Wire-to-wire win for Paul O'Hara in Northern


Open, Bryan Fotheringham wins amateur cup

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.


FINAL TOTALS AND PRIZEMONEY
par 284 (4x71)

1	Paul O'Hara   North Lanarkshire Leisure	E	F	-7	72	68	66	71	277		£1,400.00
T2	Gavin Hay   Grantown-on-Spey Golf Club	+1	F	E	78	66	68	72	284		£1,016.67
T2	Paul McKechnie   Braid Hills Golf Range	E	F	E	78	66	69	71	284		£1,016.67
T2	Greg McBain   Newmachar Golf Club	+2	F	E	77	66	68	73	284		£1,016.67
5	Graham Fox   Clydeway Golf	-1	F	+3	77	71	69	70	287		£750.00
6	Christopher Currie   Caldwell Golf Club	+1	F	+4	76	69	71	72	288		£650.00
7	David Orr   Eastwood Golf Club	+2	F	+5	75	69	72	73	289		£600.00
8	Kris Nicol   Dunes Golf Centre	+1	F	+6	77	68	73	72	290		£550.00
9	Scott Henderson   Kings Links Golf Centre	+3	F	+7	80	66	71	74	291		£500.00
T10	Gareth Wright   West Linton Golf Club	-1	F	+8	83	69	70	70	292		£425.00
T10	Greig Hutcheon   Paul Lawrie GC Inchmarlo	E	F	+8	78	71	72	71	292		£425.00
T12	Marc Owenson   Gullane Golf Club	E	F	+9	86	63	73	71	293		£325.00
T12	Thomas Higson   Gleneagles Hotel	E	F	+9	80	67	75	71	293		£325.00
T12	Ross Cameron	+5	F	+9	75	70	72	76	293		£325.00
15	Alastair Forsyth   Mearns Castle Golf Academy	E	F	+10	82	68	73	71	294		£275.00
T16	Alan WelshA. Welsh   Cathkin Braes Golf Club	+1	F	+11	80	69	74	72	295		£250.00
T16	Brian Fotheringham (amateur)   Forres GC	+4	F	+11	76	69	75	75	295		£0.00
T18	Kenny Hutton   Downfield Golf Club	E	F	+13	81	71	74	71	297		£197.50
T18	Stephen McAllister   Stephen McAllister Golf	+1	F	+13	83	68	74	72	297		£197.50
T18	Stewart Savage   Dalmuir Golf Club	+3	F	+13	82	69	72	74	297		£197.50
T18	Steven O'Hara   North Lanarkshire Leisure	+4	F	+13	79	69	74	75	297		£197.50
22	Mark O'Donnell   Linlithgow Golf Club	+5	F	+14	82	68	72	76	298		£165.00
23	Andrew Crerar   Panmure Golf Club	+4	F	+16	82	70	73	75	300		£160.00
T24	Norman Huguet   Musselburgh Golf Club	+1	F	+17	81	72	76	72	301		£158.00
T24	Samuel Binning   Mearns Castle Golf Academy	+8	F	+17	81	71	70	79	301		£158.00
T24	Louis Gaughan   Bathgate Golf Club	+7	F	+17	74	76	73	78	301		£158.00
T27	Paul Wardell   North Berwick Golf Club	+6	F	+19	82	71	73	77	303		£155.50
T27	Graeme McDougall   Elie Links	+6	F	+19	82	67	77	77	303		£155.50
T27	Graham Murray (amateur)   Moray GC	+9	F	+19	78	70	75	80	303		£0.00
30	Ross Harrower   Boat of Garten	+10	F	+20	77	74	72	81	304		£154.00
T31	David Stein   Ranfurly Castle Golf Club	+4	F	+21	81	72	77	75	305		£152.50
T31	Rodger Clarke   Golf Dedication Centre	+7	F	+21	79	73	75	78	305		£152.50
T33	Steven Maxwell   Eastwood Golf Club	+8	F	+22	81	72	74	79	306		£150.50
T33	Michael McAllan   Elgin Golf Club	+7	F	+22	79	71	78	78	306		£150.50
35	Paul Robinson   Largs Golf Club	+5	F	+26	82	71	81	76	310		£150.00
36	Jamie Treasurer   Loch Ness Golf Club	+7	F	+30	76	73	87	78	314		£150.00