East Renfrewshire's David Orr confirmed his status as one the country's most promising young professionals with a polished victory in the #7000 MacGregor Scottish Assistants Championship at Balbirnie Park yesterday.

The 23-year-old, who topped the Assistants' Order of Merit last season, returned a 12-under-par total of 272 at the Fife venue to win by five shots from Dunbar's David Drysdale.

Orr laid the foundations for his victory with an excellent 65 in yesterday morning's third round before a solid level-par 71 to finish saw him cruise to the #1100 first prize.

Orr's lead was cut to a single shot by Drysdale after nine holes of the third round, but a blistering back nine of 32 saw him open up a gap that was never to be closed.

Indeed the East Renfrewshire player admitted he had played more conservatively in the final round, 16 pars, one birdie and one bogey bearing that out.

Leading final totals:

272 - D Orr (East Renfrewshire) 67, 69, 65, 71.

277 - D Drysdale (Dunbar) 69, 69, 67, 72.

278 - F Cromarty (Inverness) 66, 72, 67, 73.

281 - D Fleming (Turnberry Hotel) 75, 70, 68, 68.

282 - A Reid (Prestwick Golf Centre) 73, 70, 69, 70; D Downie (Brunston Castle) 73, 70, 73, 66.

284 - N Scott-Smith (Dullatur) 69, 73, 73, 69.

285 - D McCallum (Paisley) 74, 72, 69, 70; K Harrison (Whitecraigs) 74, 70, 71, 70; J Stevenson (Braehead) 72, 70, 72, 71; S Smith (Gleneagles Hotel) 69, 69, 76, 71.

286 - G McInnes (Murcar) 75, 70, 71, 70; N McGill (King James VI) 70, 72, 71, 73.

287 - S Craig (Dalziel Park) 72, 73, 71, 71; C Lee (Glenbervie) 69, 75, 73, 70.

288 - M Urquhart (Inverness) 77, 69, 71, 71.

qWolverhampton's Jim Rhodes increased his overnight lead in the Scottish Life/Ben Sayers Senior Club Professional Championship at Coventry yesterday and it seems whatever happens in the final round, there will be a new name on the trophy.

Holder for the last three years, Tommy Horton (Jersey) is seven off the lead with two-over 75.

Rhodes, who won almost #56,000 on last year's European Seniors Tour, went round in 71 to give him a two-shot lead over Arnold O'Connor (Elm Green, Dublin). One of the newest recruits to the seniors' scene, Warrington's Mike Slater jumped up the leaderboard, adding a 70 to yesterday's 72 to be third. ''I was 16th in Turkey and sixth last week in Ireland, so it's all moving in the right direction,'' said Slater.

qSCOTTISH professional golf champion Gordon Law from Uphall had a successful day yesterday when he pocketed #700 for little more than four hours ''work'' in the Ben shotgun pro-am at Cradross.

Gordon picked up #579 for tieing with John Greaves (Glasgow Gailes) on three-under-par 68 And he earned #122 for leading in the winning pro-am team - Bellhaven Brewery in which one of the team members was comedian Andy Cameron, off 15. Team-mates were Stuart Ross, off 13, and John Cameron, off 14. The team had a 14-under-par net score of 57.