LATE DRAMA IN PAUL LAWRIE INVITATIONAL AT DEESIDE

Greg McBain with the Paul Lawrie Invitational trophy after the Deeside play-off. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

McBAIN BEATS HAY WITH BIRDIE AT 

SECOND HOLE OF PLAY-OFF

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Aberdonian Greg McBain (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) led from start to finish to win the Paul Lawrie Invitational at Deeside Golf Club for the second time in three years ... but he had to play two extra holes before clinching the title and his biggest prize yet, £7,500.
McBain, 30, beat Grantown-on-Spey's Gavin Hay (Nairn Dunbar), this year's Scottish Young Professionals champion, with a birdie at the second hole of a sudden death play-off.
They had tied at the end of the regulation 54 holes on 10-under-par 200, 23-year-old Hay setting the clubhouse target after a closing round of 64, which matched McBain's opening-day score,  and McBain, thanks to birdies at the 16th and 17th in a closing, bogey-free 66, forcing a play-off.
Hay had a bogey-free final round with birdies at the third, fifth, sixth, ninth, 12th and 16th.
The par-4 18th was used for the sudden-death play-off. It was halved first time round in 4s. McBain holed a 12ft birdie putt the next time after Hay had been a touch strong with his approach and chipped downhill to within a yard of the hole. 
It was McBain's fourth win on the Tartan Tour this season and boosted his earnings for 2014 to £19,477. He is now second in the Order of Merit table behind Greig Hutcheon.
"I heard that Gavin Hay was back in the clubhouse at 10-under-par, which meant I had to birdie at least two of the last three holes, just to force a play-off," said McBain who had birdied the ninth and 11th to be eight under par for the tournament
"I got them at the 16th and 17th but couldn't get one at the 18th to win without a play-off. I came into this tournament playing well and was pleased with the way I kept the good form going.
"I know Deeside well from my junior days as a Newmachar member. I love the course and the tournament. Having won it twice now, I must rate it as my favourite on the Tartan Tour!"
McBain, with the help of the Paul Lawrie Foundation which added him to its "stable" earlier this year, hopes to make it up to the European Tour in the not too distant future.
"I will play EuroPro events next year and also have a go at the European Tour Q School but that doesn't mean I am turning my back on the Tartan Tour." 
Hay, whose £5,000 runner-up prize is the biggest of his fledgling pro career, was not too disappointed at being pipped for first place.
"If I had bogeyed the play-off holes, I might have been a little bit down but I did not have a bogey at any of the 20 holes I played today," said Gavin.
"It took a birdie to beat me in the end so there's some consolation in that. No, I'm delighted to have got as close as I did to winning the Paul Lawrie Invitational."
Former European Tour player Kenneth Ferrie from the North-east of England finished third, three shots behind the play-off participants. He closed with his best round of the three, a four-under 66 for 203.
That was an excellent performance by the 6ft-plus Geordie as he bogeyed the first two holes before birdieing the fourth, eighth, 12th and 15th, highlighting his scorecard with an eagle 2 at the 17th.That was crucial in earning him a £3,750 payday.
Ferrie, incidentally, was beaten at the sixth hole of a play-off by Andrew McArthur in the first Paul Lawrie Invitational in 2011
Craig Lawrie (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre), 19-year-old son of Paul, achieved the first top-10/top-5 finish in his rookie pro career by tieing for fourth place with Keir McNicoll (Gullane), son of former Dunfermline Athletic half back Dave McNicoll, and Christopher Currie (Caldwell). Each earned £2,083
Lawrie shot 69-67-69 for 205 and was obviously delighted to make his mark in his father's tournament and over his home course where he was junior champion before he turned pro.
"I've had good rounds, sometimes two good rounds but this is the first time I've strung three of them together in my pro career," said Craig who birdied the third, sixth, 13th and 16th in his closing round.
 "I bogeyed the first, 11th and the last hole or I would have finished fourth on my own but I'm pleased with the way I played over the three days. Hopefully, I can take it on from here."

The cream of the 2014 crop. Left to right: Craig Lawrie, Keir McNicoll. Gavin Hay, Kenneth Ferrie (at back, red shirt), Greg McBain and Christopher Currie. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.


4th PAUL LAWRIE INVITATIONAL
Deeside Golf Club, Aberdeen.  
Par 210 (3x70)
200 G Hay (Nairn Dunbar) 67 69 64, G McBain (Paul Lawrie GC) 64 70 66 (McBain won sudden-death play-off with birdie 3 at  second extra hole) McBain £7,500; Hay £5,000.
203 K Ferrie (unatt) 69 68 66. £3,750
205 K McNicoll (Gullane) 69 70 66, C Currie (Caldwell) 70 66 69, C Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC) 69 67 69. £2,083 each.
206 N Fenwick (Dunbar) 70 69 67, L Gaughan (Bathgate) 70 67 69, G Paterson (St Andrews) 70 66 70, S Henderson (Kings Links) 70 66 70. £1,318 each
208 G Wright (West Linton) 75 64 69, P O'Hara (Clydeway Golf) 69 70 69. £912 each
 209 K Nicol (Paul Lawrie GC) 74 66 69, R Arnott (Bishopbriggs) 68 70 71, G Fox (Clydeway Golf 70 66 73. £775 each
210 C Kelly (unatt) 68 72 70, S Taylor (Bothwell Castle) 73 67 70, Cameron Marr (Musselburgh) 71 67 72, P Robinson (Largs) 70 65 75. £606 each
211 G Brown (Montrose Links) 73 69 69, J McKinnon (Irvine) 70 70 71. £512 each
212 J Lomas (Caprington) 66 76 70, C Robinson (Portpatrick Dunskey) 68 74 70, P Wardell (Whitekirk) 68 72 72. £450 each
213 L Vannet (Craibstone) 71 69 73. £400.
214 G Paxton (Ralston) 71 72 71, M Patterson (Kilmacolm) 70 72 72, P Shields (Kirkhill) 71 72 71. £350 each
215 J McGhee (Bishopbriggs) 69 72 74. £300
216 C Gordon (Edinburgh GC) 71 72 73, S Gray (Hayston) 71 72 73, J McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) 71 71 74. £258 each
217 T Mathieson (Murcar Links) 72 71 74. £250.
219 J Gallagher (Douglas Park) 71 72 7. £250.
221  N Cameron (Blairgowrie) 72 71 78. £250.