The final round turned out to be a bit more in the style of join-the-dots rather than masterpiece, but Italy’s Edoardo Molinari did just enough on another weather beaten day at Loch Lomond to clinch his first European Tour crown with a win at the Barclays Scottish Open.
Playing in the same group as his younger brother Francesco for the first time as professionals, the 29-year-old from Turin shot a three-over 74.
This was in sharp contrast to his brilliant third round of 63 on Saturday, but the similar troubles of his pursuers in damp and windy conditions meant he could still just about coast to victory with a 12-under aggregate of 272, three ahead of Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke.
Clarke, a stroke behind at the start having led by four at the halfway point on Friday, shot a 76 but just managed to hold on to the last place in Europe for next week’s 150th anniversary Open Championship from fast-finishing Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin.
For Molinari, it was a thrill to match the winning of the World Cup last year in partnership with his brother.
Francesco’s share of fourth means they are seriously bidding to become the first brothers to be partners at the Ryder Cup, but on rising in the morning he was thinking purely of damage limitation.
“When I saw the rain and the wind I thought I’ll be struggling against Darren because he’s a brilliant player especially in conditions like that,” he said.
However, Clarke’s chances of making any real threat to the elder Molinari disappeared early at the long third, where he attempted to get up in two to match his rival and found the edge of the pool lying along the right hand side of the green.
The heavy morning rain, on top of the torrents during the week, had reduced this patch of ground just above the water to the consistency of a saturated sponge cake.
It took three attempts to get his ball on to relatively dry land, where he two-putted for a double bogey seven.WobblesEdoardo birdied there for a three-shot swing but was not immune to the final round wobbles himself, some nervy putting costing strokes at the sixth and seventh and a hoik into the marsh grass at the 15th costing him a double.
“I guess you could say that the third was a turning point but we had 15 holes to play after that and in these kind of conditions you could end up with double bogey on any of them,” he said.
“I birdied 14 and was five ahead but then 10 minutes later I’m wading about in the grass and struggling to make double bogey on the 15th, and that’s the way it was always going to be out there.”
Nevertheless, he had all those lost strokes well in hand and plenty more besides, so although Clarke birdied the 17th to get within two, there were to be no more problems as the Northern Irishman ended up bogeying the last and still secured his welcome consolation prize the last remaining spot at the Old Course.
Clarke said, “It’s a good consolation, but the way I played the first two days and the position I put myself in means there’s still a good sense of disappointment.
“I would have taken second place if offered at the start of the week but that changed.
“Still, it’s great to know I’m going to St Andrews and if I can carry some of the form from the first two days into next week then who knows what could happen.”
Jacquelin made a brave bid to unseat Clarke with a good 68 to jump into third, but his bid for St Andrews ended up a stroke short, leaving three on seven-under: Francesco, Peter Hedblom, and Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher in fourth place.
The 35-year-old’s 68 was completed with the flourish of a fine final-hole birdie allowing him to be the highest Scottish finisher at Loch Lomond since Colin Montgomerie’s third-place finish when defending the title in 2000.
It was the Scot’s fourth placing inside the top six of a tour event in six weeks lasting back to his fourth place at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, a run of consistency that ticked off another of the season’s goals he set when his whole tour career was in the balance back in January.
“One of them was to get into the Race to Dubai at the end of the year and that’s now secure, so we move on again,” said Gallacher. “The next aim is that I’ve never made the cut at an Open so we’ll aim for that next Friday and hopefully press on from there.”
Beyond that, Gallacher is aiming for the world’s top 100 and the place in the US PGA Championship that goes with it, which would be a considerable achievement for a player who was worried about his playing rights at the turn of the year.
“Frightening,” he said when asked what difference a year made.
“I’m playing well, I’m working hard and I’m not counting the finishes, I’m just playing golf and not thinking about it. Today was actually pretty good preparation for next week with the wind swirling the way it was, so I’m looking forward to it.”
He added, “The last time in 2005 I was surprised by the pins that were very different to the way they were when I won the Dunhill there, but there won’t be anything to surprise me this time.”
The £127,400 he took home will allow him to drop the Scandinavian Masters next month and go to the wedding of his TV star cousin Kirsty in Spain.
Three Scots finished on a tie for 21st on two-over, with Tartan Tour pro Craig Lee joining US Tour exile Martin Laird and European Tour regular David Drysdale on that mark.
Lee took home nearly £27,000, and has won five-figure sums in his two big tour starts this season, having also done so at the BMW PGA Championship in May.