-off, I hit a really good shot in. My first putt was good, it just caught the lip and spun out, but I was happy to get the win in the end.”

Royal Burgess amateur James Ross came agonisingly close to victory. The 24-year-old led by one as he played the 18^th but dragged his tee shot out of bounds to the right of the green. 

His second tee shot then found a greenside bunker and he made triple bogey 6 to finish the tournament tied sixth on seven under.

Andrew Cheese (Sutton Coldfield) and Jack Colegate (Deangate Ridge) shared fourth on eight under.

Highlights of the event air on Sky Sports on Tuesday, July 29. The HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour heads to Ireland next week for the Kingspan Concra Wood Open.

SCROLL DOWN FOR FINAL TOTALS

FENWICK BEATEN IN £10,000 PLAY-OFF

Scots figured prominently in a dramatic finish to the PGA EuroPro Tour's Simpson and Marwick Cup over the Royal Burgess Society's course at Barnton, Edinburgh today (Friday).

Host club amateur James Ross had a triple bogey 6 at the short 18th hole where he went out of bounds.

Had he parred the hole he would have had a lower 54-hole final total than the three professionals who contested the sudden-death play-off for the £10,000 first prize - Englishmen James Watts (Kingsway), Stiggy Hodgson (The Wisley) and Dunbar's Neil Fenwick

They all totalled nine-under-par 210, Watts with scores of 65, 70 and 66, Hodgson 67, 69 and 65, and Fenwick three rounds of 67.

Watts won the £10,000 shoot-out. Fenwick and Hodgson earned £3,750 each.

Ross, who is to turn pro before the end of the season, had a great tournament over his

home course. He had scores of 65, 67 and 71 for seven-under 203 to tie for sixth place. 

Before his disaster at the last, Ross had an an eagle 3 at the sixth and birdies at the 13th and 14th after starting slowly with bogeys at the first and fourth.

Malcolm Isaacs (Newmachar) earned £700 for a 13th place finish on 206 (70-68-68).

Another North-east man, Greg McBain (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) made the top 20 with scores of 67, 68 and 72 for 207 and a share of 14th place which earned him£488.

FINAL TOTALS and PRIZEMONEY

par 210 (3x70)

1	James Watts  Kingsway Golf Centre (p)				65	70	66	201		£10,000
T2	Stiggy Hodgson  The Wisley Golf Club				67	69	65	201		£3,750
T2	Neil Fenwick  Dunbar Golf Club				67	67	67	201		£3,750
T4	Andrew Cheese  Sutton Coldfield Golf Club				68	67	67	202		£1,550
T4	Jack Colegate  Deangate Ridge Golf Club				65	66	71	202		£1,550
T6	James Ross (a)  Royal Burgess				65	67	71	203		amateur
T6	Gary King  Tyrrells Wood				64	67	72	203		£1,200
T8	Jamie Rutherford  Knebworth Golf Club				68	70	66	204		£950
T8	Mark Laskey  Brocket Hall Golf Club				69	68	67	204		£950
T10	Alex Belt  De Vere/Snainton				69	71	65	205		£800
T10	Liam Murray  La Marquesa Golf				71	65	69	205		£800
T10	Marcus Armitage  Howley Hall Golf Club				67	66	72	205		£800
13	Malcolm Isaacs  Newmachar Golf Club				70	68	68	206		£700
T14	Daniel Osbaldeston  Prestbury Golf Club				69	72	66	207		£486
T14	Westley Wray  The Rayleigh Club Golf Resort				68	72	67	207		£486
T14	Harry Bateman  Royal Wellington Golf Club				74	65	68	207		£486
T14	Jamie Abbott  Fynn Valley Golf Club				69	70	68	207		£486
T14	James Maw  Rockliffe Hall				68	69	70	207		£486
T14	Greg Payne  Chobham Golf Club				70	67	70	207		£486
T14	Richard Kilpatrick  Banbridge Golf Club				67	70	70	207		£486
T14	Max Smith  Donnington Grove Country Club				70	66	71	207		£486
T14	Greg McBain  Paul Lawrie Golf Centre				67	68	72	207		£486
T23	Sam Forgan  Stowmarket Golf Club				73	68	67	208		£370
T23	Chris Halley  Malton & Norton Golf Club				71	68	69	208		£370
T23	Paul Reed  Bristol & Clifton Golf Club				69	66	73	208		£370
T26	James Robinson  Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club				71	70	68	209		£325
T26	Tim Dykes  Penrith Golf Club				69	72	68	209		£325
T26	Luke Joy  Broadstone (Dorset) Golf Club				70	70	69	209		£325
T26	Ross Kellett  Kingsfield Golf Centre				72	67	70	209		£325
T26	Stuart Archibald  The Legend Alliance				68	70	71	209		£325
T26	Tim Rice  Limerick Golf Club				66	69	74	209		£325
T32	Billy Hemstock  Teignmouth Golf Club				70	71	69	210		£270
T32	Paul Cutler  Team Ireland				72	69	69	210		£270
T32	James Hamilton  Cowglen GC				75	66	69	210		£270
T32	Andrew Oldcorn  Kings Acre Golf Club				72	68	70	210		£270
T32	George Parker  The London Club				71	68	71	210		£270
T32	Paul Robinson  Largs Golf Club				71	68	71	210		£270
T32	Chris Currie  Caldwell Golf Club				69	69	72	210		£270
T32	Richard Wallis  North Foreland Golf Club				69	69	72	210		£270
T32	James Scade  Ingrebourne Links				70	67	73	210		£270
T32	Charlie Cossins  Cumberwell Park				69	68	73	210		£270
T32	Gareth Wright  West Linton Golf Club				70	67	73	210		£270
T43	Jonathan Bell  Royal Blackheath Golf Club				70	71	70	211		£220
T43	Nick McCarthy  Moortown Golf Club				71	70	70	211		£220
T43	George Morris  Eaton Golf Club				74	67	70	211		£220
T43	Ryan Boyns  JMS Golf				71	70	70	211		£220
T43	Conor O'Neil  Mearns Castle Golf Academy				72	69	70	211		£220
T43	Richard Weldon  Killeen Castle Golf Club				68	72	71	211		£220
T43	Kris Nicol  Paul Lawrie Golf Centre				69	70	72	211		£220
T43	James Ruebotham  Welwyn Garden City Golf Club				71	67	73	211		£220
T43	Ben Loughrey  Wrag Barn Golf Club				71	67	73	211		£220
T52	Ross Cameron  Saltire Energy Ltd				70	71	71	212		£192
T52	James Dick  Duddingston Golf Club				72	66	74	212		£192
T54	Jordan Findlay  Paul Lawrie Golf Centre				69	72	72	213		£180
T54	Eric Ramsay  Carnoustie Golf Club				73	66	74	213		£180
T54	Fernando Garcia Grout  Golf Son Antem				71	68	74	213		£180
T57	Rhodri Fieldhouse  Wrexham Golf Club				74	67	73	214		£160
T57	Robert Gowers  South Winchester Golf Club				71	70	73	214		£165
T57	Peter Tarver-Jones  Worthing Golf Club				72	69	73	214		£165
T60	Paul Lockwood  Hessle Golf Club				71	70	74	215		£152
T60	George Thacker  Kedleston Park				69	72	74	215		£152
T62	Sam Robertshawe  Army Golf Club				72	69	75	216		£140
T62	Laurie Canter  Saltford Golf Club				69	72	75	216		£140
T62	Sam Watts  MCL				69	70	77	216		£140