Gareth Wright wins Northern Open but only by a shot from Gavin Hay
Twice Scottish PGA champion Gareth Wright, pictured above, made virtually the running to win the Northern Open championship at Nairn Dunbar Golf Club today. The Welshman had rounds of 65, 68, 72 and 71 for a 12-under par aggregate of 276 to win the title and the top prize of £1,100 Well clear of the field at halfway, Wright saw his lead greatly reduced in the third round by Paul O'Hara but it was Grantown on Spey's Gavin Hay, playing out of Mearns Castle, who finished runner-up, only one stroke short of forcing a play-off. Hay shot 71, 67, 71 and 68 for 277 and a £800 reward O'Hara finished third on 278 with scores of 72, 67, 67 and 72. He earned £600
TOP 20 FINAL TOTALS Par 288 (4x72) 276 G Wright (West Linton) 65 68 72 71 (£1,100) 277 G Hay (Mearns Castle) 71 67 71 68 (£800). 278 P O'Hara (N Lanarkshire Leisure) 72 67 67 72 (£600) 281 G Fox (Clydeway Golf) 71 72 66 72 (£500). 282 A Forsyth (Mearns Castle) 72 69 69 72 (£380) 284 G Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 74 69 70 72 (£320) 287 P McKechnie (Braid Hills) 68 75 71 73 (£300) 288 K Nicol (Dunes) 73 71 73 71, S Henderson (Kings Links) 69 72 75 72 (£275 each) 289 R Cameron (unatt) 75 69 71 74, C West (Scotscraig) 71 73 72 73, Z Saltman (Winterfield) 73 70 70 76 (£250 each). 290 D Sanderson (Nairn) (am) 73 72 72 73 291 S Gray (Lanark) 73 71 72 75, S Burgess (Nairn) 72 70 71 78 (£227.50 each) 292 S Herald (St Andrews) 71 74 72 75, T Higson (Gleneagles) 71 72 72 77 (£217.50 each). 293 C Ronald (Carluke) 71 73 75 75 (£210). 294 F Cromarty (Nairn) 72 73 71 78, I Graham (Crow Wood) 73 72 75 74, R Leeds (Archerfield Links 73 70 77 74 (£200 each) to view all the final totals CLICK HERE
Gareth Wright leads Northern Open by five at Nairn Dunbar Get your money on Gareth Wright to win the Northern Open at Nairn Dunbar. The Welshman, who plays out of West Linton Golf Club, has had only one bogey through the first 36-holes of the 72-hole Tartan Tour event and rounds of 65 and 68 for 11 under par 133 have him five strokes clear of the field.
Wright, pictured, had birdies at the first, second, seventh, nine and 15th in halves of 32 and 36 with his only bogey coming at the fourth. He leads the field by five strokes from Gavin Hay (Mearns Castle) (71-67) on 138 and Paul O'Hara (North Lanarshire Leisure) (72-67) on 139 with 36 concluding holes on Thursday. Players with totals of 147 and better qualified for the final two rounds. SECOND ROUND TOTALS Par 144 (2x72) 133 G Wright (West Linton) 65 68 138 G Hay (Mearns Castle) 71 67 139 P O'Hara (N Lanarkshire Leisure) 72 67 141 A Forsyth (Mearns Castle) 72 69, S Henderson (Kings Links) 69 72. 142 S Burgess (Nairn) 72 70 143 R Leeds (Archerfield Links) 73 70, G Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie GC) 74 69, T Higson (Gleneagles) 71 72, Z Saltman (Winterfield) 73 70, G Fox (Clydeway Golf) 71 72, P McKechnie (Braid Hills) 68 75. 144 K Nicol (Dunes) 73 71, S Binning (Mearns Castle) 73 71, C Ronald (Carluke) 71 73, C West (Scotscraig) 71 73, R Cameron (unatt) 75 69, S Gray (Lanark) 73 71. 145 W Porter (Carnoustie) (am) 71 74, I Graham (Crow Wood) 73 72, D Sanderson (Nairn) (am) 73 72, F Cromarty (Nairn) 72 73, S Herald (St Andrews Links GA) 71 74. 146 J McGhee (Swanston New) 76 70, C McMaster (Downfield) 73 73, G Forbes (Mearns Castle) 77 69, R Tinker (Piperdam) 74 72. 147M Cunningham (Gullane) 75 72, G McDougall (Elie Links) 73 74, P McKenna (Portlethen) 71 76 THOSE WHO MISSED THE CUT INCLUDED 148 S O'Hara (N Lanarkshire Leisure) 74 74, F Mann (Carnoustie) 74 74, K Hutton (Downfield) 78 70, C Curran (Bathgate) 76 72, J Dick (Duddingston) 72 76, C Marr (Musselburgh) 73 75, M O'Donnell (Stirling) 74 74. to view all the scores and cards CLICK HERE
Gareth goes three clear after opening day of Northern Open
Gareth Wright opened up a three-stroke lead with a first-round, seven-under-par 65 in the Northern Open golf championship at Nairn Dunbar Golf Club.
