DP World Tour
Featured Categories
-
Scott Jamieson secures DP World Tour card for 16th season running after timely return to form on home soil
Jamieson hands himself timely boost and sets sights on producing a ‘few more highights’ in career
Scott Jamieson is hoping his 16th successive season as a DP World Tour card holder can produce a “few more highlights” than he has managed so far.
The 41-year-old secured his seat at the top table for another year after finishing joint-fifth behind compatriot Bob MacIntyre in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Sunday.
Jamieson headed into the event sitting 119th in the Race to Dubai but, after picking up a cheque for around £100,000 for his best performance of the season, he has jumped to 88th.
The top 115 at the end of the Genesis Championship in Korea later this month will secure a full card for next season and, with the clock beginning to tick, it was a timely return to form for the Florida-based Scot after missing seven cuts in his previous eight starts.
“Yeah, it was a big relief more than anything given the situation I was in heading into the week,” he admitted to The Scotsman, reflecting on a profitable week at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews.
Jamieson had racked up three top-ten finishes in his first seven events of the season only to find himself in freefall since tying for 19th in the BMW International Open at the beginning of July.
Conditions for Dunhill Links ‘helped somewhat’
“You try and tell yourself that, definitely,” he replied to being asked if it had just been a case of staying patient after being in a similar position two years ago and taking it right to the wire on that occasion.
“But, you know, it is not guaranteed to come and maybe the conditions and playing on courses I am very familiar with in those conditions helped me somewhat last week. You’ve just got to stick to the programme, so to speak, and be brave enough to take the opportunity when it comes.”
Jamieson’s sole success on the circuit came in the 2012 Nelson Mandela Championship in South Africa but, as he edges towards the 400 appearance mark, his career earnings stand at £6.7 million.
“Next year will be my 16th season - it’s a long time,” he said. “I suppose there’s probably not many that have been out here that long as lots come and go.
“I’ve probably not had as many highlights along the way as I would have liked but the longevity of it has certainly been pretty good. So, hopefully, I can make a few more highlights in the back end of my career.”
Jamieson laid the foundations for his strong week by carding a six-under-par 66 at St Andrews before adding a 68 at Carnoustie then signing off with a 70 at Kingsbarns as the $5 million event was cut to 54 holes after Saturday’s play was abandoned due to Storm Amy.
“Yeah, for sure,” he admitted of saving his card on Scottish soil being extra special. It’s always great fun to not only play on those courses but getting to compete on them. You’ve got Kingsbarns, which is one of the prettiest courses in the world while Carnoustie is arguably one of the best tests in the world. Then St Andrews speaks for itself with its hallowed turf. So, yeah, it was a big relief more than anything given the situation I was in heading into the week.”
As the weather started to turn nasty, MacIntyre’s 66 at Kingsbarns on Friday was a great round of golf and the same applied to Jamieson’s four-under-par salvo at Carnoustie.
Scott Jamieson lines up a putt on the 16th green during his splendid four-under 68 in tough conditions at Carnoustie Golf Links on Friday | Jan Kruger/Getty Images
“Yeah, I was lucky that I started on the back nine and I was able to take advantage of the chances I had on that nine when it was playing downwind and then it was just a case of hanging on,” he said. “It was some of the worst conditions I’ve played in over the last four or five holes.”
Jamieson was speaking en route to Madrid for this week’s Open de España at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, where home favourites Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia are spearheading a field that also includes Ryder Cup hero Shane Lowry.
Aim is to try and get into end-of-season events
“I was down to play the last four and that is still the plan,” said Jamieson, who will be flying the Saltire along with Grant Forrest, Connor Syme, Ewen Ferguson, Calum Hill and Richie Ramsay.
“I am looking forward to seeing if I can play well enough to sneak into one of the last two events in the UAE (the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and DP World Tour Championship in Dubai). So the focus has changed a little bit and, hopefully, I can carry the same form into this week.”
-
Seven tees moved up for 'flipping hard' test for DP World Tour players on Donald Trump's course
By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
Players will hit drive at 18th in Nexo Championship three sets of tees forward - but it will still play at 586 yards!
Martin Laird described it as “flipping hard” while Calum Hill reckons it is second only to the infamous Hero Indian Open venue in New Delhi in terms of the toughest test on the DP World Tour.
When it staged last week’s Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, the 36-hole cut fell at 14 over par while only two players finished under par on the Old Course at Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire.
Colin Montgomerie, the tournament host, made an early exit following rounds of 79 and 82 while David Drysdale dropped seven shots in his first four holes in an opening 84 as he missed the cut as well.
Now, it’s the turn of DP World Tour players to tackle the Martin Hawtree-designed course and, unsurprisingly, precautionary measures are being taken by tournament organisers for the $2.75 million Nexo Championship, which starts on Thursday.
Unlike last week’s first leg of a double-header at the Menie Estate venue, crosswinds are not expected to be a major issue due to the wind set to blow from a different direction. It will see the majority of the holes play either into the wind or down wind.
Nonetheless, with a breeze forecast to be a mix of moderate or fresh, the decision has been taken to move six tees - the second, third, fourth, 12th, 16th and 17th - up by one set of tees while the elevated one at the 18th will be three sets forward, reducing it from 651 yards to a mere 586 yards.
“It’s spectacular - but it’s flipping hard,” observed Laird, a four-time PGA Tour winner who, on his first DP World Tour appearance since the 2018 Genesis Scottish Open, is among a 14-strong Caledonian contingent that also includes KLM Open winner Connor Syme.
It was no surprise that Storm Floris forced the spectacular Donald Trump-owned course to be closed on Monday and, with the wind still blowing hard on Tuesday, Laird didn’t even tackle one of the holes in his first practice round.
Martin Laird catches a ball on the practice range prior to the Nexo Championship at Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire | Ross Parker/Getty Images | Ross Parker/Getty Images
“I was saying to my caddie today that they need to get the tees right and, purely for pace of play, they have to move some of them up,” added the 42-year-old. “On some holes, even if you hit a good drive, you are hitting long irons into small targets with 25-30mph crosswinds, so it almost gets a bit unplayable.
“I don’t know how they set it up last week or how the weather was, but I saw the scoring with a 14 over cut. That just shows you what this place is capable of as I have never seen a 14 over cut in my life.”
Hill, who won the Joburg Open earlier in the year, paid a visit here along with Connor Syme and Grant Forrest a few weeks back to get themselves prepared for this week’s home assignment. “It was on a day when it was 10mph and 20 degrees, so it felt quite straightforward,” reported Hill. “Then you arrive Monday and it looks much trickier.
“The difficult thing is it’s not like some links course where you get a bit of leeway. Here it’s fairways or bushes and it’s quite penal. You’ll have a lot of reloading. It’s very strong off the tee and the greens are slightly upturned, so you have a lot of run-offs. So, if you get it wrong, it could be like ping pong. I think I started triple bogey and double bogey. I didn’t know where I was the first few holes. But it was still good fun and nice to see the course.”
The intended yardage for this week had been 7,439 yards, but it will now play around 270 yards shorter. Under a newly-announced initiative with title sponsor Nexo, the player who shoots a new course record this week will win $10,000 and, for that to officially count, it has to be on a layout that is no more than 300 yards of the total yardage.
“It’s demanding off the tee and even the holes you have straight into the wind and even the crosswind ones, too, there are a few well-positioned bunkers at the 270-300 mark,” observed Hill. “It depends how friendly they want to be. Do they want to give you a chance of getting past the bunker or is it more strategic?
“The tenth is an awkward hole. You can go for the green, but it’s a bit mental. I’ll play it as a three-shotter. It can get away from you. There are a few holes that look narrower than they are and then they open up when you get there. You just have to keep it in play.”
DLF Country Club, home of the Hero Indian Open, is widely regarded as the toughest test on the DP World Tour. “It’s not quite as extreme as India,” said Hill. “It’s the most extreme in that you hit the fairway or you’re in the munch. It’s not far off India, mind. But, in India, you don’t get the 30mph winds out there. Ask me again on Sunday!”
Daniel Young, the newly-crowned Farmfoods Scottish Challenge champion, has played the course more than most people in the field, the exception probably being Aberdonian David Law. “I have no idea,” he replied to being asked what he thought the scoring might be like. “But I think after last week they might go cautious to begin with and maybe ramp it up a bit over the weekend.
KLM Open winner Connor Syme pictured at Trump International Golf Links | Ross Parker/Getty Images
“On a lot of those elevated tee shots in these cross winds, it is so difficult to keep the ball down and just get it in play. Otherwise you are going to be scrambling in the dunes and you could easily lose a ball let alone have your work cut out just to get it back in play.”
Jordan Smith, who sits 15th on the European Ryder Cup points list, heads the field, with Spaniard Adrian Otaegui defending the title, though the event was called the Scottish Championship when he triumphed at Fairmont St Andrews in 2020.
-
Connor Graham happy to scrap "week off" to make Open debut
By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
Blairgowrie teenager set to be inspired by Paul Lawrie as he wears his logo at Portrush
It was due to be his only “week off” in a busy summer schedule but Connor Graham doesn’t mind that it has now been scrapped. Not when he’s heading to Royal Portrush in a fortnight’s time to make his major debut in the 153rd Open Championship.
It was mission accomplished for the 18-year-old from Blairgowrie as he joined Lee Westwood, Daniel Young, Angel Hidalgo and Jesper Sandborg in securing spots through Tuesday’s Final Qualifier at Dundonald Links.
Graham’s appearance in the Claret Jug event comes just three years after he won The R&A Junior Open at Monifieth Links and, in the interim, he became the youngest-ever player to compete in the Walker Cup.
-
'Very impressed' - Luke Donald's verdict on Bob MacIntyre stepping up Ryder Cup bid
By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
European captain had been tracking Scot’s stats before his US Open runner-up finishLuke Donald, the European Ryder Cup captain, was confident US Open runner-up Bob MacIntyre had a big performance in him in the battle to be on his team at Bethpage Black after closely watching his stats this season.
