RUNNER-UP BARRI EDMOND WINS LOCAL PLAYER TROPHY

Left to right: Barrie Edmond (with the trophy for being the leading North-east player), NE District president Jim Hunter, Connor Syme, winner of North-east District Open championship. Peterhead pictures by Cal Carson Golf Agency

CONNOR SYME WINS N-E DISTRICT OPEN

BY FOUR SHOTS FROM BARRIE EDMOND

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Beaten by Bradley Neil in the semi-finals of the British amateur championship at Royal Portrush, Connor Syme (Drumoig) showed his class in scoring his first SGU 72-hole Order of Merit tournament success at rain windswept Peterhead Links on Sunday.

Connor, 19-year-old son of former Dumfries and County club professional Stuart Syme, who has bought and re-opened Drumoig Golf Centre, finished with a flourish, getting an eagle 3 at the last hole to win the North-east District Open Championship by four shots.

He had been two shots clear playing the last and that eagle doubled his winning margin.

"I always seem to play well in the North and North-east. Maybe I like bad weather!" said twice Scottish schoolboys champion Syme who had scores of 72, 66, 70 and 70 for a two-under-par total of 278 in typical Peterhead weather - windy, wet and sometimes sunny!

Connor felt it was a little too early to claim that his clear-cut victory was the result of now being able to practice whenever he liked at the Drumoig's excellent facilities but he did feel that he was a lot more settled since his Mum moved up recently from Dumfries for the Symes to reform as a family unit.

They are meantime living in Dundee prior to accommodation being built at Drumoig.

Connor went three shots clear of the field after three rounds but had three times Aberdeen Links champion Barrie Edmond (Bon Accord) snapping at his heels for a long way in the final round. 

Syme began his final round with a couple of birdies but a double bogey at the short sixth and bogeys either side cancelled that out and he and Edmond, although not playing together, were actually level after both had played nine holes.

But the challenge of 36-year-old Edmond, who felt his game began to slip with a bogey at the ninth, faltered with bogeys at the 13th, 15th and 16th. He finished with a birdie for a 71 and a two-over-par total of 282.
"After the bogey at the eighth, I parred the next nine holes before finishing with that eagle," said Connor.

Kyle Godsman (Moray) closed with a 69 for 283 and third place.

Nick Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen), pictured below, winner already this summer of an SGU

Order of Merit event, the Battle Trophy at Crail where he beat Jamie Savage in a play-off, was there or thereabouts among the leaders through the first three rounds.

Then the wheels came on in a final round of 80 which pushed him out of the top 10. He had a horrible start to his final round with a rash of double bogeys and bogeys, requiring 44 blow sto reach the turn.

Nick settle down on the inward nine, covering them in 36 shots, but it was too little too late.

FINAL TOTALS

Par 280 (4x70) CSS 71 71 72 71

278 Connor Syme (Drumoig) 72 66 70 70

282 Barrie Edmond (Bon Accord) 76 67 68 71

283 Kyle Godsman (Moray) 69 75 70 69

284 Darren Watson (Cruden Bay) 70 74 72 68 

286 Chrisopher Maclean (Balmore) 66 71 77 72

287 Bruce Wisely (Fraserburgh) 70 74 73 70, Christopher Forman (Peterhead) 69 73 72 73 

288 Anthony Blaney (Liberton) 68 73 73 74

291 John Duff (Newmachar)  77 71 72 71, Calvin Cheyne (Newmachar) 73 72 74 72

292 Alan Sutherland (Ladybank) 74 74 74 70, Gordon Munro (Fraserburgh) 72 73 76 71

293 Ryan Campbell (Falkirk) 71 73 75 74, Fraser Moore (Glenbervie) 73 68 75 77, Nick Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen) 68 72 73 80

294 Kenny Gunnyeon (Murcar Links) 74 70 74 76, Scott Robertson (Hazlehead) 75 72 74 73 

296 Jack Harling (Banchory) 74 81 71 70, Clark Brechin (Portlethen) 75 75 73 73, Tom Watson (South Africa) 71 74 78 73, Craig Chalmers (Cawder) 72 71 80 73, Sean Lawrie (Portlethen) 76 72 74 74

297 Andrew Campbell (Mucar Links) 79 76 71 71

298 John Mitchell (Fraserburgh) 72 75 75 76, Chris Crawford (Fraserburgh) 76 67 78 77

299 Mark McLean (Fraserburgh) 71 76 78 74

300 John Ross (Fraserburgh) 77 71 77 75

301 Jeff Wright (Forres) 76 78 69 78, Corin Stewart (Murcar Links) 73 77 71 80

306 Thomas Cameron (Fraserburgh) 74 76 78 78

305 Drew Buchan (Peterhead) 75 81 71 78

312 Cameron Grant (Portlethen) 82 76 80 74

313 Cameron Campbell (StAndrews) 77 77 81 78 

314 Kevin Willox (Deeside) 84 73 82 75 

NRs Jamie Reid (Cruden Bay) 73 74 76 NR, Christopher Thomson (Peterhead) 77 72 NR

Withdrew: Matthew Greig (Bon Accord) 75 77, Lindsay Smart (Banchory) 75 77, Scott Green (Meldrum House) 76 77, Cameron Johnstone (Northern) 74 79