White wins East Open as Stewart is disqualified

Host club member James White won the East of Scotland Open at Lundin after the joint-leader following 54 holes, Steven Stewart, was disqualified for signing for the wrong score.

Stewart had led by a shot at the halfway stage before the Clydebank & District player was joined in top spot by White following his third-round 65.

White’s path to victory was then made easier after Stewart was told of his rules infringement after he’d played four holes in the final round.

Former Scottish Order of Merit winner White closed with a 74 for a fiveunder-par 279 total, winning by two shots from Irvine’s Stuart Easton, with Carnoustie’s Will Porter third on 284.

It was White’s first Order of Merit title triumph since he was reinstated to the amateur ranks last year after two fruitless years as a professional.

Elsewhere, top seed Darren Howie (Peebles) suffered a shock first-round exit in the Scottish Boys Championship, losing on the last to Jamie Marchbank (Dumfries & Galloway) at Scotscraig.

Scottish Boys Stroke-play title holder John Paterson (St Andrews New) also crashed out, losing at the 20th to Steven Pears (Nairn Dunbar), but defending champion Eric Mcintosh (Bruntsfield Links) is safely through to the last 32.

In the girls’ event at the same venue, Aboyne’s Shannon Mcwilliam was helped by a hole-in-one at the 148-yard sixth as she progressed to the quarterfinals.