Gareth Wright takes the lead on the '˜Road to Gleneagles'

Gareth Wright is flanked by the Kerr brothers, Raymond and Jim, after his win

West Linton's Gareth Wright is on course to be crowned as the Tartan Tour's chieftain this season.

The Capital-based Welshman broke out of a tie for top spot with Paul O’Hara, last year’s Order of Merit winner on the PGA in Scotland circuit, after claiming the spoils in the Kerr Investments Order of Merit Pro Am.

Wright carded rounds of 67 and 64 at Dumfries & Galloway for a nine-under-par total, claiming the £2240 top prize by a shot from Crow Wood’s Ian Graham.

Two shots off the lead after his opening effort, two-time PGA Cup player Wright signed for an eagle and five birdies in his second round, with gains at both the 16th and 17th proving to be decisive.

The win backed up Wright’s title triumph in the Northern Open at Nairn Dunbar earlier in the year, taking his points tally in the season-long Tartan Tour Order of Merit battle to 770.

He’s now just more than 80 points ahead of last year’s winner O’Hara, with Alastair Forsyth a further 50 points back in third.

The next counting event for the “Road to Gleneagles” is the Musselburgh 36-hole Order of Merit Challenge.

It takes place next Tuesday and Wednesday, when Wright, O’Hara and Forsyth are all due to be in action at Monktonhall.

The final event of the season is the M&H Logistics Scottish PGA Championship at Gleneagles, where Wright has triumphed twice in the past four years.