MacIntyre, who made a winning debut in the biennial match under Donald’s captaincy in Rome in 2023, jumped into one of the six automatic spots up for grabs on Long Island in September after finishing second to J.J. Spaun in the season’s third major at Oakmont last month.
The eye-catching effort came at the perfect time for MacIntyre, who will now be looking to cement his position in the standings when he defends the Genesis Scottish Open title this week before heading back to Royal Portrush, where he tied for sixth on his major debut six years ago, for the The 153rd Open next week.
Bob MacIntyre is congratulated by Jon Rahm after winning his singles in the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome | Getty Images
“Very impressed,” said Donald, speaking ahead of the first of those events at The Renaissance Club, of how MacIntyre has performed since Italy, where he leaned on Justin Rose in his opening match before going on to pick up two-and-a-half points from three, including a singles success against Wyndham Clark, the US Open champion at the time.
“I think he's really adapted his game to the US. Obviously, when you make that transition from playing mostly in Europe to playing over there, it is more difficult. The fields are deeper. It's harder. But he was still very consistent and I was watching his stats quite a lot.
“Even from when he qualified in Rome to where he was before the second place in the US Open, his stats were quite a bit better. He's been very consistent. As I said, it's harder to break out in the US and win tournaments. He already won twice last year. He won in Canada and won here. “As I said, I saw the improvement in statistics and it was only a matter of time before he had a really, really good week and he almost pulled it off.”
Does Donald, who is bidding to join Tony Jacklin as the only European captain to win home and away against the Americans, see a maturity in MacIntyre, both as a player and a person?
“Well, hopefully the Ryder Cup in Rome had a positive effect on him,” added the world No 1. “I've seen it go both ways. Sometimes people play Ryder Cups and they understand that maybe they're not quite good enough to be a part of what a Ryder Cup represents.
“But I think Bob, even though he didn't quite have his best game on Friday and was really fighting to find it, especially on the greens, he got a lot out of it. Two and a half points out of three. I think it helped him really grow as a golfer and give him the belief that he could perform with the very best.”
Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka are the others in automatic Ryder Cup spots heading into this week’s $9 million Rolex Series event.
European captain Luke Donald and his players, including Bob MacIntyre, pose with the Ryder Cup following their win in Rome in 2023 | Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Rasmus Hojgaard, Ludvig Aberg, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland, Thomas Detry and Matt Wallace are next on the points list as the qualifying race enters the closing stretch, with Donald set to announce his team on 1 September.
“Two massive weeks, the two biggest weeks left really before qualification ends,” said Donald of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open. “There's obviously five or six weeks left to go. These are big weeks against the strongest fields so you want to see the top guys play well and there's obviously going to be some guys that are pretty much staked a claim for their place already in the team. But there's a few spots definitely open and these weeks are big for those guys.”
Is he braced for some sleepless nights towards the end of the qualification period? “Maybe,” he said with a smile. “The week of the Ryder Cup will be plenty of sleepless nights. I think having gone through it already once, I feel pretty comfortable where we are with the preparation.
“We have a great team around us. We're in a good spot right now, so not too many sleepless nights, just really watching and seeing how the guys perform.”
-
The 2025 Scottish Young Professional Championship - Crieff Golf Club / Monday 7th July 2025
The 2025 Scottish Young Professional Championship takes place tomorrow at Crieff Golf Club, with the leading Assistant Professionals in Scotland competing for the historic prize.Defending champion Jordan Sundborg will open play at 8:00am.You can follow tee times and results on the PGA tournament website
https://pgagbi.bluegolf.com/.../pgagbi25270/pairings.htm...
-
It's Gullane and not Kentucky! Richie Ramsay gets in Scottish Open
By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
Brown’s emotional BMW International Open win gets two Scots into their home Open
Gullane or Kentucky? That was the question Richie Ramsay was waiting to be answered after finishing his week’s work in the BMW International Open in Munich. Thanks to Dan Brown landing the title an hour and a half or so later, the Edinburgh-based player will be making a short drive to East Lothian on Monday to prepare for the Genesis Scottish Open instead of facing a nine-hour flight to Atlanta to get ready for the ISCO Championship.
Due to Brown already being in the field for the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, the spot set aside for the BMW International Open winner has been freed up, meaning that Forrest, who had been first reserve since the entry list was published a week past Friday, will now be in the star-studded line up under his own steam.
That means the last invitation, which has traditionally been set aside for the next highest Scot on the DP World Tour category list will no longer be required by Forrest and go instead to Ramsay, meaning the home contingent in the $9 million Rolex Series event will increase to six players as the duo join defending champion Bob MacIntyre, Connor Syme, Calum Hill and Ewen Ferguson.
“I’d owe them one,” joked Ramsay as he waited to see if either Brown or Jordan Smith would do both him and Forrest a favour, with Brown coming out on top to land an emotional win - a close friend passed away last week - after the English pair found themselves in a two-horse race on the back nine at Golfclub München Eichenried.
“It’s frustrating,” added Ramsay, who finished joint-19th alongside Scott Jamieson, of the position he found himself in with regards to his next assignment. “I was saying to someone there ‘I’m either playing in Gullane next week or Kentucky (laughing), which I have never had anything like in 16 years out here.”
If a non-exempt player had won in Bavaria - both Kiwi Kazuma Kobori and Spaniard David Puig made last-day charges - Ramsay would have found himself in an awful position knowing that a withdrawal on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday would have ended with the same result for him as far as the Genesis Scottish Open was concerned.
“I would be beyond upset,” he said of that scenario unfolding if he was on the other side of the Atlantic. “You want to hold out for as long as possible, but there gets a point where if you get to Kentucky too late you are not going to be able to put up a good show.
“I basically know that I want either Dan Brown or Jordan Smith to win as I know they are exempt whereas Kobori isn’t. It would be an ideal scenario if both Grant and I got in, but I’ve just got to go and enjoy the free Haribo and see what happens (laughing).”
Englishman Dan Brown pictured during the final round of the BMW International Open at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried | Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
No doubt earning him a handshake from the two Scots when they get to East Lothian, Brown landed a second DP World Tour win after signing off with a bogey-free 66 for a 22-under-total and a two-shot success over Smith, who finished runner-up for the second year in a row.
“The last two days I just kept thinking about him to try and take my mind off it. I suppose he was there with me and it made it a little bit easier,” said Brown of the inner turmoil he faced in the tournament.
Forrest, who had a disappointing weekend in Germany, is not only based at the home venue for the Genesis Scottish Open but he is also The Renaissance Charitable Foundation Ambassador. As a local man, he has been delighted to see the event distribute more than £1 million in charitable funds since the tournament was first held at the East Lothian venue in 2019.
“Hopefully, yeah,” he said of playing in the Rolex Series event again on his own doorstep. “I didn’t even realise I wasn’t in until last week. I just assumed from where I finished last year, which was about 20 spots different from where I am at the moment, that I would be in.
“But fingers crossed that I do get in. Obviously it’s my home course and home event. Yeah, it is a massive week for us and I am really hoping to play and, hopefully, turn my season around a bit.”
Meanwhile, Martin Kaymer, who thrilled the home fans with a closing 67, is hoping his presence in the Munich line up along with fellow LIV Golf players Sergio Garcia and Patrick Reed is a sign of things to come as the game bids to repair its current fractured status.
“If you see the big picture and focus on what the people want to see and what the tournament director would like to have, I do believe that when Sergio plays and myself here in Germany it will add value to the event and hopefully we are going to get there one day by the CEOs getting together and finding a good solution for all of us,” said the two-time major winner.
Talks between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund are ongoing after a Framework Agreement was signed just over two years ago, though things have gone a bit quiet on that front in recent weeks.
“As you can imagine, there are so many rumours and so many hopes,” added Kaymer, who captains Cleeks on the breakaway circuit. “But I would be the wrong guy to ask. I can only tell you what I hope will happen.”
Lee Westwood, one of Kaymer’s LIV Golf colleagues, won The Open Final Qualifier at Dundonald Links last Tuesday to secure a spot at Royal Portrush, where he’ll be teeing up for the 28th time in the Claret Jug event while, at the same time, making his 93rd major appearance.
“Lee is one of the best players England has ever had,” observed Kaymer of the former world No 1 and Ryder Cup legend. “He had some good finishes on the LIV tour as well. Is he capable of winning (The Open)? Absolutely. And anything can happen in links golf.”
As for his own game, Kaymer is starting to see light at the end of the tunnel after some issues with his game and injury problems as well. “I’m playing good,” he said, smiling. “I’ve practised a lot the last few weeks. I’ve had a good time with my coach and the consistency is back. I’ve hit more fairways than the previous years and there are no injuries holding me back now and now we can go forward again.”
-
In-form Scot sets up chance to secure automatic HotelPlanner Tour promotion
By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
Rory Franssen lands his second win of season on Tartan Pro Tour
Rory Franssen teed up a chance to secure an automatic step up to the HotelPlanner Tour after landing his second win of the season on the Tartan Pro Tour.
The St Andrews-based player carded a bogey-free four-under 68 in the closing circuit to land a two-shot success in the Cardrona Classic presented by Martin Gilbert at Cardrona Hotel, Golf & Spa near Peebles.
Franssen also won the Blairgowrie Perthshire Masters presented by Petrasco earlier in the year and will secure his HotelPlanner Tour card straight away if he can add a third title triumph in a single season on the Scottish circuit.
Rory Franssen shows off the trophy after winning the Cardrona Classic presented by Martin Gilbert | Tartan Pro Tour
The chance for players to secure the instant step up to the DP World Tour’s feeder circuit was set up through the Tartan Pro Tour becoming an official Satellite Tour this year.
“It’s an amazing opportunity,” added Franssen. ”It’s great that it has become a Satellite Tour for the HotelPlanner Tour. It’s unreal for the guys who are only playing in Scotland.”
In addition to a top prize worth £4315, Franssen also secured a spot in the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge supported by The R&A, which is taking place this year at Schloss Roxburghe near Kelso.
“That’s a nice bonus,” he admitted. “I’ve played in that the past few years at Newmachar. It’s a great event and I am buzzing to be in it again.”
