Craig Howie survives last-day scare to win Tartan Pro Tour season-opener at Royal Dornoch

Craig Howie held off a last-day charge from Gregor Graham to win the Royal Dornoch Masters - the Tartan Pro Tour’s season-opening event.

Howie, who held a DP World Tour card in 2022, spreadeagled the field with a sparkling 63 in the first round at the Sutherland venue before adding an equally-impressive 65.

On 12 under par, the Peebles man held a seven-shot lead heading into the third and final round only to find himself tied for top spot with four holes to play after Graham had signed off with a 63 to set the clubhouse target on 12 under.

Craig Howie shows off the trophy after winning the Royal Dornoch Masters | Tartan Pro Tour

A birdie-3 at the 15th saw Howie get his nose in front again and, after finishing with three straight pars, it was job done in the £27,000 curtain-raiser for the former Stirling University student.

“Yeah, it was good,” said Howie of his week’s work, having closed with a 69 to finish on 13 under. “The first round especially, I played really, really well. Then in the second round I didn’t play quite as well but started to hole some putts and the score in that one was definitely made with the putter. Overall, those two days’ work was pretty damn good.”

On being so far in front with a round to do, he added: “Yeah, it can be tricky holding a big lead and I’ve certainly not had the luxury of a seven-shot lead very often in my life. It was a totally new circumstance, in fact, and I felt like I couldn’t really win today.

“If I won, I’d have been expected to as that was how it was supposed to go. And, if I didn’t win, then everything would have fallen apart and I choked. I felt there wasn’t much to gain today, if that makes sense?

“I just had to set a wee goal for myself and try to achieve that goal. I didn’t check a scoreboard at all until I hit my tee shot on 15th. I’d played really for the first 12 holes and even, 13 and 14, I only hit one poor shot.

“I thought I was quite a long way ahead, so, when I looked at the leaderboard, I was surprised to see that someone had caught me. It was quite tricky as it was windy and I thought the pins were quite tricky as well.

“I didn’t think the scoring was going to be very good and Gregor’s seven under was a great effort. So it kind of surprised me that someone had caught me as I expected to see a two or three-shot lead with a few holes to go.

‘I had to get my a*** in gear and go again’

“When I saw I was tied for the lead, I knew I had to get my a*** in gear and go again. I holed a four-footer for my birdie at the 15th. They’d moved the tee up, so it was driveable and I drove it to the side of the green and made a good up and down.”

Two HotelPlanner Tour cards are up for grabs once again on the Paul Lawrie-run circuit, which heads to Montrose Links and then Southerness for the first time next month.

“Yeah, hopefully it is a boost for the rest of the season,” said Howie, who picked up £4500. “My game was really good last week in the Aberdeen Golf Links Pro-Am and this week in Dornoch. I obviously want to progress back up the good ranks and, yeah, this is a good start.”

Graham’s last-day salvo earned the Blairgowrie man a cheque for £3150, with John Henry earning £2250 for finishing third on nine under.