England's Peter Mitchell withstood a strong challenge from Scotland's Sam Torrance to win his second European Seniors Tour title of the season at the Scottish Seniors Open on Sunday.
Mitchell, who won his maiden Seniors Tour title at the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open earlier this summer, started the day two shots in front of Torrance but found himself one behind the former Ryder Cup captain at the turn before carding three birdies over the next four holes to open a lead he was never to relinquish.
In the end, a three-time European Tour winner from Kent, who carded 12 birdies over his closing 36 holes, posted a nine-under-par, 54-hole aggregate of 207, two shots ahead of Torrance and three in front of first-round leader Des Smyth who slipped to a closing 71.
The win was Mitchell's second in his first eight starts as a Senior and the 42,931 euros (Ј33,750) first-place cheque took his earnings to the season to 185,082 euros (Ј145,500).
It also moved him up from seventh to fifth on the Order of Merit behind Ian Woosnam, Bernhard Langer, Gordon J Brand and Juan Quiros.
"It was tough out there today," said Mitchell. "I started pretty scrappily and then, when Sam got in front, I really had to battle to get back at him.
"The last seven holes were pretty hard work," he added. "But I hung in there and am delighted to win again.
"The great thing is that I putted a lot better today and that's probably the key to the win."
Torrance arrived at Dalmahoy not having won since the Bendinat London Seniors Masters last June but equalled Mitchell's closing 69 to produce his best performance of the season to date.
"I'm disappointed, of course I am," he said, before departing for St Andrews where he is scheduled to play alongside son, Daniel, in this week's Dunhill Links Championship. "But the good news is that I played better so I'm looking forward to showing the youngsters on the regular Tour a thing or two."
Earlier in the day, England's Tommy Horton brought his illustrious European Seniors Tour to an impressive close when he carded a one-under-par 71 to finish the championship in a share of 19th place on three over par, 219.
The 67 year-old has won a record 23 titles and well over Ј1 million since turning 50 back in 1991 but has decided to call it a day while he remains competitive.
"It has been a tough decision but I'm sure it's the correct one," said the former Ryder Cup player from Jersey who has claimed 107 top-10 finishes in 240 starts on the Seniors Tour and won the Tour's Order of Merit title on a record five occasions.
"I started to think about it a couple of years ago when I had a bout of ill-health and now it feels as if the time is about right.
"I still plan to play my home event in Jersey but for the rest of the time I'll sit back and watch the younger guys battling it out."
He added "It's been great fun. I'm just grateful to have got a second bite of the cherry."
Collated final round scores & totals in the European Seniors Tour Scottish Seniors Open, Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel & CC, Edinburgh, Scotland
(Par 72)
207 Peter Mitchell (Eng) 71 67 69
209 Sam Torrance (Sco) 71 69 69
210 Des Smyth (Irl) 68 71 71
212 Eamonn Darcy (Irl) 72 71 69
213 Jerry Bruner (USA) 70 70 73, Simon Owen (Nzl) 71 72 70
214 Andrew Murray (Eng) 73 70 71
215 Ross Drummond (Sco) 74 69 72, Denis O'sullivan (Irl) 74 70 71
216 Domingo Hospital (Spa) 69 71 76, Costantino Rocca (Ita) 70 73 73, Bill Longmuir (Sco) 70 73 73
217 Emilio Rodriguez (Spa) 75 70 72, Angel Fernandez (Chi) 70 78 69, Matt Briggs (Eng) 75 70 72
218 Carl Mason (Eng) 71 77 70, John Hoskison (Eng) 73 72 73, Pete Oakley (USA) 75 73 70
219 Gordon Brand Jnr (Sco) 74 72 73, Tommy Horton (Eng) 75 73 71, David Merriman (Aus) 75 70 74, Tony Johnstone (Zim) 74 73 72
220 Bruce Heuchan (Can) 73 73 74, Bob Larratt (Eng) 73 75 72, Tony Allen (Eng) 74 71 75, Kevin Spurgeon (Eng) 71 76 73, Nick Job (Eng) 74 72 74
221 Jeff Hall (Eng) 75 75 71, Gery Watine (Fra) 75 72 74, Delroy Cambridge (Jam) 73 74 74, Bobby Lincoln (Rsa) 75 72 74, Luis Carbonetti (Arg) 78 70 73
222 Jose Rivero (Spa) 74 73 75, Bob Cameron (Eng) 74 75 73, Denis Durnian (Eng) 75 70 77, Jim Rhodes (Eng) 75 74 73, Jean Pierre Sallat (Fra) 81 70 71, Bob Boyd (USA) 70 74 78, Philip Harrison (Eng) 72 74 76, Eddie Polland (NIrl) 72 72 78
223 Guillermo Encina (Chi) 76 74 73, Noel Ratcliffe (Aus) 72 76 75
224 Philippe Dugeny (Fra) 75 75 74, Jim Lapsley (Nzl) 71 79 74
225 Ian Mosey (Eng) 76 72 77, Juan Quiros (Spa) 73 76 76
226 Bill Mccoll (Sco) 73 79 74, David Good (Aus) 77 76 73, Gordon J Brand (Eng) 74 77 75, Tony Price (Wal) 72 81 73, John Chillas (Sco) 79 73 74, David J Russell (Eng) 76 74 76, Martin Poxon (Eng) 76 77 73
227 Tim Rastall (Eng) 79 74 74
228 Martin Gray (Sco) 75 75 78, Victor Garcia (Spa) 78 77 73, Manuel Pinero (Spa) 79 75 74
229 John Benda (USA) 75 75 79, Giuseppe Cali (Ita) 73 79 77, Horacio Carbonetti (Arg) 81 75 73
230 Maurice Bembridge (Eng) 73 78 79, Adan Sowa (Arg) 74 77 79
231 Steve Martin (Sco) 77 77 77
232 Bill Lockie (Sco) 81 75 76
233 Bill Hardwick (Can) 80 78 75
234 Jimmy Heggarty (NIrl) 78 78 78, Mike Miller (Sco) 79 76 79
235 Tony Charnley (Eng) 74 79 82, Jose Maria Canizares (Spa) 82 76 77
239 Antonio Garrido (Spa) 77 79 83
240 Ray Carrasco (USA) 79 85 76
Withdrawn: Bob Stewart (Sco) 75 88, Liam Higgins (Irl) 80 79, Brian Marchbank (Sco) 72
