Scottish Championship final scoreboard Leaderboard
Pro golf is generally played over 4 rounds and this inaugural Scottish Championship is a perfect example. On a leaderboard stacked with Englishmen, one with the most Scottish of names, Matt Wallace was in complete charge over 3 rounds, only one bogey albeit in benign conditions on the Sam Torrance course, minutes from St Andrews, he shot 65 67 66 and was 3 shots clear heading into today's final round.
Four shots back after opening with a 62,70 70 was young Spaniard Adrian Otaegui, in the chasing pack.
Wallace for the first time opened with a bogey. Hmmmmm...then after a birdie at 4, another bogey at the 8th which he got right back at 9, but he was out in E 36, instead of 30,33,33 in the previous 3.
Meanwhile his Spanish playing partner started with a birdie, added 4 more out in 31 making putts all over the greens and the whole game had changed. He had made up 5 shots in 9 holes.
Wallace made another bogey to begin the back nine, then could only muster 2 birdies for 71 while the Spaniard's tail was up, he came in with a -4 32 for his -9 63 and a four shot win, his first in stroke play on the European Tour.
After qualifying 3 different times from Q school and graduating from the Challenge Tour he has been a European Tour regular since 2015.
He summed it up best " I like stroke play, I think its the proper way, you have to play well and consistently over 4 rounds to win"
Matt Wallace will testify to that, ending up 2nd and maybe the hottest player on tour right now, Aaron Rai who was 2nd in Ireland, won the Scottish Open at the Renaissance, and was 3rd this week with a final bogey free 66.
Next week this travelling circus flies down to Italy for the Italian Open.
They can leave all their wooly hats, hand warmers and all weather gear behind, along with fond memories of another week on the Golf Coast of Scotland..
Bryan Angus
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