Having opened with rounds of 69 and 65 before adding his polished final-day effort, Franssen finished with a 14-under total as he won on this occasion from both Graeme Robertson and Chris Maclean.
“Yeah, it was a great win,” he said. “It was a tough week weather-wise, so I was ecstatic to pull through in the end.
“It was great to finish with a bogey-free round. I find it quite a stressful course off the tee. It is fairly wide but, if you miss the fairway, it’s a lost ball.
“I didn’t check the leaderboard but, when I posted my score and thought about how windy it was, I reckoned I’d be in with a good shout.”
On the back of his eye-catching start to the season, Franssen tops the Order of Merit ahead of three-time HotelPlanner Tour winner heading into next week’s Downfield Masters presented by Piper Sandler.
“I think my putting has improved, I think that’s probably the biggest difference this year,” he admitted. My friend James Blake who caddies for New Zealander Kazuma Kobori on the DP World Tour bought a putter on ebay.
“It was too short for him, which was lucky for me. I went in for a putter fitting at Auchterlonies and the guy said ‘listen mate, I could sell you a L.A.B. putter but the one you’ve got is probably better for you’.
New putter has ‘kind of freed me up’
“That gave me the belief that it was the right stick for me. Ever since then, it has kind of freed me up and I’ve just been working on trying to get a smoother stroke, which has been going well so far.
“I’m usually a pretty streaky putter but this season it has become a lot more steady and from inside eight feet it’s been great, which is a nice change.”
The Cardona event on the circuit run by Paul Lawrie was sponsored by former Aberdeen Asset Management CEO Martin Gilbert.
“I played with Martin in the Dunhill Links a few years ago when he was partnering Marc Warren,” said Franssen, who is looking forward to playing in this week’s Gleneagles Pro-Am. “He’s done so much for Scottish golf and it is great that he was sponsoring this event on the Tartan Pro Tour.”
-
Paul Lawrie is confirmed for the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship
A Home Hero Returns!
1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie is confirmed for the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at Trump International Golf Links in Scotland!
-
Scott Henry is Scottish Par 3 Champion
By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
‘Borderline embarrassing’ - Scottish golfer on fighting back to become winner again
Scott Henry is a winner again after going to hell and back as he battled two separate injuries and feeling that his game had become “borderline embarrassing”.
The 38-year-old, who was one of Scotland’s brightest prospects when he won the Kazakhstan Open on the Challenge Tour in 2012, returned to winning ways when landing the Scottish Par 3 Championship at the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre on the outskirts of Aberdeen.
In the latest event on this season’s Tartan Pro Tour, Henry carded rounds of 52-52-51 for a seven-under-par total, which was matched by Chris Maclean following scores of 51-54-50.
In a sudden-death play-off on the superb Devenick Course, Henry came out on top with a birdie at the first extra hole to pick up a cheque for £4,500, admitting it was great to feel as though a nightmare period in his career was finally over.
“I’ve worked really hard to get some sort of fitness back and be able to have my golf back to a decent standard again, so I’m delighted, to be honest,” said Henry after joining Mark Young (Montrose Links Masters) and Rory Franssen (Blairgowrie Perthshire Masters) on the list of early winners on Paul Lawrie’s circuit this season.
Two injuries were ‘working against each other’
“I can’t take you through all of it as it is too painful to go back over, if I am being perfectly honest,” he admitted in reply to being asked how difficult things had actually got for him after making around 80 appearances on the DP World Tour and more than 170 on the Challenge Tour, which has now been rebranded as the Hotel Planner Tour.
“I had an issue with my back and I got a poor diagnosis with that early on and I ended up injuring my leg as well, so I had two injuries working against each other over quite a period of time without realising how serious both were.
“So I just couldn’t recover and my game went from being always at a very strong standard to just not being able to compete. For pretty much most of my pro career, the lowest level of standard was the top end of the Challenge Tour competing to get my main tour card.
“Then I got basically to the point where I couldn’t even compete within Scotland, so it feels great to be getting closer to what it should be, though it will never quite be the same physicality that it used to be.
“I’m older now as well and it is nice to feel that I can compete properly again. I have felt better physically for the last year, but it’s just taken time to get my game up to a decent standard.”
Scot twice came close to winning on DP World Tour
Henry, who recorded two second-place finishes - both in the Madeira Islands Open - on the DP World Tour, added: “If I knew it was going to take as long as it has, I probably wouldn’t have done it because I’ve lost a lot of money doing it. I’ve put in a hell of a lot of effort and had a lot of failed rehabs.
“Those were pretty painful experiences when I wasn’t getting the issues fixed and, honest to god, the standard my golf felt was borderline embarrassing. It was genuinely that bad.
“So to have the mental fortitude to grind away at it and be able to get my game to a much better standard now is great, though I still have a long way to go.”
-
Connor Syme Wins KLM Open
By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
Exclusive: Scotland's latest DP World Tour golf champion opens up on win - and causing dad more recovery grief.
Scot praised by his caddie and fellow Dundee resident for keeping calm head in KLM Open
When you are recovering from a triple hernia operation, it might not be the best time to be jumping about a bit more than you probably should be, but Stuart Syme can surely be forgiven.
It’s not every day, after all, when you get to experience the joy and pleasure of seeing the person you’ve introduced to golf as a youngster then taught for so long landing what will be one of the most popular wins in the sport in 2025.Connor Syme wouldn’t have been crowned as the KLM Open champion on Sunday, landing his breakthrough win on the DP World Tour in the process and becoming the 11th first-time champion on the circuit this season, if it hadn’t been for his old man.
A promising player himself when he was coming through the ranks at Ladybank, Syme snr was the PGA professional at Dumfries & County Golf Club when Connor took up the game and, once his son had got hopes of becoming a footballer out of his system, golf then became his main focus.
Connor Syme shows off the trophy after winning the KLM Open on Sunday at The International Golf Club in the Netherlands | Tom Dulat/Getty Images
Under his dad’s guidance as a coach after the family had moved back to Fife when Stuart took up ownership of Drumoig Golf Centre, Syme won the 2016 Australian Amateur Championship before then landing a first success in the professional ranks in the Turkish Airlines Challenge in 2019.
Since last year, Syme has also been working with Jamie Gough, the Fife-based brother of former Scotland and Rangers defender Richard, but there was absolutely no denying who was probably the happiest man in the world on Sunday afternoon.“I had a brief chat with my dad before I went in to see the volunteers,” Syme told The Scotsman as he reflected on his brilliant breakthrough win on the main tour after landing a two-shot success at The International in Amsterdam. “He was absolutely buzzing as he’s obviously been with me since the start of my golf career and taught me the game.
“He’s had a triple hernia operation and I was saying to him that I hope you’ve not caused any damage, but he said that he was jumping up and down more than he probably should have been (laughing). It is so cool.”
Over the past few years, Syme had seen Bob MacIntyre, David Law, Ewen Ferguson, Grant Forrest and Calum Hill all land maiden DP World Tour title triumphs while seeing some good opportunities to do likewise - he’d held a 54-hole lead on three previous occasions - agonisingly slip from his grasp.At no point, however, did that look as though it was going to happen again after the 29-year-old hit the front in tough conditions in the Netherlands with a brilliant bogey-free 66 in Saturday’s third round then signed off with a rock-solid 70 that contained just one dropped shot to win by two shots.
“I felt really calm for the most part,” admitted Syme of his polished performance on the last day. “Obviously there was a lot of nervous energy about, but I was quite pleased how I was able to put that into the right areas, I suppose, and just focus on the task at hand.
“I definitely felt different this time than when I had been in contention in the past. Probably more like Wales when I first had a really good opportunity to win back in 2020 (in the Celtic Classic. I thought I was going to win there and obviously I didn’t.
“To have felt those emotions then, I was very cautious that it could happen again and things could all change so quickly. So, every time I found myself thinking about potentially winning on this occasion and what it could feel like, I kept reminding myself of that.
-
Tartan Pro Tour - Portlethen Classic
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftartanprotour.co.uk%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAYnJpZBEwOTRWSGFCT0NLVDZ3QThsagEeScnuPI59P8kBmN3dLeZmhtbAk7kuQ6shVj9OLyfJaxUob2EnoayehrHl8pc_aem_RvWN06rSljZQsBl8lVl8QQ&h=AT1yje_ivmegnD8hZLPzyOJc1BCfp--X1Keqnei8M6oxY3F1OjQOO28-hcZ7o4hpEmR1Yuvrnd-57XXwpoeOMyXZYghRboospDCnpbZPA0-vB81QHvlGK-UekiJf6FnTuyCz&__tn__=H-R&c[0]=AT0xRHkPQp-Nm2OEO8dpg45Qn_mQSg4272JqPK_x5Lbx5oUv3gKg_vGkr7nkjSWNqyaeNk_HybvQV5KiQkh9DahNxaSWNMQ2XD4RNQ_IMttuNFD2UrD0ZghJp7erPTwTYkgzamiXhjxWAkggZEaSnFGHBVIarHaiyCPR02TDz0RTopkpPyR5Qtz1jEvBdD8Apm5RrwKWIf4-IQ2aAMbSMTT-CBuA88Zm
-
Scottish golf club honours long-serving PGA pro in unusual way
By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
16th at Uphall has been named ‘Gordon Law’ in recognition of his 35 years at West Lothian club
A well-known Scottish PGA professional has had a hole named after him in recognition of his 35-year service at one golf club.
The 16th at Uphall Golf Club in West Lothian will now be known simply as ‘Gordon Law’ after the man who was widely known as ‘Mr Uphall’.
In his time flying the flag for the club, Law won the Scottish PGA Championship, Northern Open and PGA Professional Championship. He also played in the PGA Cup on three occasions and made the cut in the 125th Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 1996 as a qualifier.
Gordon Law left Uphall Golf Club earlier this year after serving as the club’s first PGA professional for 35 years | Contributed
At one time, the ‘Lawman’ held the course record at no less than seven venues at a time when the Tartan Tour’s leading lights included record money-winner Colin Gillies, who passed away recently.
Law decided it was time to take a well-deserved break earlier this year and now his legacy at Uphall will be remembered by both members and visitors alike.
