22/08/11
Scotland international James White (Lundin) strengthened his grip on the SGU Order of Merit title race with a comprehensive victory in the North of Scotland Stroke Play Championship at Nairn Dunbar yesterday.
The 23-year-old posted a 10-under par aggregate of 278 on the challenging Highlands course with rounds of 69, 70, 70 and 69 to clinch his second Order of Merit win of the season, finishing three shots clear of fellow Fifer Peter Latimer.
White, who performed well in Scotland’s recent Home Internationals campaign, maintained the excellent form he has displayed throughout the 2011 season, having won the Tennant Cup back in June on top of four other top-four finishes as well as reaching the quarter-finals of the Scottish Amateur Championship.
Former Scottish Boys champion White shared the halfway lead with Scotland team-mate Philip McLean, but the Peterhead man’s challenge faltered with a damaging third round 79. Latimer joined White at the top of the leaderboard with one round to go after a second successive 69, but it was White who came out on top, closing with an excellent three-under par 69 to his rival’s final round 72.
Dunbar’s Daniel Kay posted his best finish since reaching the final of the Scottish Amateur Championship, closing with rounds of 70 and 69 to clinch third spot on 286, two-under par, one shot clear of Fraserburgh’s Kris Nicol who took fourth place on 287.
Alexander Culverwell, also of Dunbar, produced a best of the week seven-under par 65 to finish in a share of fifth place on 288, alongside Philip McLean and Elgin’s Jordan Milne, with Balmore’s Fraser McKenna in eighth on 291.
White now turns his attention to Gleneagles where he will compete alongside the European Tour’s leading professionals in this week’s Johnnie Walker Championship (25 – 28 August). James Byrne, recently called up to the GB&I Walker Cup team, is the other invited amateur taking part.
Click here final scores from the North of Scotland Stroke Play Championship.