Jack's jumping again after Scottish Open qualifier

Ayrshireman Jack Doherty bounced back from the bitter disappointment of being pipped by Colin Montgomerie for an Open Championship spot to win the £50,000 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open qualifier at Moray Golf Club in Lossiemouth.

The 34-year-old, who fell one shot short of forcing a play-off with Montgomerie at Gailes Links last Tuesday for the third and final spot up for grabs in the season's third major, didn't have to wait long for his redemption.

With rounds of 68 and 70 for a four-under-par total, Doherty finished one shot ahead of Alastair Forsyth, Peter Whiteford, Kris Nicol and Gareth Wright as they also secured spots in the £3.25 million showpiece starting at Castle Stuart on Thursday.

"I'm delighted to have bounced back like that," admitted Doherty after breaking out of the pack on a day of squally showers on the Moray Firth coast with a two-putt birdie at the par-5 17th. "It is funny how things have worked out after what happened on Tuesday and, to be honest, I was actually more nervous today than I was then."

With four Open Championship spots up for grabs at Castle Stuart, the Kilmarnock-based player has given himself a second chance of making it to Royal Troon.

"I'm playing well enough to give myself a chance," added Doherty, who picked up £7,500 for his victory. "It is nice to finally get into a Scottish Open. I've never been to Castle Stuart and I'm looking forward to it. It's just starting to sink in."

Two-time European Tour winner Forsyth had played in the Scottish Open every year since 2000 before seeing that run come to an end at Gullane 12 months ago.

The 40-year-old is playing part-time these days, having stepped back from Tour life to do some coaching and go through the PGA training programme.

But he is now heading for a venue where he chalked up two top-30 finishes when the Scottish Open was held there three years in a row from 2011, having been eighth behind South African Tim Clark at Loch Lomond 11 years ago.

"It is the first time in a long time that I am actually enjoying playing golf," admitted Forsyth after carding a second-round 70. "The Scottish Open is up there with the best events on Tour and it is brilliant to be back."

Whiteford also has good memories from Castle Stuart, where he not only finished eighth in the 2012 event won by Jeev Milka Singh but also made a hole-in-one at the 11th in the second round that year.

"First and foremost it is nice to be picking up a cheque because my golf has been horrendous for the last year and a half," said Whiteford, who lost his main Tour card at the end of the 2014 season. "Getting into Castle Stuart is a nice bonus, though, and there is definitely light in the tunnel."

Welshman Wright, who is the PGA pro at West Linton, shared that sentiment after being among the five qualifiers for the second year running.

"Hopefully this result will turn the tide for me this season," the Edinburgh-based player, who helped Great Britain & Ireland record a first PGA Cup win on US soil in California last year.

"While I've been playing nicely, I've not managed to put scores together but this could be a corner being turned. I love Castle Stuart as it's a course where you need to be a good driver of the ball and that's one of my strengths."

Like both Whiteford and Wright, Nicol held his nerve to hole a testing par putt on the last - but only just as his his ball toppled in just as it looked as though it might hang on the lip.

"What a relief to see that drop in," confessed 31-year-old Nicol, who hails from Fraserburgh but is attached to Paul Lawrie Golf Centre on the outskirts of Aberdeen.

Lawrie watched his oldest son, Craig, make a hole-in-one at the 15th in the second round only for the 19-year-old to come up just short along with host club amateur Kyle Godsman.

They both finished two shots outside of the qualifying zone in an event that was another resounding success on the back of last year's inaugural tournament at North Berwick.

** Pic courtesy of Kenny Smith