SCOTTISH SENIORS CHAMPIONSHIP - Ayrshire challenge fades as banks takes title ahead of Fraser

(From the Scottishgolf website)

Englishman Charles Banks survived a faltering finish to edge out John Fraser and win the Scottish Seniors' Championship at Irvine Bogside.

The 56-year-old from Stanton on the Wolds player signed off with a two-over-par 73 in Ayrshire to finish on seven-over 220, two shots ahead of his nearest challenger Fraser.

Royal Burgess member Fraser, the Scottish Golf Union's non-executive performance director, held a one-shot lead over Banks and host club member Gordon Mair heading into the final round and picked up an early birdie at the second.

His hopes of landing the title, though, were dashed by four bogeys in the space of five holes from the fourth as the former shinty player went out in 39.

Banks covered the same stretch in 35 to take over at the top of the leaderboard and had one hand on the title after starting home with a birdie.

Fraser dropped further back after he bogeyed the tenth then ran up a double-bogey 6 at the 12th, a birdie at the 14th only reparing some of that damage.

And, even though Banks let four shots spill over the last seven holes, he still had enough in hand to take the title south of the Border.

David Lane is the only other English player to have achieved that feat in the event in the past decade, the Goring & Streatley man having won in 2001, 2002 and 2009.

Monifieth's Ian Hutcheon, another three-time winner, came though to take joint-third on 211 after a closing 73, the former Walker Cup man finishing alongside Sunningdale's John Baldwin, who signed off with a 72.

Mair's hopes of chalking up a notable win on home soil disappeared as he could only manage a closing 80, a triple-bogey 7 at the last coming after two double-bogeys for the Ayrshireman.

He eventually finished in a tie for eighth, just behind Fraser McCluskey, who joined his Royal Burgess clubmate Fraser in the top ten after a closing 75.

Final totals :-

220 - Charles Banks (Stanon on the Wolds) 73 74 73
222 - John Fraser (Royal Burgess) 75 71 76
224 - Ian Hutcheon (Monifieth) 74 77 73, John Baldwin (Sunningdale) 76 76 72
225 - Douglas Cameron (Moor Park) 73 80 72, Fraser McClusky (Royal Burgess) 74 76 75
226 - James Gardner (Broomieknowe) 76 74 76
227 - Glyn Rees (Fleetwood) 75 74 78, Gordon Mair (Irvine) 75 72 80
228 - Richard Gray (Cowglen) 77 77 74, Roy Smethurst (Crewe) 76 76 76, Adrian Donkersley (Gerards Cross) 75 76 77, David J Miller (Kilmarnock Barassie) 74 76 78
229 - Robert Stewart (Tulliallan) 79 73 77
230 - Michael Wilson (Strathpeffer Spa) 76 78 76
231 - Colin Christy (Kilmacolm) 79 80 72, Michael Wigley (Royal North Devon) 74 81 76, Gordon MacDonald (Callander) 74 79 78, Rich Tolly (US) 77 74 80
232 - Gerry Boobis (Ravelston) 78 77 77, Robbie Fulker (Kilmarnock Barassie) 70 78 84
233 - Billy Mitchell (Hankley Common) 75 81 77, John Johnston (Royal Aberdeen) 81 74 78
234 - Michael Jenkins (Duff House Royal) 75 80 79, David Smith (Stirling) 75 78 81
235 - John Willis (Carlisle) 80 77 78, Lindsay Gordon (Turnhouse) 74 82 79, Alan Harrington (Western Gailes) 74 80 81
237 - Jim Watt (Edzell) 78 81 78, John Ashton (Prestwick St Nicholas) 80 79 78, Iain MacDonald (Bruntsfield Links) 84 75 78, David Millar (St Andrews New) 79 77 81
238 - Albert Smith (Turriff) 83 74 81
239 - Derek Murphy (Kinross) 73 83 83
240 - Mike Wilde (Camberley Heath) 77 82 81, Stephen Whymark (Woodbridge) 77 78 85
241 - Dave Jessup (Rochester and Cobham) 77 77 87
242 - Nick O’Byrne (Moor Park) 81 78 83
243 - Keith Morris (Camberley Heath) 78 78 87
244 - Dave Millar (Goswick) 81 78 85
245 - Bob Humble (Kilspindie) 74 83 88
246 - David Brown (Irvine Ravenspark) 74 83 89