McNicoll swoops for biggest victory

Carnoustie's Keir McNicoll, assistant at Gullane Golf Club, scored the biggest win of his pro career today at Dumfries and Galloway Golf Club.

McNicoll, who won a qualifier to get into the field for the lucrative Kerr Investments 36-hole, two-day pro-am, finished up winning the £2,297 top prize with a total of five-under-par 135.

Son of a former Dunfermline Athletic pro footballer, Dave McNicoll, Keir mastered the inward half in both rounds, coming home on Saturday in 31 for a three-under 67 and today in 32 for a 68.

He birdied the ninth, 16th and 18th in a grandstand finish to pip the clubhouse leaders Greig Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) and Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf).

Hutcheon, who finished a couple of hours earlier, had set the clubhouse target of 136 with a splendid bogey-free second round of 64, eight shots better than his opening effort.

Fox eventually matched that with a pair of 66s, thanks to a birdie at the short 16th.

But late finisher McNicoll, whose sister Katy plays on the LETAS Tour, swooped to claim the main honours.

The two-day team event was won by Dumfries and Galloway Team 15, made up of Billy Boyd (handicap 18), Alan McCabe (16) and David Frazer (13). Piloted by pros Gareth Wright (West Linton) on Saturday and Ryan Buckley (Royal Musselburgh) today, they totalled 245.