LOCAL hero Scott Henderson earned at Newmachar yesterday what he

believed he has deserved for some when he posted a final round

two-under-par 70 to win the Scottish Assistants' championship.

The 24-year-old from the Kings Links Golf Centre in nearby Aberdeen

held off a spirited challenge from another golf centre man, Euan

McIntosh of the Braid Hills complex in Edinburgh, who carded a closing

68 for a four-under-par total of 284, one adrift of Henderson.

Moments after stepping from the final green, Henderson admitted he

thought his game had been good enough for some time without seeing him

on to the winner's rostrum.

''I played as well as I have done today in most things this season,

but before I just couldn't get over the finishing line,'' he said. ''I

do tend to have my fair share of bad luck and one hole usually comes up

and gets me somewhere. But not today thankfully, and this is definitely

the highlight of my career to date.''

Henderson's horror hole nearly occured, however, at the 493-yard

eighth. In trouble in the trees, the Kings Links man had to produce a

remarkable recovery with his fourth shot to within six inches of the

flag to save par and keep his challenge alive.

Steady par golf saw him remain at five-under-par for the bulk of his

round while 54-hole pacesetter Craig Everett fell away. McIntosh caused

a few flutters with birdies at the sixteenth and seventeenth, but

Henderson held on.

Leading aggregrates:

283 -- S Henderson (Kings Links) 68, 74, 71, 70 (#800).

284 -- E McIntosh (Braid Hills) 73, 71, 72, 68 (#587).

286 -- B Moffat (Jim Farmer G&L) 74, 73, 68, 71 (#460).

287 -- C Everett (Caldwell) 69, 71, 71, 76 (#400).

290 -- D Robertson (Gleddoch) 77, 70, 70, 73 (#345).

291 -- K Fairbairn (Goswick) 76, 71, 71, 73 (#300).

292 -- C Ronald (East Kilbride) 79, 74, 68, 71.

293 -- A Tait (Cawder) 74, 72, 73, 74.

295 -- R Dunbar (Royal Liverpool) 75, 75, 70, 75.

296 -- C Fraser (unatt) 78, 78, 72, 68; J Greaves (Glasgow) 78, 73,

72, 73.

297 -- J McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) 77, 75, 71, 74; F Cromarty

(Inverness) 77, 70, 76, 74.

299 -- P Alexander (Caldwell) 76, 76, 70, 77; D Herd (Alloa) 74, 76,

77, 72; G Simpson (Deeside) 73, 76, 77, 73; D Nicoll (Letham Grange) 73,

74, 73, 79.

300 -- J Wither (Paisley) 78, 78, 74, 70.