Golf: Clark goes one better this time at Craigmillar

The 28-year-old, who won the 2007 Scottish Mid-Amateur Championship at Duddingston, completed a notable double in the Capital by storming to a five-shot win in the opening event on this season's SGU Order of Merit.

Twelve months after losing in a play-off to Gavin Dear, Clark went one better thanks to a 20-under-par aggregate of 260 – a new tournament record.

And the Kilmacolm player, who works as senior bank manager with Lloyds TSB, admitted it had felt sweet to leave a field containing a host of full-time amateurs trailing in his wake.

"I still work full time, putting in 50 hours a week," said Clark, who was presented with the trophy by Charlie Green, the former Walker Cup player and captain who recorded the second of two wins at Craigmillar Park in 1977. "I'm not like guys who, due to their talent, are in a fortunate position that they don't need to work.

"I've only played nine rounds of golf in six-and-a-half months and only played once between October and the end of March."

On a weekend of low scoring – the conditions were ideal from start to finish – Clark was six off the pace at the halfway stage after opening rounds of 66 and 68. He made his move with a third-round 62 – eventual runner-up Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) and last year's double Scottish champion David Law (Hazlehead) also posted eight-under par scores on Saturday – and kept up the stunning scoring with a closing 64.

"That's definitely my two best back-to-back rounds," added Clark, who is now an accumulative 39-under-par for his last eight rounds at Craigmillar Park.

"My goal is to try and wriggle my way into the Scottish team for the Home Internationals, but that won't be easy with so many players around these days who can devote themselves to playing full-time amateur golf."

Host club member Richard Gill finished as the leading Lothians player, the former Scottish Boys' Championship runner-up carding a 63 in his third round as he tied for 11th on 271, one in front of Silverknowes star Tom Caldwell, who set up his weekend with an opening 64.

Gill's Craigmillar Park clubmate, Stephen Neilson, closed with a 67 for 275, finishing alongside Craigielaw's Mark Hillson and Tom Blennerhasset of Marriott Dalmahoy, though both of them would have been disappointed not to break 70 in the final two rounds.

In a close-run contest for shot of the weekend, Drumpellier's Steven Rennie holed a 4-iron for an albatross 2 at the 14th in his first-round 63 while Gary Duncan (Carnoustie Caledonia) had a hole-in-one at the 15th but failed to qualify for the final two rounds.