Connor Syme completed the best European Tour debut by a Scots professional golfer in nearly 35 years and Marc Warren took a huge step to salvaging a difficult season in the Portugal Masters at Vilamoura.
Warren, a three-time tour winner, leapt from 177th on the Race to Dubai to 100th place by virtue of his second place behind Lucas Bjerregaard at Dom Pedro Victoria GC on the Algarve, taking €222,220 and almost trebling his season’s winnings.
But the real surprise was Syme, the Drumoig player who turned professional less than a week ago, producing a stunning performance in not dropping a shot over the weekend and finishing in a tie for 12th.
It’s the best performance by a Scot playing his first European Tour event as a pro since fellow Fifer Gordon Brand Jr had a tie for third in the Tunisia Open back in 1982. The only other Scot to have a top 20 in their European Tour debut was Stephen Gallacher’s 15th place at the Qatar Masters in 1999.
“It’s been an unbelievable week,” said Syme, who played in the Walker Cup for Great Britain and Ireland earlier this month before opting to turn professional..
“I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I can’t thank the European Tour and Keith Pelley for giving me the opportunity as it was awesome to be out there.”
Syme (22) had a sponsor’s invitation to play in Portugal, having signed with Modest!Golf, the management company set up by One Direction star and golf nut Niall Horan. The singer was among those tweeting his congratulations to his new client.
Having made the cut comfortably after rounds of 68 and 69, Connor played the weekend without making a single bogey, shooting 68 on Saturday and finishing with a 67 yesterday in the final round to move up to 12th, winning just over €29,000 (just under £26,000).
He did his best work in the final stretch yesterday, picking up four birdies in six holes from the 12th.
“The back nine today was fun,” he continued. “It could have been a few fewer as my putter was a bit cold this afternoon. But I’m not going to grumble about four-under and bogey-free.
“I guess it shows I can compete at this level. It is encouraging going forward as this is just the start of my pro career. Hopefully it will kick on from here.”
The only regret was the Connor missed out by just two places into an automatic place in this week’s British Masters at Close House in Northumberland. There is still one invitation available for that event, but it’s likely Connor’s next appearance will be on home ground at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship next week.
Warren meanwhile put a tough season – no top 10 finishes until this weekend – behind him with a final round 67 to finish four strokes behind Bjerregaard in outright second place.
The winner of three tour titles – his last was in Denmark three years ago – the 36-year-old was facing a struggle to retain his card in the late season events but one performance has leapt him from nowhere right into the 100th and final qualifying place.
Scott Jamieson finished with a three-under 68 in a tie for 20th place, with Russell Knox and Paul Lawrie – the former Open champion had four birdies in a row on the back nine – among those sharing 34th place.
