Chris Kelly claims third M and H Logistics

Scottish PGA title with wire-to-wire win

 Chris Kelly pictured with the Scottish professional championship trophy at Gleneagles. Picture courtesy of Kenny Smith.
PGA NEWS RELEASE

Chris Kelly survived a last-round wobble before claiming his third M and H Logistics PGA Scottish Championship with an impressive wire-to-wire win at Gleneagles today.

The 40-year-old had increased a five-shot overnight lead to seven after seven holes before seeing his playing partner, Paul O'Hara, close the gap to just two with four holes to play.

Doubts Kelly had expressed despite opening with a stunning 63 on the King's Course then backing that up with a 67 suddenly became real, but he kicked away again over the closing stretch.

The Stirling-based player finished birdie-birdie-par-birdie for a closing 67 and a 13-under-par total, winning an event shortened to 54 holes due to bad weather by six shots.

It was the biggest winning margin in the Tartan Tour's flagship event since Kelly claimed his first title triumph by seven shots on the PGA Centenary Course in 2003.

His second success, in 2015, was secured on the King's Course in a play-off against Paul McKechnie.

"I can't quite believe it," admitted Kelly, who hadn't played nearly much as normal this season after taking up a post under the long-serving Ian Collins at Stirling.

"I played lovely on the front nine today and felt happy and in control, but felt I was tying up a little on the back nine. 

"All of a sudden, Paul cut my lead to just two shots and I thought, 'oh no, here were go'.

"But, thanks to hitting a 6-iron to about two feet, I managed to make a crucial birdie at the 15th before then knocking an 8-iron to three feet under the hole for a 2 at the next."

With O'Hara dropping a shot there, Kelly was virtually home and dry, rounding off a brilliant performance by two-putting the last for a closing birdie.

O'Hara, who also signed off with a 4, finished with a 68 to share second spot with the fast-finishing Robert Arnott - the Bishopbriggs Golf Range man closed with a 64 - and Newmachar's Greg McBain (66).

"After getting off to a flyer with my 63, it was just a case of not trying to make a mess of things," added Kelly, who picked up a cheque for £9,500.

O'Hara's performance saw him clinch the Scottish Region Order of Merit title for the first time, but the 30-year-old was disappointed with his final round of the season on the circuit.

"I was rubbish today, really," said the North Lanarkshire Leisure-attached player. "I thought I had a chance when I got within two shots, but Chris played some terrific golf in the last four holes."

In benign conditions at the Perthshire resort, Grantown-on-Spey's Gavin Hay and Chris Doak (Renaissance Club) both closed with superb eight-under-par 62s.

Just two shots outside the course record held by Englishman Paul Curry, the efforts lifted the duo into a share of eighth on eight-under.

Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf) joined in the low scoring with a 63, while Arnott's 64 was matched by McKechnie (Braid Hills Golf Centre).

The North-east's Kris Nicol (Dunes Golf Centre) finished as the leading young professional on five-under, having already been crowned as the Scottish Young Pros' champion earlier in the season.

Meanwhile, Hay, Greig Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Inchmarlo) and Gareth Wright (West Linton) secured the three spots up for grabs in the upcoming PGA Play-Offs at Walton Heath off the Order of Merit.

O'Hara and Caldwell's Chris Currie had already secured exemptions for the end-of-season event involving players from all seven of the PGA Regions through their performances in the Titleist and Footjoy PGA Professional Championship earlier in the year.

FINAL TOTALS 
par 210 (3x70)

My Leaderboard

Pos	Player	TodayR3			R1	R2	R3	Total	Points	Prize Fund
Full Leaderboard
1	Chris Kelly   Stirling Golf Club	-3	F	-13	63	67	67	197	270	£9,500.00
T2	Robert Arnott   Bishopbriggs Golf Range	-6	F	-7	72	67	64	203	220	£5,100.00
T2	Greg McBain   Newmachar Golf Club	-4	F	-7	68	69	66	203	220	£5,100.00
T2	Paul O'Hara   North Lanarkshire Leisure Ltd	-2	F	-7	66	69	68	203	220	£5,100.00
5	Neil Fenwick   Dunbar Golf Club	-4	F	-5	70	69	66	205	190	£2,800.00
6	Greig Hutcheon   Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Inchmarlo	-3	F	-4	70	69	67	206	180	£2,500.00
7	Graham Fox   Clydeway Golf	-7	F	-3	69	75	63	207	170	£2,200.00
T8	Chris Doak   Renaissance Club	-8	F	-2	74	72	62	208	155	£1,775.00
T8	Gavin Hay   Grantown-on-Spey Golf Club	-8	F	-2	76	70	62	208	155	£1,775.00
10	Paul Robinson   Largs Golf Club	-4	F	-1	66	77	66	209	140	£1,450.00
T11	Paul McKechnie   Braid Hills Golf Range	-6	F	E	74	72	64	210	117.50	£1,056.67
T11	Kris Nicol   Dunes Golf Centre	-5	F	E	76	69	65	210	117.50	£1,056.67
T11	Ross Cameron	-4	F	E	74	70	66	210	117.50	£1,056.67
T11	Ross Leeds   Archerfield Links	-4	F	E	71	73	66	210	117.50	£1,056.67
T11	Thomas Higson   Gleneagles Hotel Golf Courses	-3	F	E	73	70	67	210	117.50	£1,056.67
T11	Cameron Marr   Musselburgh Golf Club	+1	F	E	71	68	71	210	117.50	£1,056.67
T17	Alastair Forsyth   Mearns Castle Golf Academy	-5	F	+2	80	67	65	212	97.50	£690.00
T17	Gareth Wright   West Linton Golf Club	-3	F	+2	75	70	67	212	97.50	£690.00
T19	James McGhee   Swanston New Golf Club	-3	F	+4	78	69	67	214	83	£592.50
T19	Steven O'Hara   North Lanarkshire Leisure Ltd	-2	F	+4	72	74	68	214	83	£592.50
T19	Jamie Fraser   The Clubs at Houston Oaks	E	F	+4	72	72	70	214	83	£592.50
T19	Paul Wardell   North Berwick Golf Club	+2	F	+4	70	72	72	214	83	£592.50
T23	Craig Ronald   Carluke Golf Club	E	F	+5	71	74	70	215	69.50	£545.00
T23	Christopher Currie   Caldwell Golf Club	E	F	+5	73	72	70	215	69.50	£545.00
T23	Jackson Bell   Lanark Golf Club	+3	F	+5	71	71	73	215	69.50	£545.00
T23	Graeme Brown   Montrose Golf Links Ltd.	+4	F	+5	71	70	74	215	69.50	£545.00
27	Lee Vannet   Craibstone Golf Centre	E	F	+6	71	75	70	216	62	£520.00
T28	Stephen Gray   Lanark Golf Club	+1	F	+7	70	76	71	217	56	£500.00
T28	Jonathan Lomas   Caprington Golf Club	+2	F	+7	70	75	72	217	56	£500.00
T28	Jason McCreadie   Largs Golf Club	+5	F	+7	68	74	75	217	56	£500.00
31	Samuel Binning   Mearns Castle Golf Academy	+6	F	+8	71	71	76	218	50	£480.00
32	Ross Munro   Duddingston Golf Club	+5	F	+11	71	75	75	221	48	£470.00
33	Ross McConnachie   Peterculter Golf Club	+7	F	+14	74	73	77	224	46	£460.00