“Without Gordon in charge, the club would not have been able to organise some of the most amazing events we have held over the years, such as his well-known Pro Days and invitational Silloths,” said the club in an email to members. “During several of these Pro Days, Gordon would host the renowned ‘nearest the pin at 16 with a left-handed club` after a few beers!
“Off the course, Gordon's influence, passion, and commitment to our club were critical to the construction of our new clubhouse after the old one was destroyed by a fire in 2021. He put together and chaired the project team that resulted in the amazing new building we have today.
“The club committee thought that these accomplishments and efforts should now be acknowledged as a token of appreciation and, so the decision to rename our iconic 16th hole was taken following a number of conversations and recommendations.
“It will now be known as 'Gordon Law', This has been included on our new tee sign and will be on our new scorecards.”
The 16th hole at Uphall will now be known simply as ‘Gordon Law’
Law was Uphall’s first professional, with his big shoes having been filled by Sam Craigon, who has been put in place by Craig Donnelly Golf.
“When I sent Gordon a picture of the tee sign, his response was very typical of him and his sense of humour,” said the club’s match secretary, Stephen Jamieson.
"He replied by saying: ‘It’s really good, though I don’t really require any legacy…and I wonder how long it will take to be defaced!”
-
Staysure PGA Seniors Championship Qualifier
With a £20,000 prize fund at stake, Matthew Cort emerged victorious, finishing at 9-under-par, while Scott Henderson and Cameron Clark both secured T2 finishes at 7-under.As a result, Matthew and Scott have earned their qualification for the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, taking place from 31st July to 3rd August 2025. They will join Cameron in Aberdeen after he secured his place with victory at the Senior PGA Professional Championship a week previously.
-
Rory Franssen records impressive three-shot success in second event of new season
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.
Former Challenge Tour card holders Liam Johnston and Jack Doherty shared fourth spot on seven under while Tain amateur Sean Kennedy gave a great account of himself by finishing in the top ten.
-
Bob MacIntyre makes big schedule call in his bid to ignite Ryder Cup push
By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
Scot set to play seven weeks in a row in US after change of plan for Charles Schwab Challenge
Bob MacIntyre has committed to a marathon seven-event stretch in North America as the Ryder Cup hopeful bids to ignite his season.
After playing in the Truist Championship, one of the PGA Tour’s Signature Events, and the PGA Championship back to back, MacIntyre had been due to take this week off.
However, the Oban man is teeing up along with last weekend’s Wanamaker Trophy winner Scottie Scheffler in the Charles Schwab Challenge, which starts in Fort Worth on Thursday.
MacIntyre will then play in next week’s Memorial Tournament presented by Workday at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Ohio before defending his RBC Canadian Open title in Toronto the following week.
The US Open, the season’s third major and being held on this occasion at Oakmont in Pennsylvania, follows straight after that and then he’ll play in The Travelers Championship, another of the $20 million Signature Events, in Connecticut as well.
After all that, the left-hander will then have a two-week break before defending the Genesis Scottish Open title back on home soil at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian.
Scot sits 52nd in FedEx Cup Standings
MacIntyre sits 52nd in the FedEx Cup Standings, having teed up in 12 events on the US circuit this year and recording two top-ten finishes. He tied for sixth in the WM Phoenix Open and ended up ninth in The Players Championship.
He talked during last week’s PGA of America major, though, about how he was feeling “behind” where he wants to be at this stage of the season and a disappointing weekend at Quail Hollow after being in the top ten at the halfway stage wasn’t what he was looking for either.
After being part of a winning team on his debut in the event in 2023, Bob MacIntyre is determined to be part of Europe’s Ryder Cup defence at Bethpage Black in September | Andrew Redington/Getty Images
However, the fact he’s playing in big event after big event means the Scot just needs one really good week and even a couple of decent ones to achieve his goals for this year.
The top 70 in the FedEx Cup Standings after the Wyndham Championship at the end of July/beginning of August get into the FedEx St Jude Championship - the first FedEx Cup Play-Off event.
It’s then the top 50 on the points list who qualify for the BMW Championship in Maryland before the leading 30 progress to The Tour Championship in Atlanta towards the end of August.
Oban man’s main goal is to make Ryder Cup team again
His main 2025 goal, of course, is to play for Europe in a second successive Ryder Cup and that’s what will be driving him more than anything else over the next five weeks and all the way through to the end of the qualification battle at the conclusion of the Betfred British Masters at The Belfry the same week as the Tour Championship in the US.
In other events this week, two-time winner Colin Montgomerie is being joined in flying the Saltire by Stephen Gallacher and Greig Hutcheon in the $3.5m Senior PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda in Maryland.
And, on the DP World Tour, it’s a Soudal Open assignment at Rinkven International Golf Club in Antwerp for Ewen Ferguson, Calum Hill, Connor Syme, Grant Forrest and Scott Jamieson.
-
Kevin Duncan smashes Deeside Course Record with an incredible round
Deeside Pro Goes LowCongratulations to Deeside Golf Club Professional Kevin Duncan who just scored an incredible 57 (-13) off the medal whites tees playing with member Ben Smith.An absolutely amazing achievement having submitted a general play round as he keeps a handicap at the club to keep competitive. The previous lowest round was 60 around the old course before the redesign a few years ago.Previous lowest handicap differential recorded by the USGA under WHS was around -10 - Kev’s differential for his 57(-13) was a staggering -12.9 reducing his handicap from +2.1 to +4.5. This kind of reduction would normally take years to achieve at this level of handicap.Kevin mainly works in the Deeside Pro shop but has played as a tournament professional in the past on the EPD Tour around Europe with one victory. He plays the North East Alliance every year and is always one of the main contenders each week.Well done Kev
Scottish GolfUnited States Golf Association - USGAThe PGAGuinness World Records
-
Hayston Golf Club Pro-Am / Friday 27th June 2025
Hayston Pro Am 2025 – Entries Now Open!
10:30am shotgun start
Team of 3 amateurs + 1 PGA Pro
£300 per team (+ VAT if paid by a business)
Includes breakfast roll on arrival & carvery meal after your round
On-course competitions & fantastic prizes for both teams and individualsThis event is open to both members and non-members, and it’s a brilliant chance to tee it up with one of Scotland’s leading PGA professionals.Only 22 teams can enter, so be sure to secure your spot early.
How to enter:Simply email us at gm@haystongolf.co.uk with your team details and we’ll guide you through the rest. Expect great prizes, fun challenges, and an unforgettable experience on the day!Interested in sponsoring part of the event? We have opportunities available for individuals and local businesses. To register or enquire about sponsorship, contact: gm@haystongolf.co.ukLet’s make 2025 another fantastic year for the Hayston Pro Am!
-
Senior PGA Professional Championship
The trophy up for grabs this week. Good luck to the 288 players competing in the Senior PGA Professional Championship at Moor Park Golf Club.Follow live scoring here: https://pgagbi.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/pgagbi25/event/pgagbi2558/contest/17/leaderboard.htm
-
Tartan Pro Tour Montrose Links Masters
Link to today’s 1st round Leaderboard
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftartanprotour.co.uk%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAYnJpZBExSlNKT25MZHVUUDE2RHlrdgEeDm9-MKdQOZlZVP0VzaiCoFLdeu4cl2KoEzUjbEGz3Ef0XYE3aKmZJWQFBdw_aem_LspyM9G8xc120ovFoVqwqg&h=AT3jvtcwU4scwyyQZH9ENGjUbsqHhVyh3f9tHa3N20V7m01u0H4-4gHE3dJZyYQthJtuJiU-ZxQDR_iE3LkuXZulHgUswOUWACZxVibgbT7PQ1qFROgrzR1xMFPetSdHN48I&__tn__=H-R&c[0]=AT2cSJRnENFBpDY_ZJU9ujnVtUP2yJNo51SaA8qDUr-gi4h18CkJn_X4bYp0JG2li-r_ya3aa_rk--Z1rGGKm1R-NoH41AXYydq20S2anIeSHb2fNGwkXVvZJdspxMJgXk5Zs5hgWdcT88Uu5Vo_rlr3iHdVvraJO-Ik2vFuZ4BMY2yCQ-vWqliXtcjiJioWqnbH2B4ZkG56GUjYkUJ1hSSWAoEcX4FF
-
Scottish golfer boosts DP World Tour card bid with strong Spanish display
By Martin Dempster - The ScotsmanEuan Walker joins David Law in top 20 in Road to Mallorca Rankings on Hotel Planner TourgolfEuan Walker jumped into the top 20 in the Road to Mallorca Standings after producing his best performance of the season on the Hotel Planner Tour.
Sitting just one shot off the lead, the Ayrshireman had a third victory on the second-tier circuit in his sights heading into the final round of the Challenge de España at Fontanals Golf Club in Girona.
Euan Walker plays his tee shot on the 17th hole on day four of the Challenge de Espana at Fontanals Golf Club in Girona | Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images
On the back of his week’s work, Walker jumped 27 spots to 14th in the Road to Mallorca Rankings, joining compatriot David Law in the all-important top 20 in the battle for a 2026 DP World Tour card.
Walker has been the most consistent Scottish performer on what was previously called the Challenge Tour over the past three seasons, finishing 24th, 26th and 25th on the season-long points list.
There is still a long way to go in this season’s campaign, but this effort was a timely boost for the Dundonald Links-based player after making eight cuts in a row.
Top-20 finish for Graeme Robertson
As Charmasson survived a late wobble to hold on for a one-shot win, Hotel Planner Tour rookie Graeme Robertson closed with a 69 to finish joint-20th on ten under.
Calum Fyfe signed for a third straight 69 to end up on seven under, one ahead of Sam Locke, who had jumped close to the top ten after making an eagle at the tenth only to then follow that with a quadruple-bogey 7 at the 11th.
Charmasson’s title triumph came in just his fifth start on the circuit after securing promotion from the Pro Golf Tour last season. “I’m just proud,” said the 26-year-old. “Seeing my parents on the side of the 18th green, and all the work for the last ten years, it’s so fun that I can get to share this with them.
