Yorkshireman David Booth and Highlander Kelsey MacDonald, both Stirling University students, won the men's and women's titles at the the R and A Foundation Scholars' Tournament which began with two rounds over the Eden Course on Monday and ended with the final 18 holes over the Old Course today.
Curtis Cup reserve Kelsey from Nairn won the women's award for a second time with two strokes to spare but there was late drama in the men's event.
Booth, Stirling team-mate Jack McDonald and Conor Wilson from Plymouth University finished in a tie on 215 at the head of the leaderboard. Wilson was in the burn at the first play-off hole and was eliminated.
Booth and McDonald then moved over to make the 18th the second sudden-death hole and Booth won the title by holing an 8ft birdie putt.
Scoring was difficult on a day of nonstop rain, sometimes torrential. In those circumstances Conor Wilson's two-under-par closing round of 70 was a great effort, allowing him to make up his three-shot start of the day leeway on both Booth and McDonald who finished with 73s.
Kelsey Macdonald added a very good final round of 71 to her Eden scores of 76 and 72. Her final total of 219 was the ninth best overall and she won the women's title by two shots from Stirling team-mate and fellow Highlander, Hannah McCook from Nethy Bridge.
Hannah had scores of 75 and 70 over the Eden and a 76 on the Old Course.
David Booth, who hails from Rotherham , was playing in his sixth and final Scholars tournament before turning pro after he graduates later this year. He said:
"The conditions were tough so you just had to grind out a score, taking it hole by hole. And that's what I did.
"It's my second play-off against Jack McDonald in a couple of months and in the back of my mind I'm thinking, is he going to try and get his own back but I just thought no, I'm going to go out there and try and make birdies.
"I played awesome tee-to-green but couldn't hole a putt. The one that won the play-off was just about all I holed over the two days and three rounds."
The 23-year-old from Rotherham can now look forward to taking his place on the European team for the Palmer Cup students' international match against the United States at Royal Co Down, Northern Ireland in June.
"It's such a big prize to play in that match against the top college golfers in America ," said Booth.
Defending champion Nick Macandrew (Aberdeen University) finished in a tie for 22nd place on 225.
Women's champion Kelsey MacDonald has won a place in a Ladies European Tour event later in the year.
"It was quite tough this week, I struggled on the greens on the Eden Course," said the 21-year-old Nairn Dunbar GC member. "I struggled a wee bit today but hit it in really close with my approaches, which helped a lot."
Jane Turner (Robert Gordon), who was defending the women's title, finished in sixth place on 227.
For the 2011/2012 academic year, The R and A awarded around 100 Foundation scholarships, taking its support of student golf to more than £300,000.
FINAL TOTALS
Rounds 1 and 2 over Eden Course. Round 3 over Old Course
MEN
215 David Booth (Stirling) 73 69 73, Jack McDonald (Stirling) 74 68 73, Conor Wilson ( Plymouth ) 72 73 70 (Booth won sudden-death play-off at second extra hole).
216 Alexander Culverwell ( Stirling ) 70 70 76.
217 Graeme Robertson ( Stirling ) 71 74 72.
218 Oliver Roberts (Stirling) 75 71 72, Kit Holmes (Stirling) 74 69 75, Daniel Sommerville ( Dundee ) 72 70 76.
219 Gareth Jenkins ( Birmingham ) 74 73 72, Michael Daily ( Stirling ) 71 70 78.
220 Dewi Merckx ( Stirling ) 72 70 78.
221 Jamie Lynch ( Forth Valley College ) 73 75 73, Matthew Wheeler (St Andrews)74 72 75, Tai Yasuda (Loughborough) 70 75 76, Darren Timms ( Stirling ) 69 74 78.
222 Laurie Potter ( Exeter ) 79 72 71, Patrick Spraggs (Stirling) 76 74 72, Fraser Moore (Stirling) 71 74 77, Andrew Wallace ( Stirling ) 74 70 78.
223 Mathias Eggenberger (Stirling) 76 76 71, Martin Tavoda ( Birmingham ) 72 73 78.
225 Nick Macandrew ( Aberdeen ) 74 75 76., Thomas Jessamine ( Birmingham ) 73 72 80, Mike Howard ( Stirling ) 70 73 82
226 Jean Pierre Verselin (France) 72 79 75, Jack Scotty ( Edinburgh ) 73 77 76
229 Alexander Braida ( Italy ) 76 76 77, Julien Richelle ( Belgium ) 79 72 78.
230 Clement Lemaire (France) 77 78 75.
232 Lewis Hollingworth (Lincoln) 74 80 78.
234 Matt Hill (Loughborough) 75 72 87.
235 Chiara Brizzolari ( Italy ) 80 75 80.
237 Karlis Broders (Loughborough) 83 75 79.
246 Steve Martin (Loughborough) 89 76 81.
WOMEN
219 Kelsey MacDonald (Stirling) 76 72 71.
221 Hannah McCook (Stirling) 75 70 76.
223 Susan Jackson (Edinburgh) 76 73 74.
224 Gabrielle MacDonald (St Andrews) 74 74 76.
225 Charlotte Austwick (York) 73 73 79
227 Jane Turner (Robert Gordon) 71 75 81
228 Melissa McMahon (Buckinghamshire New) 77 74 77, Kate McIntosh (Elmwood) 74 77 77, Eilidh Briggs (Stirling) 71 74 83
232 Lauren Spray (Birmingham) 81 74 77
233 Bronwyn Davies (Myerscough) 76 80 77, Alison Knowles (Exeter) 73 79 81
234 Rebecca Wilson (Stirling) 81 74 79
236 Gemma Bradbury (St Andrews) 76 76 84
238 Jordana Graham (Stirling) 79 75 84
239 Nicola Rawlinson (Loughborough) 79 77 83
246 Gillian Scanlan (Strathclyde) 75 80 91
251 Alice Barnes (Exeter) 87 85 79.
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