Englishman Charlie Thornton was crowned Scottish Men’s Open champion after a flawless final round four under par 66 at Cruden Bay on Sunday.
Yorkshireman Thornton- was tied second with Oliver Mukherjee of Scotland, and Tyler Duncan of Australia on level par after the second round on Sunday with Casey Jarvis four shots clear.
South African Jarvis was out in front after eight holes but he dropped nine shots in his final 10 holes to fall out of contention.
By the end of round three Thornton had climbed to second on two over thanks to two birdies in his final four holes.
Thornton comes through in final round
The lead heading into the final round was held by John Gough of Beaconsfield at one under but conditions became tougher as Sunday went on, with winds picking up in the afternoon.
Thornton made an excellent start to his final round, carding three birdies and six pars to reach the turn in 33.
However, Gough maintained his narrow lead heading into the final nine, reaching the turn on 35 to sit on -2 overall and one shot clear.
The 15th hole proved to be decisive. With Gough still one shot clear a bogey cost him dear.
Thornton fired a crucial birdie to see the lead change hands for a final time.
With both players parring the final three holes, Thornton’s birdie on 15 meant he would be crowned 2022 champion.
A delighted Thornton said: “A massive thank you to everyone at Scottish Golf – the course has been great all week and also to Cruden Bay Golf Club, I’ve really enjoyed it and well done to everyone who’s played.”
Notable performances from Scots in the field came for Ben Murray of Portlethen, who couldn’t quite find his form again after a solid 68 in the first round.
Rory Franssen and Andrew Davidson also posted top-1o finishes.
