Tartan Pro Tour

Rory Franssen records impressive three-shot success in second event of new season

By Admin 22/05/2025
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By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman


'I retired the driver and 3-wood' - winning formula at Blairgowrie on Tartan Pro Tour

Rory

Franssen put a frustrating 2024 campaign behind him to land an

impressive win in the Blairgowrie Perthshire Masters presented by

Petrasco - the second event of the new Tartan Pro Tour season.

The

26-year-old, who is attached to Auchterarder but is currently based in

St Andrews, followed opening rounds of 71-65 with a closing 69 for an

11-under-par total to land a £4500 top prize by three shots.

Former Scottish Boys’ champion Will Porter and Glenbervie’s Fraser Moore

shared second spot as Franssen added to a breakthrough win on Paul

Lawrie’s circuit almost exactly two years ago at Fairmont St Andrews.

“Yeah, it is always a nice way to start the year,” he admitted of

landing an early success, with anyone who can claim three title triumphs

this season earning automatic promotion to the Hotel Planner Tour.

 Asked

what had been the secret behind his victory, he replied laughing: “To

be honest, I just retired the driver and 3-wood after the first round! I

didn’t have a 2-iron in the bag, but I put it in for the 3-wood for the

second and third round.

“I

was in play more so had more looks basically. It was really firm and

rolling out loads, so you could get away with a 2-iron and still have

lots of looks if you got it close.”

Second-round 65 contained eight birdies

Franssen’s

second-round effort on the Lansdowne Course contained eight birdies,

including five in six holes on the front nine, while he carded five

birdies on the final day and three bogeys, including one to finish.

“Not

until the last, to be honest, and I made a bit of a mess of it,” he

said when asked when he thought it was going to be job done on this

occasion. “I never find it comfortable coming down the back nine, but

once I was on the fringe and had a few putts for it I was able to relax a

bit.”

For

the second year running, two Hotel Planner Tour cards are up for grabs

on the circuit and Franssen looks as though he is determined to make up

for lost time last season.

“This

is my third full season as a pro, though I missed half a season last

year with a wrist injury,” said the former Scotland international. “I

missed seven events on the Tartan Pro Tour, so my goal is to try and

stay healthy for the full season this year and give it a good go.

Winner ‘still finding feet’ in paid ranks

“The

more you play professional, probably the more comfortable you become

with it. I think I am still finding my feet in terms of that and playing

for money is obviously different. Yeah, just gradually starting to feel

more comfortable with it all, I would say.”

Franssen,

who grew up in Inverness, dabbled a bit on the Alps Tour at the start

of his professional career but is feeling a lot happier trying to

progress his career on home soil.

“It’s

a great chance,” he said of the opportunities that are provided on the

Tartan Pro Tour since it became an official Satellite Tour for the Hotel

Planner Tour. “It’s such a well-run tour. Yeah, it is just brilliant as

the chance is there for you.

“Every

year there seems to be something else added in, which is more incentive

to stay in Scotland and play. Yeah, you should just play this tour if

you are at this level - there is no point in travelling when you have a

brilliant tour on your doorstep.”

Tartan Pro Tour ‘getting better and better’

Englishman

Mark Young won the season-opening Montrose Links Masters presented by

Montrose Port Authority last week as way more players from the south of

the border start to turn their attention to the Scottish circuit.

“They

are obviously catching on to how good a tour it is,” noted Franssen,

who does a bit of caddying at Kingsbarns Golf Links when he’s not

playing. “It is going to be getting better and better so you need to

keep trying to produce your best golf and hopefully it pays off.”

Each

picking up £2875, Porter started birdie-birdie in last round and went

on to add three more gains before dropping his sole shot of the day at

the last while Fraser Moore was out in 30 in his second round and

started the closing circuit with an eagle.