Record breaker Byrne bags second Northern Open title

Banchory's James Byrne set a Northern Open low scoring record and became the first player since the mid-1990s to win the title two years in a row at Meldrum House.

Trailing the 2011 winner, David Law (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) at the halfway stage, Byrne caught him over the morning third round and finished a shot ahead of the Aberdonian to take the £4,000 prize and the prestigious title, being contested for the 75th time.

Byrne burned up the par-70 parkland lay-out with scores of 67, 66, 63 and 65 for a 19-under-par total of 261.

And yet he arrived so late from his Asian Tour travels that he did not have time for a practice round this week.

The previous lowest four-round winning Northern Open total was 264 by Peter Smith in 1992 at Murcar.

The last man to win the title two years in a row was Elgin's Kevin Stables in 1993-94.

"Hopefully, this will give me the springboard to get my pro career really going,” said Byrne.

“I feel that if I could make it to the European Tour, I could hold my own there," said the 24-year-old.

"I managed to get two ahead of David (Law) on the outward half of the last round and then got a birdie at the 10th and an eagle three at the 11th.

"That gave me a big enough lead to hold David, who is a great player, at bay when he finished strongly, as I knew he would."

Law, winner of the title as an amateur in 2011, had rounds of 63, 68, 65 and 66 for a total of 262 - the second lowest 72-hole aggregate in the history of a tournament first played in 1933,

"Nine pars on the final outward half really gave me too much ground to make up on James," said the 22 year old Law.

"I birdied the 11th, 13th and 16th but I would have had to come home in six-under 29, as I did in the first two rounds, to have won."

But Law did get close. Had he been able to hole a downhill eight foot birdie putt at the short 18th, then there would have been a play-off. It was as close as that.