Overnight leader Mark Loftus picked up the biggest cheque of his fledgling professional career when he hung on magnificently to his one-stroke lead in today's rain-plagued final round of the Gleneagles Scottish PGA Championship.
A closing 75 for a two-under 290 in torrential conditions over the PGA Centenary course was enough to stave off a gallant rearguard action by last year's runner-up, Craig Lee, who birdied the closing three holes for a 73 and 291, one behind the new champion.
Westerwood's Sam Cairns, tucking away birdies on the opening three holes, tied with Loftus after 13 holes, but a plugged ball in a fairway bunker at the 15th produced the bogey that relegated him to a share of second with Lee.
Said Loftus, winning his first 72-hole event "My ball striking's been excellent this week, and I knew I could rely on it today. I got a great boost yesterday when Paul Lawrie came to wish me well on the first tee (the former Open Champion has been one of Loftus' mentors in the last few years), and I've put in so much hard work with Adam Hunter (Lawrie's former coach).
"In fact, he phoned this morning and said 'Enjoy it. The hard work's done'"
This was Cairns' best finish in the championship, having finished 12th a year ago.
"Most of the fairways were under water", he said. "But it's remarkable the way the course has held up, and the greens are putting well. The main problem was the gloves are soaked through - it was becoming so hard to keep a grip on the clubs.
"When I started out I had in mind five under for the championship (he began at +1), but as the weather deteriorated I thought maybe two or three under would at least get Mark thinking. But all credit to him, he held up solidly."
Accompanied by his girl friend, Lynn Kenny, a former Scottish women's amateur champion and now a Ladies European Tour professional, Lee displayed some mercurial putting. Early on he contrived to miss a couple of four-footers, but he more than made amends from the 16th, holing out from 20, 40 and 15 feet for birdies that lifted his cheque to just under £6,000.
Mortonhall's David Patrick threatened to topple Loftus, taking a share of the lead at three under after 10 holes, but bogeys on 11, 13 and 15 snuffed out the challenge, and he finished tied fourth on 292, level par, with halfway leader, David Orr.
Loftus picked up his career-biggest cheque of £8,800, and will again bid later in the season for his European Tour card.