There was a remarkable effort from self-confessed weekend golfer James White, who spread-eagled the field at the East Of Scotland Championship at Lundin.
The home-club player used all his local knowledge to dramatic effort to win the 72-hole strokeplay championship by five from New Golf Club’s John Paterson. With nine holes to go he was nine clear and could afford to drop three shots at the 14th and 15th and still win the title for the second time with room to spare.
The Fife player, who was the runner-up at th Scottish Amateur in 2013, closed on 16 under par and over the course of the weekend he compiled a staggering 23 birdies.
Calmer-than-usual conditions on the first day contributed to James’ superb first 36 holes. At halfway he was 11 under par.
“There is a usually a stiff breeze but it was flat calm and I thought someone would probably get to 10 under on the Saturday,” said the 33-year-old, who jointly holds the course record with a 62.
“I was really surprised to have a five-shot lead when you consider who I was up against.”
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He closed out on Saturay with four consecutive birdies after a chance meeting with one of the Lundin members Alex Watt, who is a long-time family friend.
“I’d just come off a bogey on 14 and I said to Alex: ‘I hope you’re not expecting to see some good golf’. He walked the last four holes with me and I birdied every one!”
On the Sunday James kept attacking until he had that nine-shot lead. A bogey-free morning 67 left him five ahead of Schloss Roxburghe’s Jack McDonald but the the final challenge came from the runner-up, who was four under after eight in the final round but then found trouble behind the green at the ninth and took a triple bogey eight.
“I just kept playing golf until I saw I was nine clear and only then changed my strategy’,” said James.
He played some glorious stuff. During a run of three successive birdies, starting on the fifth, he twice nearly holed his shots into the green, coming within milimetres of a hole in one at the fifth.