Paul Lawrie took a week off the European Tour to win the Scottish professional match-play championship yesterday.
The former British Open champion from Aberdeen scored a 3 and 2 win over Whitekirk's Paul Wardell in the 18-hole final over the Royal Aberdeen links at Balgownie.
The tournament started at Deeside Golf Club but after flooding at the Bieldside course on Friday night, the final, scheduled for Saturday, was rearranged for Sunday at the Balgownie links.
Sea mist then caused a further postponement until yesterday, when the fog caused a 25-minute delay on the first tee and then a 25-minute suspension during the fourth hole.
Lawrie gained the initiative by birdieing the seventh and 12th and winning them, as well as the short eighth with a par three.
Although Wardell holed a 30-foot putt for a winning birdie two at the 11th, he could not put any sustained pressure on his opponent and Lawrie virtually clinched the title with his third birdie of the round, at the 15th.
Nick Faldo says he is prepared to help struggling golfers like Lee Westwood and Seve Ballesteros - as long as they make the initial approach.
But Faldo, who has coached some of England's top amateurs in recent years, emphasised that he did not want to "tread on anyone's toes".
"If they want to bend my ear, I'd be more than willing to oblige, in the best possible interests," Faldo told reporters at the official launch of the Faldo Golf Institute at Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire yesterday.
"I'd love to have helped Seve because I admire him so much and I think he's had a real tough time. I definitely could have helped him out there but it's a difficult one. I'd much prefer it if he just came and talked to me quietly."
He added: "Lee (Westwood) has struggled and I know I could provide a pair of ears to listen to him. But whether I can come up with the right solution I don't know. However I could give him some advice which I'd like to think would be beneficial.
"I want to stress, though, that I don't want to tread on anyone's toes here. I enjoy coaching the amateurs."
After his success in the Scandinavian Open, Graeme McDowell has been priced at 25 to 1 by bookmaker Paddy Power to win the Welsh Open at Celtic Manor this week.
Darren Clarke, on his return to action, is favourite to win the title at 13 to 2, while Welshman Ian Woosnam is a 20 to 1 shot to lift the title on home soil.
Welsh Open Betting (Odds courtesy of Paddy Power): 13-2 D Clarke; 16-1 I Woosnam; 20-1 P Lawrie, 25-1 W Bennett, P Price, G McDowell; 28-1 T Immelman, 33-1 I Poulter, L Westwood, A Forsyth.
