Wire-to-wire win for O'Hara in Northern Open

Paul O'Hara added the Northern Open to his ever-expanding Tartan Tour CV after completing an impressive wire-to-wire win at Moray Golf Club in Lossiemouth.

Three shots ahead at the halfway stage, the 30-year-old Motherwell man closed with rounds of 66 and 71 for a seven-under-par 277 total.

The only player in the 86-strong field to finish in red figures, he triumphed by seven shots from Paul McKechnie, Gavin Hay and Greg McBain.

"This win is right up there with my best," admitted O'Hara after landing a £1400 top prize. "It was great to win on the EPD Tour in Germany (2011) while last year's P&H Championship had bigger prize-money than here.

"However, this was over 72 holes and it also offers more Order of Merit points and one of my goals is to finish in the top three again so that I get into the PGA Play-Offs at the end of the season.

"I would like to try and get into the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth next season through that event - that's definitely a target."

O'Hara, a two-time Scottish Amateur Championship finalist, had fallen out of love with the game before deciding to enter the PGA training programme in 2012.

Since taking that career step, he's won the Scottish Young Pros three times in four years and has now joined some illustrious names on the Northerh Open trophy.

"To lead from start to finish in an event like this  is pretty good, especially with the likes of my brother Steven, Alastair Forsyth, Greig Hutcheon and Paul McKechnie in the field," he added.

"My ball-striking won it for me and my iron play in particular as I was hitting it down the sticks in all four rounds.

"I also hit some great drives today at some of the tight holes, enabling me to get home at them while some of the other guys were probably struggling to do so."

The win was O'Hara's third on the Tartan Tour this season, having shot 61 at Largs and 63 at Bishopbriggs in pro-ams. 

"I'm really enjoying myself at the moment as I'm teaching as well as playing," added the North Lanarkshire Leisure Ltd-attached player. 

Newmachar pro McBain finished birdie-birdie in the third round before starting the closing circuit with another one only to have his momentum halted by a double-bogey at the short fourth.

He closed with a 73 to finish alongside Braid Hills Golf Centre-attached McKechnie (71) and Grantown-on-Spey's Hay (72).

The Bookless Cup, for the top amateur, was won by Graham Murray of the home club with a score of 303.