Catterick golfer Roger Roper added another prestigious title to his CV when he won the Scottish Open Mid Amateur Championship at Hamilton.

More than 80 players contested the event, which is open to golfers of all nationalities who have reached the age of 25 and began with a 36-hole qualifying competition.

The leading qualifier was Walker Cup player Craig Watson, who defeated Trevor Immelman in the final of the British Amateur Championship a few years ago and is the current playing captain of the Scottish amateur golf team.

Roper qualified comfortably for the next stage as one of the top 16 scorers before defeating the host club's Michael Moir in round one thanks to a late birdie.

That set up a second round match with Watson, who started with a birdie blitz to go four up after just six holes. Roper responded with a winning birdie three at the seventh, the most difficult hole on the course, but another Watson birdie at the eighth restored his advantage.

Roper then fired in more birdies at nine, ten, 13 and 14 to get back into the game.

It was a shame there had to be a loser in such a fine match, but Roper prevailed at the 20th against the unlucky Scottish international, who had squandered a golden opportunity for victory on the 19th, the first extra hole.

The following morning, Roper won a close game against twice former champion Mike Thomson of Cardrona, who lived in Richmond and was a member at Catterick in the late Seventies.

Roper's 2&1 win in the semi-final set up a match against the talented Allyn Dick of Shotts Golf Club, who had beaten club colleague John Ralston in the other semi-final.

Dick was only just old enough to enter at 25 and had taken the scalp of Andrew Farmer, a recent British Mid Amateur Champion, the previous day.

The final was another high class exhibition and Dick forged into a two-hole lead after six holes with some fine golf.

Roper then won four holes in succession, helped by birdies at seven and eight, to move into a two-hole lead. Further birdies at 13 and 14 only maintained his lead and Dick holed long putts at the 15th and 16th to close the deficit to one.

Solid pars at the two closing holes enabled Roper to hold on for a hard-earned victory by one hole.

The outcome was especially satisfying for Roper, who was the losing finalist in the 2003 British Open Mid Amateur Championship.