Home course man Brian Soutar dug deep into his local knowledge to come from behind on a day of high winds to win the Standard Life Leven Gold Medal for a second time today (Sunday).
Soutar, the halfway leader, lost the pole position over the third round with a 79 to Charlie Macneal but the Prestwick player was blown away to a closing round of seven-over 78 to fin ish fifth on 291.
Soutar got his head down to grind out par figures and regain the lead with a battling one-over 72 for a final total of three-over 287.
He won the gold medal by a single stroke from James White (Lundin) and young US college student Lawrence Allan (Alva) who also shot 72s in the last round to tie for second place on 288, a shot behind the winner.
Both White and Allan received silver medals.
Kevin Duncan (Cruden Bay), another man well used to handling high winds on exposed links, shot a 73 to finish fourth on 290.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71) CSS 73 72 75 (reduction only) 75.
287 B Soutar (Leven GS) 67 69 79 72
288 J White (Lundin) 73 69 74 72, L Allan (Alva) 69 70 77 72
290 K Duncan (Cruden Bay) 72 71 74 73
291 C Macneal (Prestwick) 71 69 73 78
292 Anthony Blaney (Liberton) 75 74 71 72
294 F Moore (Glenbervie) 74 70 79 71, A Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 71 72 76 75
295 D Kay (Dunbar) 73 68 78 76
296 C Howie (Peebles) 73 71 73 79, L McAlpine (Royal Dornoch) 75 70 79 72, A Davidson (Charleton) 76 73 73 74, D Lawrence (Ballumbie Castle) 72 72 78 74
298 G Miller (Cawder) 75 71 75 77, S Smith (Marriott Dalmahoy) 69 75 77 77, R Bell (Downfield) 74 71 77 76, K McClung (Wigtownshire Co) 72 72 78 76, G Robertson (Silverknowes) 69 72 81 76, A Carrick (Douglas Park) 73 76 76 73
299 M Smyth (Royal Troon) 76 73 75 75, M Naysmith (Marriott Dalmahoy) 74 73 77 75, J Jamieson (St Andrews) 74 73 72 80, Michael Daily (Ereskine) 75 72 73 79.
300 S Rennie (Drumpellier) 73 72 79 76, P Ratcliffe (Thornton) 73 74 74 79, N Peoples (Tantallon) 75 70 77 78, C Wallace (Balbirnie Park) 73 70 77 80, D Paterson (Leven GS) 74 75 76 75, C Low (Tantallon) 76 72 79 73.
301 A Hain (St Andrews) 75 72 76 79, L Bain (Turnhouse) 71 72 80 78.
302 A Moir (Thornton) 70 71 82 79, C O'Neil (Pollok) 74 74 73 81, Jamie Lamb (Lanark) 76 70 74 82, D Mitchell (Greenacre) 74 74 77 77
303 K Godsman (Moray) 71 76 72 84, S Hill (Leven Th) 70 73 76 84, J Duff (Newmachar) 73 73 79 78.
305 J Shaw (Boat of Garten) 75 74 77 79
306 J Milne (Elgin) 67 77 80 82, E MacGregor (Leven GS) 73 76 77 80
307 J Harling (Banchory) 75 73 81 81
308 J Douglas (Aberdour) 70 78 82 78.
