Banchory's James Byrne set a Northern Open low scoring record and became the first player since the mid-1990s to win the title two years in a row at Meldrum House Golf Club, Oldmeldrum today.
Trailing the 2011 winner, David Law (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) at the halfway stage, Byrne caught him over the morning third round and finished a shot ahead of the Aberdonian to take the £4,000 prize and the prestigious title, being contested for the 75th time.
Byrne burned up the par-70 parkland lay-out with scores of 67, 66, 63 and 65 for a 19-under-par total of 261. And yet he arrived so late from his Asian Tur travels that he did not have time for a practice round this week!
The previous lowest four-round winning Northern Open total was 264 by Peter Smith in 1992 at Murcar.
The last man to win the title two years in a row was Elgin's Kevin Stables in 1993-94.
"Hopefully, this will give me the springboard to get my pro career really going. I feel that if I could make it to the European Tour, I could hold my own there," said the 24-year-old Byrne whose next ois Stage 1 qualifying for the European Tour School.
If Byrne could carry over his Northern Open scoring exploits to the Q School, he would sail over the barriers between him and the "big time."
"I managed to get two ahead of David (Law) on the outward half of the last round and then got a birdie at the 10th and an eagle 3 at the 11th.
"That gave me a big enough lead to hold David, who is a great player, at bay when he finished strongly, as I knew he would."
Law, winner of the title as an amateur in 2011, had rounds of 63, 68, 65 and 66 for a total of 262 - the second lowest 72-hole aggregate in the history of a tournament first played in 1933
This was the 75th staging of the event, and was sponsored by AVC Media.
"Nine pars on the final outward half really gave me too much ground to make up on James," said the 22 year old Law
"I birdied the 11th, 13th and 16th but I would have had to come home in six-under 29, as I did in the first two rounds, to have won."
But Law did get close. Had he been able to hole a downhill 8ft birdie putt at the short 18th, then there would have been a play-off. It was as close as that.
Scottish amateur champion mding amateur.
The Dunbar man, who still has a year to go in his studies at Stirling University, finished ohn nine under par 271 - two shots ahead of the only other amateur to survive the halfway cut, 19 year old professionals son, Jamie Savage (Cawder).
Savage staged a grandstand finish with a 64 for 273.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x70)
261 James Byrne (Banchory) 67 66 63 65 (£4,000)
262 David Law (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 63 65 68 (£2,750)
265 Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf) 64 70 63 68 (£2,000)
267 Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) 69 65 68 65 (£1,600)
268 Scott Henderson (Kings Links) 62 69 69 68 (£1,200)
269 Greg McBain (Gamola Golf) 68 67 67 67 (£1,000)
270 Christopher Currie (Caldwell) 68 67 67 68, Chris Kelly (Cawder) 69 65 69 67 (£850 each)
271 Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs) 65 69 69 68 (£700), Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) (am) 71 67 63 70
272 Andrew Crerar (Panmure) 65 68 68 71 (£600)
273 Kenny Hutton (Downfield) 68 70 65 70, David Patrick (Kingsfield) 66 71 66 70, David Orr (Mearns Castle) 69 68 68 68 (£475 each), Jamie Savage (Cawder) (am) 66 73 70 64
275 Paul Wardell (Whitekirk) 72 67 68 68, Mark Loftus (Mearns Castle) 70 67 70 68, Jonathan Cliff (Murrayfield) 68 72 67 68, Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) 69 71 67 68, Paul O'Hara (Clydeway Golf) 71 69 68 67 (£393 each)
276 Stephen Gray (Hayston) 71 65 67 73, Jonathan Lomas (Caprington) 67 67 72 70 (£355 each)
279 Stephen Lamb (Macdonald Cardrona) 72 66 68 73, Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) 72 69 71 67, Mark King (Kingsfield) 70 70 69 70 (£330 each)
280 Craig Ronald (Carluke) 69 70 71 70 (£305)
282 James McKinnon (Irvine) 71 70 71 70, Philip McLean (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 69 72 70 71, Greg Paxton (Ralston) 70 69 71 72 (£280 each)
283 Christopher Russell (RAW golf course design)70 70 74 69, Malcolm Isaacs (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 68 71 74 70 (£255 each).
285 Fraser Mann (Musselburgh) 69 70 74 72, Patrick Walker (Ballumbie Castle) 71 68 72 74 (£235 each)
286 Ross Dixon (Renaissance) 70 71 73 72, Iain Donaldson (Meldrum House) 71 70 73 72 (£217 each)
287 Graeme Brown (Montrose Links) 70 69 79 69 (£210)
290 Terry Mathieson (Murcar Links) 67 74 70 79 (£205)
294 Calum Lawson (Wellsgreen) 71 70 81 72 (£200).
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