French double as Martin Couvra lands Turkey triumph
On a brilliant day for French golf, Martin Couvra claimed his breakthrough win on the DP World Tour as the 22-year-old landed the Turkish Airlines Open at Regnum Carya in Belek.
In a nine-birdie salvo, Couvra closed with a seven-under-par 64 to finish on 17 under, winning by two shots from Spaniard Jorge Campillo and China’s Haotong Li, with overnight leader Brandon Robinson Thompson two shots further back in fourth.
Couvra graduated from the Hotel Planner Tour last season and had already posted four top-ten finishes this term, including fifth place at the Hainan Classic last time out.
“It’s just a dream,” said Couvra after emulating compatriot Victor Dubuisson, the 2015 winner, by landing this particular title. “To win early (in my DP World Tour career) is fantastic, so I’m really happy about that. I think tonight is going to be fun with all of the French players!”
Ewen Ferguson, the sole Scot to make the cut, slipped 24 places in the final round, ending up joint-33rd after signing off with a 73.
In the amateur ranks, Scottish Boys’ champion James Wood (Bathgate) closed with a 67 that contained five birdies to secure tenth spot in the Flogas Irish Men’s Open at Seapoint.
-
PGA in Scotland Senior schedule
We are happy to announce the PGA in Scotland Senior schedule for 2025, with the first event taking place shortly at Haggs Castle Golf Club on 19th May.The schedule will consist of four stableford competitions as well as the PGA in Scotland Senior Championship taking place during the Ramsdens Currency Scottish PGA Championship.The full story can be viewed here https://www.pga.info/.../pga-in-scotland-launch-new.../Dumbarnie Golf Links Scotscraig Golf Club Montrose Golf Links Haggs Castle Golf Club Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society
-
Dan Toogood wins GBTGT second event at Leven
By Alan TaitCongrats to Dan Toogood of Myrus Golf Centre winning the second event on the 2025 Golfbreaks Get Back to Golf Tour at fabby Leven Links Golf Course, after shooting a superb 6 under 65 to win by 2 from Ethan Hurst from Scotscraig Golf Club
. Course in great condition and everyone enjoyed their day
For the full result and updated Golf Finance Ltd Order of Merit, just click on the link below
www.alantaitgolf.co.uk and go to “Golf Tours”
-
Royal Portrush set for 'McIlroy Mania' as R&A address Turnberry's uncertain Open future
By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
Masters champion will have crowds flocking to home venue
McIlroy Mania’ at Royal Portrush this summer will see 278,000 fans - the second largest in the history of the event and officially set to be the largest sporting event in Northern Ireland - attend The 153rd Open.
The 41,000 increase from the tournament’s return to the County Antrim venue in 2019 was announced by Mark Darbon, The R&A’s new chief executive, at a media day for this year’s Claret Jug event, which will be staged on July 17-20.
McIlroy, who shot a course-record 61 on the Dunluce Links as a 16-year-old amateur, suffered a disappointing missed cut on home soil six years ago after hitting his opening tee shot out of bounds.
-
'You’ll see a lot more great golf out of Rory McIlroy' - Jack Nicklaus
By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
Six-time Masters champion ‘delighted’ to have new member of ‘Career Grand Slam Club’
Jack Nicklaus is expecting to see “a lot more great golf out of Rory McIlroy” after the Northern Irishman joined him in golf’s ‘Career Grand Slam Club’.
Six-time Masters winner Nicklaus had always felt confident that McIlroy would eventually get his Green Jacket to complete the set and it was mission accomplished on Sunday in his 11th attempt to become just the sixth player to win all four majors.
“I’m delighted for Rory,” said Nicklaus, speaking on Golf Central Live From The Masters. “I know that he’s had a lot of pressure on him. He’s had the world on his shoulders.
“It was wonderful to see him win. This will take the world off his shoulders and I think you’ll see a lot more great golf out of Rory McIlroy.”
The Northern Irishman became the first player to win at Augusta National after running up four double bogeys while he also joined Nick Faldo (1990) and Tiger Woods (2005) in overturning a seven-shot deficit after 18 holes.
“It takes a really talented player to win with some of the shots that he hit,” added 18-time major winner Nicklaus. “Four double bogeys (for the week) and to win the golf tournament is incredible, the talent he has is enormous.”
Paul McGinley, Mcllroy’s winning captain in the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, was also delighted to see the 35-year-old return to winning ways in the majors after an 11-year drought.
“I think it’s a different Rory. I think it’s an evolution of Rory,” he said in his role as a Golf Channel analyst. “There is mental resilience there that might not have been there. He’s got strategies, he digs deep, and he can win when he’s not right on it...he’s on a path to maybe win more.
“Now that he’s climbed Everest, does he lose a little bit? When you reach something you’ve desired so much, you kind of soften...but I don’t think so. I think he’s going to keep going.
“I’ve said if he’ll win one major, he’ll win three or four. I don’t think he’s done winning majors this year. He’s got some great chances to add to it – maybe a double, a triple, or maybe even a Grand Slam this year? How about that (laughing)?”
-
Rory McIlroy's golfing immortality - enjoy something very special and the hard graft to achieve it
By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
New Masters champion opens up on his 11-year journey to a career grand slam
He’d found himself on the floor so many times over the last 11 years. Some had been from punches landed by others while he’d shot himself in the foot a few times as well.
Time and time again, though, Rory McIlroy had picked himself up, refused to believe that he would never win another major and gone again.
Heaven knows what scars would have been left if it had ended up badly for him again at Augusta National on Sunday and he did his best for that to happen. Thankfully, though, we will never know.
At the end of possibly the most dramatic day in golf’s history, the 35-year-old Northern Irishman achieved his Holy Grail. No longer will he be referred to as ‘career grand slam-chasing Rory McIlroy’.
In beating his Ryder Cup team-mate Justin Rose to win the 89th Masters, McIlroy joined Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to have won the game’s four majors.
It all seemed so easy for McIlroy when, ironically, of course, a couple of months after blowing a four-shot lead in the final round at Augusta National, he landed the 2011 US Open by eight shots at Congressional Country Club.
He then added the PGA Championship the following year by the same margin at Kiawah Island and was absolutely flying when winning The Open at Royal Liverpool in 2014 then, a few weeks later, a second PGA Championship at Valhalla.
All that was standing between him and immortality was a Green Jacket and, at the 11th attempt in terms of completing that grand slam and 17th in total, he’s got one - a 38 regular, for the record.
“There's been a few,” replied McIlroy in his post-event press conference to being asked what had been the low point during his major drought, having tied five players, the most recent being Woods, with the longest gap between wins in the game’s marquee events.
“It's hard because, like, I've played so much good golf. It's hard to call the second-place finishes. St Andrews (where, after his putter turned cold, he was denied by a brilliant last round from Cameron Smith in the 150th Open in 2022) was a tough one to take because you only get a few opportunities there, you know, during the course of your career.
“The US Open last year (when he missed a couple of short putts late on and lost out to Bryson DeChambeau at Pinehurst) was awful. But, yeah, the losses are hard, and you know, again, just so proud of myself that I keep coming back and putting myself in positions to win these championships.”
Wearing his new Green Jacket, Rory McIlroy shows off the trophy with daughter Poppy and wife Erica at Augusta National Golf Club
In terms of The Masters, McIlroy had tried everything you could think of to see if it would do the trick. In the end, it was a combination of some outstanding golf and being resilient that got the job done but, as he admitted, extraordinary achievements like this one don’t come easy.
“You have to be the eternal optimist in this game,” he added, having joined Seve Ballesteris, James Braid, Brooks Koepka, Byron Nelson, J.H Taylor and Peter Thomson on the five-major mark. You know, I've been saying it until I'm blue in the face. I truly believe I'm a better player now than I was ten years ago.
“You know, it's so hard to stay patient. It's so hard to keep coming back every year and trying your best and not being able to get it done. There were points on the back nine today, I thought, ‘have I let this slip again?’ But I responded with some clutch shots when I needed to, and really proud of myself for that.
“It's been an emotionally draining week for a lot of reasons, a lot of just roller coaster rounds and late finishes. So just absolutely thrilled to be sitting here at the end of the week as the last man standing.”
On an extraordinary day, the world No 2 lost a two-shot lead over playing partner DeChambeau straight away after starting with a double bogey before then falling behind as the American birdied the second. Helped by back-to-back two-shot swings, it was advantage McIlroy again and, at one point, he was four ahead.
A shocking wedge shot at the 13th that led to a double-bogey 7 would have haunted him forever if it hadn’t worked out the way it did, but a jaw-dropping 7 iron around the trees at the 15th, a stunning approach at the 17th and then an equally good one at the 18th in the sudden-death play-off with Justin Rose meant it was McIlroy’s time at the Georgia venue at last.
“I would see a young man that didn't really know a whole lot about the world. I would,” he replied to being asked about 2011, when he looked crushed as a wayward tee shot at the tenth led to one of the most-crushing disappointments of his career.
Rory McIlroy reacts on the 13th green after running up a double-bogey 7 in the final round
“Yeah, I'd say I probably would see a young man with a lot of learning to do and a lot of growing up to do. Maybe I probably didn't understand myself. I didn't understand why I got myself in a great position in 2011, and I probably didn't understand why I let it slip in a way. But I think just having a little more self-reflection.
“You know, that experience, going through the hardships of tough losses and all that, and I would say to him, just stay the course. Just keep believing. I've literally made my dreams come true today, and I would say to every boy and girl listening to this, believe in your dreams, and if you work hard enough and if you put the effort in, that you can achieve anything you want.”
Quail Hollow, a happy hunting ground for him, is next up in the majors for the PGA Championship while a home gig awaits at Royal Portrush in the 153rd Open in July. For now, though, let’s just enjoy something very special indeed and the hard yards it’s taken to achieve it.
-
Rory Mcllroy - Masters Champion
Runner-up Justin Rose MBE once again showed his class throughout, reflecting his PGA Recognition Award in 2023 in honour of his outstanding contribution to golf.European golf is in good hands heading into this year's Ryder Cup!
