SANDY PIPEY YOUNG MASTERS TRIUMPH BY THREE SHOTS

PAUL O'HARA WINS AT ROYAL 

DORNOCH FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Paul O'Hara put in a repeat performance to win the Sandy Pipey Young Masters by three strokes for the second year in a row over Royal Dornoch Golf Club's classic links in Sutherland.

The Clydeway Golf man, pictured above with the trophy and Royal Dornoch officials, won the £7,500 36-hole tournament with scores of 70 and 68 for two-under-par 138. O'Hara's victory also clinched the No 1 spot in the final Scottish Young Professionals' Order of Merit.

Joint second in the Sandy Pipey Young Masters on 141 were overnight leader Gavin Hay (Nairn Dunbar) (68-73) and Craig Goodwin (Duff House Royal) (72-69).

Sharing fourth place on 142 were Azerbaijan-born  Kamran Zeynalov (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre, Alan Welsh (Cathkin Braes) and Keir McNicoll (Gullane).

Zeynalov's 67 was the best second round, thanks to birdies at the second, 10th, 12th and 17th with only one bogey, at the 14th.

O'Hara hit the front with birdies at the third and seventh as Hay ran up a soul-destroying triple bogey 6 at the short sixth and later bogeyed the 14th and 18th after rallying with a birdie at the long 12th.

O'Hara's round was not perfect but very few are over Royal Dornoch! He bogeyed the 11th but came straight back with birdies at the 12th and 13th and could afford the luxury of a bogey at the last and still win looking round.

Goodwin could feel pleased with his closing 69 - an improvement of three shots, only one bogey, at the seventh, and birdies at the 12th and 15th.

FINAL TOTALS

Par 140 (2x70)

138 P O'Hara (Clydeway Golf) 70 68

141 C Goodwin (Duff House Royal) 72 69, G Hay (Nairn Dunbar) 68 73

142 K Zeynalov (Paul Lawrie GC) 75 67, A Welsh (Cathkin Braes) 73 69, K McNicoll (Gullane) 73 69

143 C Marr (Musselburgh) 71 72

144 C Porciani (Turnberry Hotel) 72 72, D Stein (Ranfurly Castle) 70 74, R Pickard (Loretto GA) 69 75

145 I Anderson (Colville Park) 74 71

146 R Clarke (Gamola Golf) 75 71, C Brown (Carrick on Loch Lomond) 73 73

147 J Treasurer (Loch Ness) 76 71, F Rummins (Canmore) 76 71, R McConnachie (Peterculter) 75 72, R Munro (Duddingston) 73 74, C Farrell (Cardross) 72 71

148 J Fraser (Renaissance) 76 72, A Munro (Elie SC) 74 74, S Fay (Royal Dornoch) 74 74

149 R Rushford (Glenbervie) 73 75, I Lowdean (Murrayfield) 75 74.

150 R King (Carrick on Loch Lomond) 78 72, C Robinson (Elie SC)  78 72

151 M Patterson (Cruden Bay) 79 72, F Robertson (Lundin) 77 74, C Armstrong (Burntisland) 72 79

152 S Watters (Balbirnie Park) 78 74, J Bell (Craigmillar Park) 78 74, G Hillson (Dunbar) 77 75, I McNab (Dundonald Links) 75 77

153 C McManus (Kilmarnock Barassie) 79 74, R W Black (Inverness) 77 76, M Mackenzie (Edzell) 73 80

154 C Dick (Royal Burgess) 80 74, T Poyser (Renaissance) 76 78, A Burns (Bothwell Castle) 73 81

155 K Moran (Balbirnie Park) 79 76, J Gallagher (Douglas Park) 78 77, O Huish (North Berwick) 76 79, A Hutchison (Douglas Park) 75 80

156 B Harvey (Loudoun Castle) 78 78, S Wilson (Greenock) 77 70, T Dingwall (Kemnay) 77 79.

157 G Wright (Ladybank) 80 77, F Thomson (Turnberry Hotel) 77 80

158 Kirstin Scott (Gleneagles) 81 77, S Craigon (Balbirnie Park) 81 77, S Costello (Strathaven) 78 80

160 P Mitchell (Stirling) 85 75, L Burnett (Mearns Castle) 80 80

161 P. McKenna (Paul Lawrie GC) 83 78, A Todd (Prestwick) 78 83

163 S Milne (Balbirnie Park) 88 75, C Nisbet (Duke's) 84 79

164 C Beveridge (West Kilbride) 81 83, C Fountain(Buchanan Catler) 77 87

168 D Lee (unatt) 90 78

181 R Mackenzie-Smith (Carnegie Club) 90 91.