O'Hara cruises to victory

It will certainly be a happy 27th birthday for Paul O'Hara after he followed up his recent success in the Scottish Young Professionals' Championship by winning the Sandy Pipey Young Masters title.

The Clydeway Golf assistant won by four shots over the classic Royal Dornoch links.

O'Hara earned the £1,050 first prize with rounds of 70 and 66 for four-under-par 136.

In his first round, he had two birdies, two bogeys and 14 pars. In his second circuit, he eliminated the negative completely with 14 pars and four birdies, at the first, eighth, short 13th and 16th.

Runner-up on 140 was another former Scotland amateur international, Keir McNicoll (Gullane), with scores of 71 and 69 for level par 140 for which he received £800.

The Carnoustie man birdied the short sixth, seventh and long 12th, but offset that with bogeys at the short 10th and 18th.

Greg Paterson (St Andrews Links Golf Academy) earned £650 for third place on 144 with rounds of 73 and 71.

He had the same amount of birdies as the winner but had a costly run which saw him bogey the sixth and seventh before running up a double bogey at the eighth. He also bogeyed the 17th.

Two of the three female young professionals in the field, Emma Fairnie (Gullane) and former British women's amateur champion Julie (Hall) Otto (Elie Sports Centre) finished in the money.

Fairnie earned £155 for a total of 152 (78-74) while Otto slashed 11 shots off her opening effort (81) with a second-round 71 for 153 and a £118 payslip.