-
Partnership Trophy 2025
The Partnership Trophy is back for 2025
The final is at Archerfield Links this September and I'm looking for Scottish TGI Golf Partners to join the team to take on
&
and 
The qualifying dates are:Bishopbriggs Golf Club - Tuesday May 20thScotscraig Golf Club - Thursday June 12thTo get involved, drop me a message. I'd
to see you there.I truly is an incredible event sponsored by Callaway Apparel, Callaway Golf and TravisMathew Apparel.See you there!
-
Big Johnsons Tour
Will Porter & Rory Franssen share the win on -6 for our 36 hole event played over Jubilee & Castle course the past two days St Andrews Links
-
Bob MacIntyre bitten on Masters return as amateur urinates at Augusta National
By Martin Dempster - The ScotsmanScot ‘disappointed’ with opening 75 after three-putting from three feet and skying a driveAugusta National, eh? It charms you with its beauty but, boy, does it bite. Just ask Bob MacIntyre, who was going along nicely on his Masters return after a two-year absence before being made to look stupid by three-putting from three feet on the par-4 seventh.
“It kills you,” admitted the Oban man afterwards of what that had done to him mentally, costing him a double-bogey 6 after being one under to that point, in the first round of the event’s 89th edition.
Then there was the par-5 13th, possibly the most beautiful hole in golf, but, not even if he played it 100 times would MacIntyre have believed where he would be playing his second shot from on this occasion.
His drive wasn’t what he intended at all and, though actually getting a bit lucky, he was closer to the 12th green than the one he was playing to. “I tried to sneak it around the corner and I just got underneath it - a cardinal sin,” he said of that episode.
In the end, the 28-year-old had to settle for a three-over-par 75 - his second-worst score here in nine rounds. It wasn’t what he’d been looking for in his first major round of the year. “It’s not a disaster,” he admitted, “but it's not good. I actually felt I've played nicely, but I was just hitting it too far away from the hole.”
His only birdie of the day came at the par-5 second, with other spillage in addition to that double bogey coming in the shape of bogeys at the 12th, where he found the front bunker, and the 13th, having looked as though he could get out of there with a par only to three putt.
“I came here the last two times I've played it and I think I've made a hell of a lot of birdies, and today I've just played completely the opposite and been defensive and made a couple of bogeys from being on the safe side of the hole but miles away from it,” he declared. ”Just disappointed with the day.”
Having returned here as a double PGA Tour winner and sitting inside the world’s top 20, MacIntytre’s name was being mentioned before he teed off in the company of American duo Billy Horschel and Nick Dunlap in the 11th match of the day.
“The commentators have been talking about the lefty from Scotland,” declared the buggy driver taking this correspondent on the journey from the Press Building at the Georgia venue down to the drop off area close to the first tee.
In truth, the RBC Canadian Open and Genesis Scottish Open champion looked very comfortable indeed over the opening few holes only to be punched in the guts by coming up just short with his approach at the seventh and walking off with a 6 after playing a nice bunker shot.
“Actually reminded me of the momentum swing that I had when I was leading in Denmark, when I think I was two or three ahead and then I make a triple and my back is against the wall,” he said of letting a chance to win the Made in Denmark event slip from his grasp earlier in his career. “I was annoyed, but I didn't let it keep going. But it's like a shock to the system. It brings all the energy out of you.”
On a day when world No 1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler started ominously by signing for a four-under-par 68, MacIntyre conceded there had been a “lot of good in there” and, importantly in terms of momentum heading into the second circuit, he holed a six-footer for par at 17th after racing the first one past then making a good two-putt down the slope at the last.
“Yeah, it's all right,” he said of the day’s work, which was watched by his mum and dad Dougie and Carol, as well as his two sisters, Gillian and Nicola. “Three-over par is not that rough. I've had bad scores to start before. Just gets me over a touch where I want to be.
“I had actually done the hard part in the first seven holes. My job from four to seven was to try and limit the bogeys, and I actually did the hard part. The tee shot on seven was the last piece of the jigsaw, and I then hit a lovely wedge but just pulled it.
“You think, ‘oh, I can be a bit aggressive with this putt, and I try and do that and it misses, and now you're left with a four or five-footer coming back. Then you try and dribble that one in and it moves as much as you thought the first one was going to move. It's just the way this golf course is.”
Spanish amateur Jose Luis Ballester pictured at Augusta National Golf Club
MacIntyre may have been disappointed with his score, but he fared a lot better than Dunlap. The man who won as an amateur on the PGA Tour last season then repeated the feat as a professional a few months later signed for a 90, limping home in 47.
“I've played with him a few times this year, and what a great player, what a great guy,” said MacIntyre of the young American. “To be honest, as much as he was struggling out there today, his attitude was solid. He didn't get in the way. He didn't lay off anything that was going to affect his two other playing partners because we've got a job to do. I feel for him today, but he'll come back.”
Aaron Rai, the 2020 Genesis Scottish Open champion, marked his Masters debut with a two-under 70. “Yeah, definitely beyond expectations,” admitted the Englishman of an effort that contained six birdies.
Bidding to claim a third Green Jacket in four years, Scheffler was bogey-free, holing a 62-footer for a birdie at the fourth then rolling in one from 42 feet for another 2 at the 16th.
“Anytime you can keep a card clean out here, it's a really good thing,” he said of achieving the feat in the first competitive round on the course since hundreds of trees were lost when the Augusta area suffered a direct hit from Hurricane Helene last September.
If there had been a few more trees around, it might have hid Spanish amateur Jose Louis Ballester, one of Scheffler’s playing partners, urinating into a tributary of historic Rae’s Creek as he played the 12th hole and being applauded by some patrons as he did so.
“I completely forgot that we had those restrooms to the left of the tee box,” he admitted afterwards. “I'm like, I really need to pee. Didn't really know where to go, and, since JT (the other player in the group) had an issue on the green, I'm like, I'm just going to sneak here in the river and probably people would not see me that much and then they clapped for me. It was not embarrassing at all for me. If I had to do it again, I would do it again.”
-
Former Scottish Open champion Justin Rose off to another strong start in Masters
By Martin Dempster - The ScotsmanEnglishman equals best round at Augusta National as Rory McIlroy rues two late slip upsFormer Scottish Open champion Justin Rose is out in front after the opening round in The Masters for the fifth time in his career - and this time the Englishman is determined to stay there and claim a Green Jacket.
On a fascinating opening day in the event’s 89th edition at Augusta National, the 44-year-old carded a seven-under-par 65, matching his lowest round at the Georgia venue.
It earned him a three-shot lead over defending champion Scottie Scheffler, last year’s runner-up Ludvig Aberg and Corey Conners, who has recorded three top-ten finishes in seven starts here.
Rose either led on his own or shared the lead in 2004, 2007 and 2008 - three successive starts - then again in 2021 while he finished runner-up in both 2015 and 2017.
The 2014 Genesis Scottish Open winner had been happy to come into this edition feeling he was under the “radar”, but he’s not in that position any more. Not after a sparkling effort that contained eight birdies, with his sole dropped shot coming at the last.
“Yeah, obviously delighted to get off to such a great start and it definitely happened out of the gates,” he said of opening with three birdies before making another hat-trick from the eighth then adding gains at the 15th and 16th as well.
“It was a really good day's golf on a golf course that was a stern test,” said the former US Open and Olympic champion. “I think if you look at the overall leaderboard, not many low scores out there. A lot of quality shots, and delighted the way I played.
“This year I've been saying to people, my good is good. When I have been playing well, I feel like I have been competing at a high level. My consistency maybe has not been as high this year, but my good is good again.
“So I'm excited about that. I played a lot of golf here at Augusta National, so to come away with my equal best score is certainly an achievement for me.”
Rose, who did a brilliant job mentoring Bob MacIntyre on the opening two days in the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, has topped the leaderboard after more rounds - nine - than anyone who has yet to win this event.
“I feel like I've played well enough (to do it),” insisted Rose. “I just don't have the jacket to prove it.I've played a lot of good rounds of golf here. Got a lot of crystal, which is obviously always nice.
“But, ultimately, you want to be the last man standing on Sunday. I guess Sergio [Garcia] and I in 2017 (losing in play-off), that was a real 50/50. That could have gone any which way down the stretch.
“A little bit of Lady Luck here and there is always the difference here at times. But I've had my luck on occasion and been a champion. But you've got to be playing good golf to keep creating those opportunities, and obviously the only way to do that is to get your name on the leaderboard. I definitely don't shy away from it.”
Rose finished joint-second behind Xander Schauffele in last year’s 152nd Open at Royal Troon “I feel like I played good enough to win the tournament,” he said of that close call. “So I took a lot of confidence from it.”
On a good day for English golfers, Tyrrell Hatton (69), Aaron Rai (70) and Matt Fitzpatrick (71) also ended in red figures.
Career grand slam-chasing Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, had to settle for a level-par 70 after running up two double bogeys in the final four holes.
The world No 2 was closing in on second place when he sent his third shot into the water at the 15th, where Patrick Cantlay had did the same thing twice a bit earlier.
US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau is handily-placed on three under, but 2023 champion Jon Rahm had to settle for a 75, sitting alongside Bob MacIntyre in joint-63rd.
Bernhard Langer, who is making his 41st and final appearance, signed for a 74, three shots more than fellow former winner Fred Couples, who holed out for an eagle-2 at the 14th.
-
David Scott is 85th Captain of the PGA
Please join us in congratulating David Scott on his appointment as the 85th Captain of The PGA, and wishing him the best of success in his new role.“To represent 8,000 PGA members is almost tear-jerking," said David. "When I delivered my acceptance speech, I had a tissue in my pocket just in case.“From a young lad turning professional at 19, with a lack of confidence and not a great academic background, to now being The PGA Captain is a massive honour.”The PGA would also like to thank Peter Laugher for his dedication to the role throughout his tenure as Captain over the past year.Read more about David's appointment online: https://bit.ly/4iSTzuO
-
Scottie Scheffler opens up on winning Masters formula and reveals his secret spot at Augusta National
By Martin Dempster - The ScotsmanDefending champion offers fascinating insight about Georgia venue - both on and off the courseIt was a classic case of something in black and white on a transcript being used to come across in a totally different way and Scottie Scheffler probably wouldn’t have been too amused about how his comments about golf’s ongoing fractured state in a pre-Masters chat were relayed by some media outlets.