The Welshman, playing out of West Linton, had bogey-free halves of 32-33, studded with birdies at the second, third, eighth, 11th, 12th, 14th and 18th. He had birdie 2s at three short holes.
Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) birdied the 13th, 16th, 17th and 18th in halves of 35 and 33.
Third placed Scott Henderson (Kings Links), a former winner of the title at Cruden Bay, is lying third with a 69 (32-37) in which he bogeyed the 17th but birdied the 18th.
FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD par 72 65 G Wright (West Linton) 68 P McKechnie (Braid Hills). 69 S Henderson (Kings Links). 71 C Ronald (Carluke), C West (Scotscraig), G Fox (Clydeway Golf), S Herald (St Andrews). W Porter (Carnoustie) (am), P McKenna (Portlethen), G Hay (Mearns Castle), T Higson (Gleneagles). 72 S Burgess (Nairn), F Cromarty (Nairn), P O'Hara (N Lanarkshire Leisure), A Forsyth (Mearns Castle), J Dick (Dukes). 73 D Sanderson (Nairn) (am), C Marr (Musselburgh), S Gray (Lanark), R Leeds (Archerfield Links), K Nicol (Dunes), S Binning (Mearns Castle), (Z Saltman (Winterfield). 74 R Black (Inverness), R Tinker (Piperdam), R Cromarty (Nairn) (am), G Murray (Moray (am), Mu O'Donnell (Stirling), S O'Hara (N Lanarkshire Leisure), G Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie GC), F Owenson (Nairn)(am ). 75 G Still (Turriff), R Harrower (Boat of Garten), R Cameron (unatt), N Huguet (Musselburgh), M Howenson (Gullane), M Cunningham. 76 R McConachie (Peterculter), J McGhee (Swanston New), K Zeynalov (Portlethen), L Gaughan (Bathgate), C Curran. 77 A Welsh (Cathkin Braes), R Clarke (Golf Dedication Centre), N Christie (Kinsey Partnership), M Patterson (Kilmacolm), G Forbes (Mearns Castle). 78 J Mackintosh (Nairn) (am), J Treasurer (Loch Ness), A McDonald (Dunnikier Park), C Currie (Erskine), N Fenwick (Dunbar), R Munro (Duddingston), K Hutton (Downfield).
SELECTED SCORES 79 M Schinkel (Royal Dornoch) (am), G Hardy (Prestwick St Nicholas). 80 M Mackenzie (Edzell), M Urquhart (Nairn), S Pears (Nairn) (a) (T65)
Nairn Dunbar is to stage next year's Northern Open - the Tartan Tour event's first visit to the course for nearly 20 years.
The PGA in Scotland's success in securing Nairn Dunbar as the next venue for the prestigious event sees another top links course added to the Northern Open rota in recent years.
Since leaving Meldrum House after being staged there for four consecutive years, it has been staged at Murcar Links, Cruden Bay, Royal Dornoch and Moray Golf Club at Lossiemouth.
Now Scotland's leading home-based professionals are in for another treat when the 2018 tournament visits Nairn Dunbar on June 5-8.
"We are delighted to be taking the Northern Open to Nairn Dunbar next year," said PGA in Scotland secretary Shona Malcolm.
"It further demonstrates the PGA in Scotland's commitment to holding this historic tournament at the best links courses in the Highlands."
It will be the event's fourth visit to the course, where Colin Brooks won in 1990, Kevin Stables triumphed three years later then Alastair Forsyth claimed the title in 1999.
Paul O'Hara added the Northern Open to his ever-expanding Tartan Tour CV after completing an impressive wire-to-wire win at Moray Golf Club in Lossiemouth.
Three shots ahead at the halfway stage, the 30-year-old Motherwell man closed with rounds of 66 and 71 for a seven-under-par 277 total to win the prestigious title and a £1,400 prize.
The only player in the 86-strong field to finish in red figures, he triumphed by seven shots from Paul McKechnie, Gavin Hay and Greg McBain.
"This win is right up there with my best," admitted O'Hara after landing a £1400 top prize. "It was great to win on the EPD Tour in Germany (2011) while last year's P and H Championship had bigger prize-money than here.
"However, this was over 72 holes and it also offers more Order of Merit points and one of my goals is to finish in the top three again so that I get into the PGA Play-Offs at the end of the season.
