Gareth Wright “took his eye off the ball” this season in domestic golf but finished it with his second national title in three years by beating Paul O’Hara in a playoff in the M&H Logistics Scottish Professional Championship.
The 34-year-old Welshman was the first non-Scot to win the title two years ago and followed up in the 100th staging of one of the oldest titles in golf, his eagle putt on the first extra hole finally ending the resistance of the Motherwell player on the King’s Course.
The pair had a proper man-to-man battle on the restored James Braid classic in near perfect conditions – no wind and shirt sleeved order in mid-October – with the lead switching hands three times before Wright’s eagle three at the last finally separated them. Both had shot final round 68s for 16-under aggregates of 268.
O’Hara, who had bravely two-putted from 120 feet across the huge final green for the birdie which forced the play-off, could only repeat the birdie in extra time.
For West Linton’s Wright, it was the perfect ending to a season which saw him get multiple opportunities to play off the domestic circuit and feel he lost his way a little.
“I played all over the place this year and made only one cut in the big Tour events I played in, but I felt my play deserved more,” he said. “Unfortunately it meant I took my eye off the ball a bit as far as the Tartan Tour was concerned and I didn’t play enough events.
“But this is the cherry on top of what has been a difficult season.”
The victory also proved to Wright a valuable lesson for his future, even with two championships under his belt.
“This has always been my favourite place in the world to play and I think I learned that when I’m relaxed and comfortable I play my best golf,” he said.
“At times this season I’ve been trying too hard rather than relaxing and playing my own game. You’d think I’d have learned that lesson by now at my age but I suppose you’re always learning.”
Wright twice had a two-stroke lead on O’Hara during the final round but both times the 30-year-old reeled him back, his finish on the final hole in regulation showing his resilience.
Having pulled his drive left on the 18th of the Queen’s, he hit his approach well short of a pin right at the back of the huge final green, but rolled a well weighted putt from 120 feet up to 10 feet short and holed the second one for the birdie that secured extra time.
Wright two-putted for birdie from 30 feet in regulation but left himself the exact same approach shot to the playoff hole as he had 20 minutes previously – “and I hit it properly this time” – a 6-iron from 201 yards five feet behind the flag, rolling it in for the title.
O’Hara said: “I didn’t feel that I did a lot wrong over the four days, and it was my aim this week to get into the PGA playoffs next week at Saunton because you can get a couple of European Tour events with a good finish in that.
“I’m disappointed not to win but it’s been a good season. I’ve taken the next step and now that I’ve finished and qualified I’ve had much more time to practice and get my game better, and I think you can see the results.”
The playoff pair ended five shots ahead of the field with former champions Greig Hutcheon and Graham Fox finishing with six-under 65s to share third with young Louis Gaughan of Bathgate.
O’Hara’s loss in the playoff confirmed that Hutcheon won the Tartan Tour Order of Merit
Final scores
268 G Wright (West Linton) 62 70 68 68, P O’Hara (North Lanarkshire Leisure) 69 65 66 68 (Wright won with eagle three at the first playoff hole)
273 G Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Inchmarlo) 70 71 67 65, G Fox (Clydeway Golf) 74 69 65 65, L Gaughan (Bathgate) 69 65 68 71
275 G McBain (Newmachar) 72 66 71 66, A Forsyth (Mearns Castle) 71 67 69 68
276 S Binning (Mearns Castle) 67 69 68 72
279 P McKechnie (Braid Hills) 73 69 71 66, C Currie (Caldwell) 72 69 71 67
280 C Ronald (Torrance House) 69 71 72 68, C Doak (unattached) 67 73 68 72, R Cameron (Saltire Energy) 67 68 72 73
281 R Arnott (Bishopbriggs Golf Range) 76 70 64 71
282 K McNicoll (Gullane) 73 69 68 72, I Campbell (Cheshunt Park) 70 70 69 73
283 C Kelly (Taymouth Castle Estate) 74 69 72 68, J Fraser (Renaissance Club) 72 73 68 70, J McGhee (Whitehill House) 73 73 67 70, J Lomas (Caprington) 67 75 69 72
284 M Loftus (Mearns Castle) 72 72 71 69, S O’Hara (North Lanarkshire Leisure) 74 65 73 72, S O’Hara (North Lanarkshire Leisure) 74 65 73 72, G Hay (Grantown-on-Spey) 70 70 72 72
286 S Henderson (Kings Links) 73 72 71 70
287 C Elliott (Haggs Castle) 74 72 72 69
288 P Wardell (North Berwick) 71 71 71 75
290 J McCreadie (Largs) 74 71 72 73, A Brown (Whitecraigs) 71 75 70 74, I Colquhoun (Loch Lomond) 74 72 70 74, I Stoddart (Greenburn) 71 71 71 77, M Hillson (Kilconquhar Castle Estate) 74 72 75 69
294 S Morrison (Tain) 77 69 73 75, K Hutton (Downfield) 74 67 76 75
299, M Owenson (Gullane) 72 70 78 79
305 M Bradfield (Elie Links) 75 71 78 81