“If we want to figure out why the game of golf is not back together, go ask those guys,” was the quote made into a headline from his response to a question about the players competing on the breakaway LIV Golf League. “Go to wherever they are playing this week and figure out when the game is going to come back together.”
As always, the world No 1 wasn’t being confrontational because he’s simply not that type and, though some might claim that he’s a bit of the boring side, this correspondent would say otherwise on the strength of having either been in the same room listening to him or doing so on a video call a fair few times over the past few years.
Like lots of other players I’ve come across over the years, Scheffler has gradually come out of his shell since he burst on to the scene in spectacular fashion three years ago and, while he’s never likely to become an all-dancing, all-singing sportsman, the 28-year-old is very likeable indeed and open at the same time.
As illustrated, for example, by the lengthy answer he gave to another question asked in the same press conference arranged by Augusta National Golf Club ahead of Scheffler’s second defence of The Masters title, having landed a first Green Jacket in 2022 then coming out on top again in the season’s opening major last year.
It was put to him that, due to Augusta National being such a special place, did he have a favourite spot on the property and, as a second part, were there any personal traditions he liked to carry out on every return trip there.
“I usually come in Sunday morning,” he said, tackling the second part first. “I typically hand out an award at the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship. That's always a fun thing for me to do and a fun thing that Augusta National does.
“Then it's tradition on Sunday at The Masters that past champions get to bring a guest to play. Last year it was one of my sisters and this year I think my mom is going to come play.
“And so I think that day is a good day for me to soak in being back at The Masters, enjoy the memories and have some fun with a family member or close friend and just enjoy the golf course, enjoy the day before the work week starts on Monday.
“As far as my favourite spot on property, I don't know if I really have (one). I think when you pull in the gates, I think that's the most special thing for me. When you pull in, it feels like we’re going into a different world and everything else just kind of melts away. I forget about a lot of stuff that's going on. I just kind of get really in tune to just try to play golf and get ready and prepare to play the golf course.”
He then remembered that he does have a favourite spot. “Outside of the locker room,” he added with a smile. “There's a little patio that's upstairs, and you can kind of loop around to the other side and you have a little view of the first tee and No 10 and the golf course and it's a pretty cool little spot to sit and watch. I kind of sit up there and just watch what's going on and nobody really knows that I'm up there.
“Just kind of sitting there watching the crowds, enjoying the sights and sounds of Augusta, and nobody really knows that you're there, so it's pretty nice. I kind of just gave myself away with that one.”
Scottie Scheffler of the United States celebrates on the 18th green after winning his second Green Jacket in three years
While career grand slam-chasing Rory McIlroy attempts to come up with a winning formula for The Masters, Scheffler has two triumphs in just five appearances, having also finished in the top 20 in his three other starts so far.
“Why does my game fit so well at Augusta National? It's a good question,” he admitted. “I think the golf course is really difficult. You have to manage your way around the course and I've done a very good job of managing my way around the course the last few years and hitting the appropriate shots when I need to and being in control of my ball.
“I think the best way I could describe it is when I'm in control of my golf ball, I have a very good strategy for playing the golf course. But, at the end of the day, you've got to hit the shots. That's what it is at Augusta. I could talk about it all day long about where to play it and the certain type of shot to hit.
“But, if you don't pull a shot off, you're going to be punished out there. And the last few years, I've been pulling off the shots I'm trying to hit.”
How different is Augusta National in terms of requiring the creativity of shaping shots as opposed to a regular PGA Tour venue? “I would say that there's definitely an aspect to that,” he added. “The golf course changes a good amount from soft greens to firm greens. We've had some wind the last few years.
“One thing that's different about Augusta National compared to a lot of the other major championship venues is the lack of rough. At the US Open or PGA Championship, you're playing a lot of hack-out shots if you are in the rough. When you miss the green at Augusta National, typically you're in the fairway, and there's always opportunity to play a shot.
“It just so happens that a lot of the shots around the greens are pretty tough because you've got elevated greens, and there's a lot of different variables in play there.
“I feel like around Augusta National, what makes the golf course so special is always the opportunity to pull off a great shot. I think that style of golf is a bit more exciting than just your typical event where you hit in the rough, and you see guys playing the same shot each time where they are just kind of hacking it out of the rough.
“At Augusta, there's a lot of run-off areas and closely mown areas around the green, and there's opportunity to play great shots, but also severe punishments for playing the wrong shot as well.”
-
PGA Scotland Fourball - Barassie Links
Another fantastic day for the PGA Scotland Fourball this week at Barassie Links - KBGC.Next week we are at Trump International for the next Fourball event of the year
-
Can Bob MacIntyre win The Masters? Major champions deliver verdict on Scot
By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
Bob MacIntyre is heading back to The Masters for the first time in three years truly believing he can emulate fellow Scot Sandy Lyle by winning a Green Jacket, according to two former major champions.
The Oban man finished joint-12th in his debut appearance at Augusta National in 2021 to clinch a return trip 12 months later, when he narrowly missed out on a place in the top 20 in the season’s opening major.
He’s had to sit out the last two editions after failing to secure an invitation, but the 28-year-old is now gearing up for an eagerly-anticipated return to the Georgia venue next week as a world’s top-20 player after winning both the RBC Canadian Open and Genesis Scottish Open last year.
Lyle created history as the first player from the UK to claim a Green Jacket in 1988 and, though it will be a tall order for MacIntyre to emulate his compatriot, former US Open champions Curtis Strange and Andy North both believe the current Scottish No 1 is making this journey up Magnolia Lane with a genuine chance.
“He's got speed. He's got talent. He's won now,” said double US Open winner Strange, speaking in an ESPN media conference call ahead of the 89th Masters, which gets underway next Thursday, of the left-hander. “It's hard to put into words the importance of winning and what that does for just your self-belief.
“Do you walk around with your chest puffed out all day long? No, but when a shot comes out the next day or the next month or next month at the Masters, you know down deep inside that you've done it under the gun. You believe in yourself a little bit more.
“Whoever wins The Masters this year is basically the same player that they were the day before. The difference is, if it's a young kid, the belief in yourself, the confidence to do it again and again and again. It's huge. He has that right now.”
North, who also landed two title triumphs in the US Open, talked up MacIntyre, who will be the sole Scot in the field on this occasion after having Lyle for company on both his previous appearances and Martin Laird, too, for the first one, as well on the same call.
“I don't see Bob being much of a different player today than he was maybe two years ago,” said the ESPN golf analyst. “I just think for the first time, he really believes that he can do it, and that's such a big part of it. I think deep down, he knows he can win. He knows that he can beat these guys. I don't think he knew that two or three years ago.”
-
Career grand-slam chasing Rory McIlroy in exciting new position heading into The Masters
By Martin Dempster - The ScotsmanNorthern Irishman becomes just eight player to land multiple wins in The Players ChampionshipRory McIlroy is heading to Augusta National for his latest attempt to win The Masters and become just the sixth player to complete a career grand slam in a brand-new position.
For the first time, the Northern Irishman has won twice on the PGA Tour before the season’s first major, having backed up a west coast victory in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am last month by landing a second success in The Players Championship on the east coast.
McIlroy comfortably beat American J.J. Spaun in a three-hole play-off on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach on Monday, becoming just the eighth player to record multiple wins in the US circuit’s flagship event.
He joins the likes of 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and current world No 1 Scottie Scheffler on that list and, after ten unsuccessful attempts so far, the 35-year-old certainly has a spring in his step for his latest crack at that career grand slam.
“I did it a different way this week,” said McIlroy as he overcame being wayward off the tee at times to pull off a 28th PGA Tour title triumph. “I had to putt well. I needed to chip the ball well. I played a lot of good escape shots from the pine straw, which I saw way too much of this week.
“But, yeah, I feel if one part of my game isn’t there, I have other parts to bail me out and that is a really nice feeling to have in your golf game.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAfter being disappointed to let a three-shot lead slip out of his grasp in Sunday’s weather-interrupted final round, the world No 2 showed he meant business in the play-off by booming a 336-yard drive down the par-5 16th to leave himself a wedge to set up a birdie.
Already finding himself a shot ahead, he then piled the pressure on his opponent by finding the heart of the green with a three-quarter 9-iron at the 17th and Spaun, admittedly getting a bit unlucky with a shot that flew through the wind instead of being held up by it, ended up taking a 6 after going long into the water.
Even though McIlroy three-putted, he took a four-shot lead to the 18th and, after staying dry with his tee shot, a repeat of his victory in 2019 had been secured.
“I’m really proud of my body of work,” he added of becoming a multiple winner on the circuit for a ninth season. “I turned pro in 2007. My season on the PGA Tour was 2009 and I’ve tried to get better every year and I feel like I am continually trying to do that.
“The younger guys coming out now are getting better and better every single year and I need to keep working hard to hang with them and I am doing a pretty good job of it and I feel like I still have quite a few years left in the tank. Really happy. Really proud. I can’t wait for what’s ahead.”
This was McIlroy’s third career win on St Patrick’s Day and, if he can stay out of his own way at Augusta National, this could well be the year he finally joins Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Nicklaus and Woods on that career grand slam list.
“Yeah, I’m playing well; I’m in good form,” he said with a smile. “I feel like this form has continued from the back end of last year, when I played a lot of good golf without really getting the wins. I knew if I stayed patient the wins would come and that’s what has happened this year.”
-
Bob MacIntyre pockets more than $1m in 'satisfying' Florida flourish
By Martin Dempster - The ScotsmanScot finishes ninth in just his second appearance in The Players ChampionshipBob MacIntyre picked up more than $1 million for what the Oban man described as a “solid two weeks on the road” in his PGA Tour double-header in Florida.
MacIntyre delivered the verdict after following a tie for 11th in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill by claiming ninth spot in The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
The 28-year-old signed off with a three-under-par 69 on the Pete Dye-designed Stadium Course at the Ponte Vedra Beach venue to finish with an eight-under total.
