Jason McCreadie won the biggest golf prize of his career when he became Gleneagles Scottish PGA champion over the PGA Centenary course.
A final round of 72, one under par, was good enough to fend off Aberdeen's Graeme Lornie by two strokes, 285 to 287, and give him a cheque for £9,000.
And McCreadie was quick to heap credit onto Bob Torrance, whom he described as 'the best golf coach in the world'.
Said Jason, "His advice to me this week, after checking my swing was OK, was 'These are the best days of your life. Just go out and enjoy them.'"
The 37-year-old Largs-based pro did that - but only after he'd successfully found the green at the short 17th, a hole that had troubled him all week.
"It was a sucker pin position, but I played conservatively, went for the front left with a seven-iron, and left myself a 25 footer to get down in two. That kept me happy."
He gilded the lily up the long 18th, chipping from 20 yards to four feet for a final birdie flourish.
McCreadie retains his enthusiasm for yet another bid at the end of the year to join the big boys of the European Tour. "Every year I'm going to try and make it, trying to progress, and keep going till I feel I'm going backwards. There are so many pros out there who'd love to be doing what I'm doing."
Lornie surprised many followers of the pro game in Scotland by not only sustaining his challenge but carding a best-of-the-day 70 to take runner-up spot, worth £7,000.
An Aberdeen greenkeeper before trying his hand at full-time golf three years ago, Lornie applied pressure on the eventual winner throughout a long afternoon.
One minor concern was the presence of his father, Mike, among the spectators.
"He's caddied for me in the past but it didn't really work. So he agreed to stay well clear of me today. And he did! But it was nice to have him along to see my best display ever"
It also surpassed his previous biggest cheque, by some margin, the runner-up prize of £1,700 at the Wishaw pro-am.
Chris Doak was left to bemoan two opening rounds of some mediocrity, 74 and 76, as he finished third after carding the best weekend scores of anyone, a 67 on Saturday followed by a final 71.
"I made a run at it", he observed ruefully, "But I didn't run fast enough." Doak had won his last four Order of Merit events, but at least had the consolation of retaining his lead, his 900 points 200 ahead of the new champion.
David Orr's challenge evaporated as triple bogeys at eight and 15, followed by a double at the short 17th , inflated his card to a seven-over 80, to tie for fifth place.
06 July, 2008