"I would like to try and get into the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth next season through that event - that's definitely a target."
O'Hara, a two-time Scottish Amateur Championship finalist, had fallen out of love with the game before deciding to enter the PGA training programme in 2012.
Since taking that career step, he's won the Scottish Young Pros three times in four years and has now joined some illustrious names on the Northerh Open trophy.
"To lead from start to finish in an event like this is pretty good, especially with the likes of my brother Steven, Alastair Forsyth, Greig Hutcheon and Paul McKechnie in the field," he added.
"My ball-striking won it for me and my iron play in particular as I was hitting it down the sticks in all four rounds.
"I also hit some great drives today at some of the tight holes, enabling me to get home at them while some of the other guys were probably struggling to do so."
The win was O'Hara's third on the Tartan Tour this season, having shot 61 at Largs and 63 at Bishopbriggs in pro-ams.
"I'm really enjoying myself at the moment as I'm teaching as well as playing," added the North Lanarkshire Leisure Ltd-attached player.
Newmachar pro McBain finished birdie-birdie in the third round before starting the closing circuit with another one only to have his momentum halted by a double-bogey at the short fourth.
He closed with a 73 to finish alongside Braid Hills Golf Centre-attached McKechnie (71) and Grantown-on-Spey's Hay (72).
The Bookless Cup, for the top amateur, was won by Bryan Fotheringham, the Forres man claiming the prize for the first time with a 295 total.
O'Hara still out in front after day of dramatic improvement in Northern Open
Paul O’Hara holds a three-shot lead at the halfway stage in the Northern Open after easier conditions for the second round at Moray Golf Club saw a dramatic improvement in scoring at the Lossiemouth venue.
No play was possible in the morning due to more rain but, as the sun broke out after a two-tee start was implemented, almost everyone in the field managed to better their efforts in brutal first-day conditions.
The biggest improvement came from Gullane’s Marc Owenson, who took 23 shots fewer than his opening score as he carded an eight-under-par 63.
The flawless effort was lit up by birdies at the second, third, sixth, seventh, eighth, 13th, 16th and 17th.
“It was nice just to be able to hold the club after yesterday," said a smiling Owenson, before adding: "That score was out there today.
"The course was bone dry on every green so great credit must go to the PGA and the greenkeepers because without all the guys’ hard work there was no chance it could have gone ahead today."
On seven-over for the event, Owenson sits nine shots behind O’Hara after he backed up his brilliant 72 in those foul first-day conditions with a 68.
The North Lanarkshire Leisure Ltd-attached player signed for six birdies to lead from Newmachar's Greg McBain, with Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills Golf Centre), Gavin Hay (Grantown-on-Spey) and David Orr (Eastwood) all a further shot back.
"I positioned the ball well today," said O'Hara, one of the most prolific winners on the Tartan Tour over the past few seasons.
"There’s no reason to hit a lot of drivers around here as there is a lot of trouble and it’s very tight off the tee, although the wind kind of eased off the last seven or eight holes."
McBain, a two-time winner of the Paul Lawrie Invitational at Deeside, eagled the ninth as he moved into second spot on the back of a 66.
That was the same score carded by both Hay and McKechnie, who knows what it takes to win at this venue, having triumphed in a PGA EuroPro Tour event four years ago.
“If you had offered me 66 in the first two rounds, I would have ripped your arm off, especially yesterday when it was a real slog," he said.
Bryan Fotheringham leads the race to claim the Bookless Cup as top amateur after the experienced Forres player posted a 69 to sit in a tie for sixth on three-over.
"Obviously the delay in the morning was a bit of a challenge, but to be fair they made the right call by waiting for the good weather to come in," said Fotheringham, who sits three ahead of his closest challenger in that amateur battle, home player Graham Murray.
"I’m still making a couple of mistakes due to indecision - I’m going one club more and hitting it too soft - but there’s still more in the tank."
