Paul Lawrie Invitational Final Totals at Deeside

McKechnie wins by four and sets tournament low record of 18-under par 192

From one Paul to another ... Lawrie presents the championship trophy to McKechnie. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Paul McKechnie, who set a course record of eight-under 62 on Wednesday, slashed seven shots off the Paul Lawrie Invitational tournament record low aggregate with a final total of 18-under-par 192

He won the trophy and the £8,000 first prize with scores of 64, 62 and 66, finishing four ahead of runner-up Paul O'Hara (Clydeway Golf), the Scottish young professionals' champion, who had rounds of 66, 64 and 66 for 14-under 196 to earn £5,500.

Greig Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) and Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) tied for third place on 199 and earned £3,375 each.

There were three amateurs in the top 10 - Scott Gibson (Southerness) who tied for fifth place on 200, Calum Fyfe (Cawder) and Craig Ross (Kirkhill) who finished joint seventh.

McKechnie produced another six birdie round with gains at the eighth, ninth, 12th, 15th, 16th and 17th in halves of 34 (two under) and 32 (four under).

 With no pressure on him, he could afford to bogey the 10th and 18th and still win comfortably.

"The funny thing is that I don't usually play the Deeside course well," said the 38-year-old McKechnie who lives in Glasgow but

 has his work base at the Braid Hills Golf Range in Edinburgh.
"I don't think I ever done well here in Tartan Tour events before.
It was just my week but I have to say I have never seen the Deeside course in such excellent condition, particularly the greens which were magnificent putting surfaces.
"That's why the scoring by a lot of us has been so low this week, that and the lack of a wind over the three days."
This is McKechnie's fourth win in a row on the Tartan Tour, having scored at Elgin, Drumpellier and the Carnegie Club (Skibo Castle) over the past week or two.
 O'Hara tried hard to close the gap on McKechnie and, out in 33 to the leader's 34,  with birdies at the sixth, seventh and ninth, he had a glimmer of a chance but the birdie putts would not drop for him after the turn until the 17th. 
+The previous record low total in the tournament was 199, set by both Andrew McArthur and Kenny Ferrie in 2011 (before McArthur won a play-off at the sixth extra hole) and by David Law when he won in 2013. McArthur's rounds in 2011 included a 62 but there have been changes to the course since then, mainly the re-positioning of the 16th tee. So McKechnie's 62 on Wednesday is the new record for the present course.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 210 (3x70)
192 P McKechnie (Braid Hills) 64 62 66 (£8,000)
196 P O'Hara (Clydeway Golf) 66 64 66 (£5,500)
199 G Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie GC) 66 66 67, M Stewart (Troon Welbeck) 66 65 68 (£3,375 each)
200 S Gibson (Southerness) (am) 69 65 66 (amateur prize voucher), J McCreadie (Largs) 66 63 71 (£2,250)

201 C Ross (Kirkhill) (am) 69 66 66, C Fyfe (Cawder) (am) 69 66 66 (amateur prize vouchers)
203 K Ferrie (Matfen Hall) 71 66 66, G McBain (Paul Lawrie GC) 69 66 68, P Broadhurst (Northants Co) 67 67 69, D Law (Paul Lawrie GC) 66 68 69 (£1,700 each)
204 M Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy) 70 66 68, C Currie (Caldwell) 66 69 69, C Marr (Musselburgh) 71 63 70, K McNicoll (Gullane) 66 68 70 (£1,050 each)
205 R Kellett (Paul Lawrie GC) 71 63 71, P Shields (Kirkhill) 67 65 73 (£825 each)
206 G Hay (Nairn Dunbar)  70 67 69, R Drummond (unatt) 68 70 68, C Kelly (unatt) 68 67 71, P Robinson (Largs) 66 69 71 (£675 each), S Locke (Banchory) (am) 68 71 67
207 M Patterson (Kilmacolm) 69 69 69, J Lomas (Caprington) 69 70 68 (£525 each)
208  C Ronald (Carluke) 70 67 71 (£450), J Savage (Cawder) (am) 66 71 71 (£362 each).
209 S Henderson (Kings Links) 70 69 70, J Duff (Newmachar) 67 71 71 (£412 each).
211 S Taylor (Bothwell Cadtlr) 70 69 72, A Forsyth (Mearns Castle) 69 70 72 (£362 each).