Daily Round-Up: Craig Howie cards 62 at Moray Old

Stirling's Craig Howie slashed three shots off the Moray Old course record as he stormed to victory in the Scottish Students' Championship at the Lossiemouth venue.

Craig Howie. Picture: Kenny Smith

The 2012 Scottish Boys’ champion carded a nine-under-par 62 in the third round to turn the last circuit into a procession.

With a 10-under-par 272 total, Howie lifted the title by seven shots from the halfway leader, Lukas Michel from St Andrews.

Howie’s morning effort on the final day was hailed as a “brilliant performance” by Dean Robertson, who works with the Peebles player ,in his role as a performance coach at Stirling University.

“It’s a record that could stand for many a year,” added Robertson, a former Italian Open champion, “and one can confidently predict a great year ahead for Craig.”

Last year, Howie carded a five-under-par 67 at Carnoustie as he 67 as he topped the qualifying for the Amateur Championship.

The women’s title at Moray also fell to a Stirling player as English-born Gemma Batty coasted to a nine-stroke success with a five-under 292 total.

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Neil Fenwick bemoaned one “slack” hole as he slipped nine shots off the pace heading into the final round of the MENA Tour’s El Jadida Championship by HLO in Morocco.

The Edinburgh man’s second circuit was tarnished by a triple-bogey 7 as he carded a two-over-par 74 for a 146 tally.

“I played really solid but ran up a triple at 10, which was just slack,” said Fenwick, who is attached to Dunbar.

“I’ve not been great on the greens, to be honest, but fancy a low one tomorrow for a solid finish and good first outing of year!”

Austrian Florian Praegant (68-69) takes a two-shot lead over England’s Andrew Marshall (70-69) into the final round.

Duncan Stewart, the Grantown-on-Spey man who is now attached to Turnhouse, is a shot behind Fenwick after rounds of 73 and 74.

Paul Doherty, the third Scot in the field for the circuit’s second event of the new season, dropped down the field after following his opening 74 with an 81.

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Two-time European Tour winner Alastair Forsyth joined forces with Greg Paxton to win the PGA in Scotland Winter Series Fourball at West Kilbride.

Forsyth, who is attached to Mearns Castle, Ralston pro Paxton carded a 10-under-par 61 to win by a shot from Clydeway Golf duo Paul O’Hara and Stuart Williamson.