Northern Open OOM final round tee times
Round 3: Moray Golf Club - Old Course
Time Name
1 7:30 Steven Maxwell, Eastwood GC
Norman Huguet, Musselburgh GC
1 7:38 David Stein, Ranfurly Castle GC
Paul Robinson, Largs GC
1 7:46 Paul Wardell, North Berwick GC
Kenny Hutton, Downfield GC
1 7:54 Samuel Binning, Mearns Castle GA
Gareth Wright, West Linton GC
1 8:02 Rodger Clarke, Golf Dedication C
Andrew Crerar, Panmure GC
1 8:10 Ross Harrower, Boat of Garten GC
Stephen McAllister, S McAllister Golf
1 8:18 Stewart Savage, Dalmuir GC
Louis Gaughan, Bathgate GC
1 8:26 Michael McAllan, Elgin GC
Mark O'Donnell, Linlithgow GC
1 8:34 Alastair Forsyth, Mearns Castle GA
Jamie Treasurer, Loch Ness GC
1 8:39 Graeme McDougall, Elie Links
Marc Owenson, Gullane GC
1 8:47 Greig Hutcheon, PLGC Inchmarlo
Alan Welsh, Cathkin Braes GC
1 8:55 Graham Murray (am), Moray GC
Steven O'Hara, N Lanarkshire Leisure
1 9:03 Graham Fox, Clydeway Golf
Thomas Higson, Gleneagles Hotel
1 9:11 Scott Henderson, Kings Links GC
Ross Cameron, Saltire Energy
1 9:19 Kris Nicol, Dunes Golf Centre
Brian Fotheringham (am), Forres GC
1 9:27 Christopher Currie, Caldwell GC
David Orr, Eastwood GC
1 9:35 Gavin Hay, Grantown-on-Spey GC
Paul McKechnie, Braid Hills GR
1 9:43 Greg McBain, Newmachar GC
Paul O'Hara, N Lanarkshire Leisure
SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD par 142 (2x71) 140 P O'Hara 72 68 143 G McBain 77 66 144 P McKechnie 78 66, G Hay 78 66, D Orr 75 69. 145 C Currie 75 69, B Fotheringham (amateur) 76 69, K Nicol 77 68, R Cameron 75 70 146 S Henderson 80 66 147 T Higson 80 67 148 G Fox 77 71, S O'Hara 79 68, G Murray (amateur) 78 70 149 A Welsh 80 69, G Hutcheon 78 71, M Owenson 86 63, G McDougall 82 67, J Treasurer 76 73. 150 A Forsyth 82 68, M O'Donnell 82 68, M McAllan 79 71, L Gaughan 74 76. 151 S Savage 82 69, S McAllister 83 68, R Harrower 77 74 152 A Crerar 82 70, R Clarke 79 73, G Wright 83 69, S Binning 81 71, K Hutton 81 71 153 P Wardell 82 71 P Robinson 82 71, D Stein 81 72, N Huguet 81 72, S Maxwell 81 72.
MISSED THE CUT 154 M Patterson 81 73, S Gray 84 70, J Scott (am) 82 72. 155 C McMaster 86 69, K McNicoll 81 74, M Mackenzie 83 72, S Morrison 82 73.
Paul O'Hara, pictured, produced a performance every bit as impressive as his recent record-breaking efforts on the Tartan Tour pro-am circuit to set the pace in the Northern Open.
On the toughest of days at Moray Golf Club due to a combination of incessant rain and wind gusting up to 40mph, no-one in the 84-strong field managed to break the par of 71.
The actual par on such a day was a lot higher, though, and the 72 carded by O'Hara, therefore, was a brilliant effort from the Lanarkshire man.
He started birdie-birdie and was three-under with eight holes to play before dropping shots at 11th, 13th, 14th and 18th as it turned really nasty for the later starters.
Despite that finish, O'Hara ended the day two shots clear of the field at the Lossiemouth venue, with Bathgate's Louis Gaughan leading the chase in the 72-hole event.
"It was a battle of survival all day," said O'Hara, who, along with his older brother Steven, is attached to North Lanarkshire Leisure Ltd.
"If the greens had started to flood, and I don’t know how they didn't as the fairways were flooded and even some of the rough, I’m sure it would have been called off.
"For the last six holes especially, it was pretty much unplayable. My grips were soaking, all my gloves had been used and my towels were soaking wet as well.
"But I am in good position going into tomorrow’s second round. I think it is going to be equally as bad weather-wise, so I now need to get everything dried off to go again."
Gaughan, the latest player to come off Bathgate's conveyor belt of golfing talent, was "chuffed" with his opening effort, which contained birdies at the first and 17th.
"I think that is about the toughest conditions I’ve ever played in," he declared. "It just never let up and it was freezing as well, so I was pleased to get back into the clubhouse to get some heat into me."
The West Lothian man was in contention in this event after 54 holes at Royal Dornoch last year before slipping to joint-10th following a closing 77.
"I am playing the best I’ve ever played so hopefully, if the weather holds up for tomorrow the course is very scoreable,” he added.
Ross Cameron (Saltire Energy) and Eastwood professional David Orr tied for third on 75, with Forres amateur Bryan Fotheringham among three players a further shot back.
"I don’t think I’ve ever been wetter in my life, it was just horrendous," groaned Fotheringham. "In the end, I am delighted to have shot a 76 in conditions like that."
Defending champion Greig Hutcheon was home in 44 as he signed for a 78 to sit joint-12th.