-
I should share my phone with you - PGA Tour chief on his DP World Tour hotline
By Martin Dempster - The ScotsmanJay Monahan insists Wentworth counterpart is “fully understanding” about ongoing talksJay Monahan insists the PGA Tour and DP World Tour are both “fully understanding each other” about ongoing negotiations aimed at establishing a reunification at the top level in golf.
In recent weeks, Monahan has been part of a PGA Tour delegation that has held two meetings with US President Donald Trump in the White House, the second of which was also attended by Public Investment Fund chief Yasir Al-Rumayyan.
Speaking at his annual pre-event media conference at The Players Championship at Sawgrass on Tuesday, Monahan delivered another positive update about what has come out of those meetings, albeit without being able to add any meat to the bare bones.
“The talks are real, they're substantial, and they're being driven at the top levels of both organisations,” said the PGA Tour commissioner. “Those talks have been significantly bolstered by President Trump's willingness to serve as a facilitator.
“President Trump is a lifelong golf fan. He believes strongly in the game's power and potential, and he has been exceedingly generous with his time and influence to help bring a deal together.
“He wants to see the game reunified. We want to see the game reunified. His involvement has made the prospect of reunification very real.”
Monahan was accompanied at the first White House meeting by Adam Scott, a member of the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Council, with Tiger Woods, who also sits on that, joining the duo for the second meeting a fortnight ago.
“When you're in the midst of complex negotiations, particularly when you may be near a breakthrough, there are ebbs and flows in the discussion,” added Monahan. “The most important thing is the mutual respect that we've built over the last couple of years.
“We appreciate Yasir's innovative vision, and we can see a future where we welcome him on to our board and work together to move the global game forward.
“As part of our negotiations, we believe there's room to integrate important aspects of LIV Golf into the PGA Tour platform. We're doing everything that we can to bring the two sides together.
“That said, we will not do so in a way that diminishes the strength of our platform or the very real momentum we have with our fans and our partners. So while we've removed some hurdles, others remain. But like our fans, we still share the same sense of urgency to get to a resolution.
“Our team is fully committed to reunification. The only deal that we would regret is one that compromises the essence of what makes the game of golf and the PGA Tour so exceptional.”
No mention had been made of the DP World Tour until close to the end of an hour-long session in the media building at the Ponte Vedra Beach until Monahan was asked about its role in the negotiations.
The Wentworth-based circuit entered an alliance with the PGA Tour in November 2020 and was part of the framework agreement agreed with PIF in May 2023.
“I should share my phone with you,” said Monahan. “I'm on the phone with (DP World Tour CEO) Guy Kinnings virtually every single day. Guy and Eric [Nicoli, the European Tour Group chairman) are here for the week. Guy and Eric participated in our board meeting just a few weeks ago. I will be in the UK at their board meeting on March 24th.
“Anything that I and we are doing as it relates to our negotiations or thinking about how we're going to continue to improve as an organization, they are aware of, and I and they themselves go out of their way to make certain that we're both fully understanding each other as these conversations evolve.
“So when you make a commitment like we did to each other when we formed our alliance, that's a commitment, and I feel very proud of the way that we have both together honored that commitment. And again, I can't understate the importance of the role that they're playing as our partners.”
Away from the negotiations, Monahan announced that steps are to be taken by the PGA Tour to try and speed up play, starting with the publication of stats later this season.
In addition, a new speed-of-play policy, which will include assessing penalty strokes for slow play, on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas will begin next month while range finders will be tested at the six PGA Tour events between The Masters and PGA Championship.
“We're excited to learn more about the impact of increased transparency and accountability through these efforts,” said Monahan of the circuit taking action after the LPGA had already decided to do likewise this year.
-
Scottish golfer opens up on issues that left him feeling 'worn down'
By Martin Dempster - The ScotsmanAfter tough time, Peebles man Craig Howie feels ready to start climbing the ladder againCraig Howie feels ready to “turn things around” after admitting that a combination of playing poorly, losing his status and having health issues had “worn me down” at the end of last season.
The Peebles man was playing on the DP World Tour as recently as 2022 and, finishing 135th in the Race to Dubai that season, wasn’t far away from retaining his seat at the top table.
In 2020, when Challenge Tour players secured some unexpected starts in DP World Tour events during the Covid pandemic, Howie finished joint-fourth in the Austrian Open and shared fifth spot in the ISPS Handa UK Championship.
Since finding himself back on what is now called the Hotel Planner Tour, though, it’s been a bit of a struggle for the University of Stirling graduate, finishing 37th in the Road to Mallorca Rankings in 2023 but then dropping to 87th last year.
That left Howie, who won the Range Servant Challenge by Hinton Golf on the second-tier tour in 2021 as he graduated at the end of that season along with Ewen Ferguson, missing out on the circuit’s season-starting South African Swing.
But, thanks to the set up in place through the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge supported by The R&A for invitations in other events, his 2025 campaign is about to get underway with a double-header in India, starting with the Kolkata Challenge this week.
“My winter has looked slightly different to previous years,” Howie, who is managed by Paul Lawrie through his Five Star
“Things obviously haven’t gone to plan since graduating from the Challenge Tour in 2021. Last year was definitely my toughest mentally, especially by the back end of the season where the game had just worn me down.
“This lay-off has given me some much needed time away from competition. It’s given me the opportunity to figure out a few things and make some changes across the board.”
A significant one was deciding to link up with Alan McCloskey, the Bothwell Castle professional who has worked with both Lawrie and David Law among others on their swings in recent years.
“After Q-School last year, I got stuck into a few swing faults, nothing too major but I’d fallen into an exaggerated left pattern that needed to be softened,” added Howie. “We have done a really good job with that now and I’ve seen some positive results so far. I played a couple of warm up events in Portugal in February to get ready for India and the game was in good shape.”
Howie has secured a Category 4a spot in this week’s event along with Calum Fyfe, Sam Locke and Gregor Graham, the quartet joining Hotel Planner Tour regulars Law, Euan Walker, Daniel Young and Ryan Lumsden in flying the Saltire at Royal Calcutta Golf Club.
“I’m looking forward to getting going in this Indian Swing,” said Howie. “We play two fantastic courses and, whilst my results last year weren’t anything to shout home about, I believe they are two courses I can absolutely compete on.
“I’ve already ran into a slight problem, however. I currently have no golf clubs as they never made it onto my flight from Dubai earlier in the week and I am very much hoping they will make it to Kolkata before the tournament starts.
“As for the season as a whole, there’s reason to be optimistic. I believe I’m already doing a lot of good things so far this year and I think I can turn that into good results.
“Playing poorly, losing status or having health issues are never fun at the time, but I do think all these things will make me a better player going forward, definitely a more resilient person, and it’s lit a fire under my ass to turn things around and prove I’ve got what it takes.”
Sports Agency, told The Scotsman. “I’ve spent more time in Peebles over the last five months than I have over the previous five years combined!
-
Class act Connor Syme creates great golf image with fellow Scot
By Martin Dempster - The ScotsmanDrumoig-based player’s show of joy for his compatriot was mark of the manIf there is indeed a golfing God - and sometimes you are left wondering if there is - then Connor Syme’s turn will come in his bid to join the long list of Scottish winners on the DP World Tour.
The Drumoig-based player has been knocking at the door since securing a card on the main tour for the first time in 2018, having finished second three times and third on three more occasions.
In a total of 176 appearances, he has clocked up an impressive 18 top-ten finishes, the latest one coming in the Joburg Open last weekend. That, of course, was won by his compatriot, Calum Hill, and what an image the pair created at the end of a play-off at Houghton Golf Club.
Though not involved in it, Syme hung around to watch his fellow Scot face South African duo Shaun Norris and Jacques Kruyswijk in the sudden-death shoot-out.
After winning at the second extra hole, Hill embraced his wife, Miranda, in a celebratory hug on the green before Syme ran on to the green and sprayed the winner with a bottle of water.
Captured by Getty Images photographer Stuart Franklin, an image of Syme up on Hill’s back is, in my opinion anyway, one of the best you will ever see.
It shows pure joy in both cases and, while Hill’s is perhaps self explanatory after he’d just landed a second DP World Tour win after producing an incredible last-round fightback, Syme’s part in it merits some attention.
No-one is more determined to be a winner on the circuit than 29-year-old, who has a brilliant work ethic and will hopefully get the reward he deserves before too long.
It became apparent from the first time I met him around a decade ago, though, that Syme is also one of those individuals who is a credit to himself in particular but also his country for the way he handles everyday matters off the course through being a class act.
That, it has to be said, applies to Scottish golfers in general, but there has always been something about Syme that has made him one of the most likeable figures I’ve come across in the game and others, I’m sure, will probably know exactly what I am trying to share about him.
When his time does indeed come, there will be lots of people out there feeling that exact same joy as he did for Hill on Sunday.
-
Paul O'Hara wins PGA Playoffs in Cyprus
Paul O’Hara has earned starts on the DP World Tour and HotelPlanner Tour for the 2025 season after a dominant third-round performance secured victory by two strokes at the PGA Play-Offs in Cyprus.“It’s tremendous,” O’Hara said of his victory. “I remember seeing the leaderboard when I was at five-under and I knew as long as I don’t do anything silly, I could secure the win. But one bad shot could easily lead to a double or triple-bogey. It’s such a tough course to play.“I played some pin-point golf shots today and had great control of my irons. I even think I could’ve gone three or four better, but to shoot five-under was great. To come out on top against the 24 best guys last year is great for my confidence.”The win grants O’Hara exemptions for the Betfred British Masters, Amgen Irish Open, and BMW PGA Championship on the DP World Tour, as well as the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge and Irish Challenge on the HotelPlanner Tour later this year.Read the full report here: https://bit.ly/3F9Bk5v
-
PGA Scotland Fourball
The 2025 season is underway after a fine day at The Portland course, Royal Troon yesterday for the first PGA Scotland Fourball.Well done to Graeme Robertson and Bradley Neil who won by two shots with a 58 (-13) ahead of Sam Kiloh and Kevin Duncan
