Paul O'Hara scores seventh win of year 

and boosts earnings  over £22,000



By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Paul O'Hara (North Lanarkshire Leisure) continued his most successful season as a pro with a seventh win of the year in the St Andrews Brewing 36-hole Order of Merit event at West Linton Golf Club today (Tuesday).

Northern Open champion O'Hara, pictured, won the £1,063 first prize with rounds of 62 and 67 for a nine-under-par total of 129 over the par-69 lay-out at the Borders course.
Paul's earnings, which included a £10,000 victory at a Titleist and Footjoy-sponsored PGA event in Ireland, have now reached £22,126 for 2017.
He wobbled at bit in the middle of his second round at West Linton with bogeys at the eighth and 13th, having earlier birdied the fifth and sixth. But he steadied the ship with birdies at the long 15th and 16th for a two-under 67.
Highlander Gavin Hay (Grantown-on-Spey), another who is having an excellent season, came with a rush, birdieing the 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th for 31 home and a 63 for seven-under 131, two behind O'Hara who led by four after the first round.
Hay will be rueing his slow start to the tournament with a bogey at the second and a double bogey 6 at the third in the first round. He earned £850, pushing his season's earings up to £12,937.
Alastair Forsyth (Mearns Castle) finished third with scores of 67 and 66 for 133 for a payslip of £744.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 138 (2x69)
129 P O'Hara (North Lanarkshire Leisure) 67 67 (£1,063).
131 G Hay (Grantown on Spey) 68 63 (£850).
133 A Forsyth (Mearns Castle) 67 66 (£744).
134 G Hutcheon (PLGC Inchmarlo) 67  67, G Paxton (Ralston) 66 68 (£637.50 each).
135 C Currie (Caldwell) 68 67, C Sutherland (Cherry Lodge) 68 67, N Fenwick (Dunbar) 67 68 (£428 each).
136 G Forbes (Mar Hall) 69 67 (£335).
137 P McKechnie (Braid Hills) 70 67, G Wright (West Linton) 67 70 (£306 each).
138 J Lomas (Caprington) 70 68, S Gray (Lanark) 68 70, C Kelly (Stirling) 68 70 (£252.33 each).
139 S O'Hara (North Lanarkshire Leisure) 72 67, K Hutton (Downfield) 71 68, J McCreadie (Largs) 71 68, T Higson (Gleneagles) 70 69, G Fox (Clydeway Golf) 67 71 (£172.60 each).
140 K McNicoll (Carnoustie GL) 71 69, J McGhee (Swanston New) 70 70, F McKenna (Caldwell) 68 72 (£125.67 each).
141 C Curran (Bathgate) 73 68, C Ronald (Carluke) 71 70, I Graham (Crow Wood) 69 72, S Morrison (Tain) 68 73 (£85 each).
142 S Henderson (Kings Links) 75 67, C Marr (Musselburgh) 73 69, I Anderson (Colville Park) 71 71, D Stein (Ranfurly Castle) 71 71.
143 K Zeynalov (Portlethen) 75 68, J Fraser (Renaissance Club) 73 70, J Fraser (Renaissance Club) 73 70, R McConnachie (Peterculter) 71 72, R Munro (Duddingston) 71 73, C Gordon (Braid Hills) 70 73, R Leeds (Archerfield Links) 69 74.
144 S Savage (Dalmuir) 72 72, R Arnott (Bishipbriggs) 71 73.
145 P Robinson (Largs) 75 70, A Reid (West Lothian) 74 71, A Welsh (Cathkin Braes) 73 72, J Cliff (Murrayfield) 70 75, J Lamb (Royal Burgess) 69 76
146 S Griffiths (Dunes) 76 70.
147 S Ross (Turnhouse) 74 73, M Mackenzie (Edzell) 73 74, C Doak (unatt) 72 75.
148 S Binning (Mearns Castle) 75 73, M Kerr (Lane Golf Tours) 74 74, E Bowden (North Berwick) 74 74.
149 N Huguet (Musselburgh) 75 74, C Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) 73 76, S Gillies (North Berwick) 72 77.
150 C Goodwin (Strathlene) 76 74
152 M Loftus (Caldwell) 80 72, R Tinker (Piperdam) 79 73, C McMaster (Downfield) 78 74, D Lee (American Golf) 73 78.
153 M Patterson (Kilmacolm) 79 74.
154 J Dick (Duddingston) 78 76, A Hutchison (Douglas Park) 77 77.
155 P McKenna (Paul Lawrie GC) 80 75.
156 J Erskine (Dumfries and Co) 79 77.
158 P Jamieson (Dunblane New) 77 81.
163 R Harrower (Boat of Garten) 87 76.


CHEERS FOR ST ANDREWS BREWING COMPANY, PGA in Scotland's new sponsor

The PGA Scotland is toasting its latest sponsorship with a beer after clinching a deal with the St Andrews Brewing Company.
The independent brewer will be the new title sponsor of the remainder of the Order of Merit 36 hole series on this season's Tartan Tour.
The deal sees St Andrews Brewing Company become the official beer of the PGA in Scotland with its new Pale Ale launched to mark the partnership.

"We’re delighted to have the St Andrews Brewing Co on board for the remainder of this season, and to take the opportunity to link the PGA in Scotland with this award-winning Scottish company," said PGA in Scotland secretary Shona Malcolm.