Fox crowned Scottish PGA champion

A battle royal among the final three-ball in the Gleneagles Scottish PGA Championship ended with Graham Fox duly winning his first-ever 72-hole title.

Playing over a calm King's Course, the 35-year-old Ayrshireman pegged away, with hardened stalwarts, Greig Hutcheon and Scott Henderson, trading blow for blow with him all the way round.

After carding a closing 69 for a two-shot win over Hutcheon, with Henderson a further shot behind, the Rowallan Castle pro commented: "I stuck at it, kept believing and trusting all the work I've done with Ross Aitken (head pro at Rowallan) and the fitness programme set by John Welsh at Maximum Potential."

By the eighth hole, Aberdonian Henderson had wiped out Fox's three-stroke overnight lead, but a Fox birdie at 11 and a par at the next stretched the gap to two as Henderson faltered.

Hutcheon, out in a two-under 33, birdied 10, as did the two others, but got into trouble at the short par-four 14th, where Fox picked up a valuable birdie.

The Banchory pro was two behind as they stood on the par-five final tee, but even an eagle there was matched by the new champion.

Fox will again bid for his European Tour card at the end of the year, bolstered by this victory, "now that I've got the puppy fat removed."

The round of the championship came from last year's runner-up, Chris Currie, who swept round in a staggering 63.

"I failed to hit only two greens in the last 36 holes", said the Caldwell pro. "I was hitting them so close I couldn't miss holing the putts." The outcome was nine birdies and a solitary bogey.