Marc Warren admitted he let the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open slip through his fingers but insisted he won’t be haunted by his dramatic collapse at Castle Stuart.
The Scottish pro, twice a winner before on the European Tour, led by three shots with five holes to play in his home championship but ended up a shot off a sudden-death play-off won by India’s Jeev Milkha Singh over Francesco Molinari of Italy.
Singh, who had been in the clubhouse for over an hour after shooting a best-of-the-day 67 for a 17-under total of 271 before the play-off, birdied the 18th to edge Molinari. The Indian thereby claimed his fourth European Tour title, the first prize of £416,000 and also the final exempt place in next week’s Open Championship.
That cheque and the place at Royal Lytham and St Annes seemed to be Warren’s after the Scot moved into a commanding three-shot lead at 20-under with five to play, and he admitted that reaching that point had been ”surreal because of how easy it all was.”
Instead, he double-bogeyed the 15th, three-putting from 15 feet, had to take a penalty drop from heavy grass at the 16th and dropped another shot, and then shed another at the par-three 17th when he was short of the green, over-hit his chip and missed the return putt.
A 25-foot birdie putt at the last also drifted past the hole, leaving him out of the play-off.
”It’s a shock to the system,” he admitted. ”I’d played faultless golf. Everything I’d been working so hard on was right there for me, and I didn’t see anything but crossing the finish line.
”I’d reached the turn tied and then went birdie-birdie-birdie. I felt as calm as I’ve ever felt on a golf course, and it was in my hands with four holes to go, but unfortunately I couldn’t finish off.”
The day started to unravel at the 15th, when he hit a three-wood right into rough.
”I missed that fairway on the better side, but I didn’t realise how bad the lie was until I hit it,” he said. ”I just lost concentration on the second putt, and then I went for it at 16, which I eagled on Saturday, and was pretty unlucky to get an unplayable.”
He continued: ”It won’t haunt me. There’s much more important things in life than a golf tournament, although I might need some help to get to sleep tonight, and watching The Open on TV next week is going to be disappointing.”
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However, he added, being off the European Tour having lost his playing rights was far worse than he was feeling at that moment.
”I had it in my hands, I had the tournament not exactly won, but it was there for me to finish it off. But this is better than before because I know when I’m playing next. It’s still a massive step towards Race to Dubai and it doesn’t even compare to not knowing where you’re playing next. That’s the worst feeling.”
Singh, meanwhile, had been in the players’ lounge enjoying ”a cup of tea and a lovely bit of chocolate cake,” not thinking he had any chance of contesting the title.
”When I saw Marc was three ahead when I finished I thought ‘that’s it’ but the golfing gods were obviously smiling on me today,” he said.
Despite the hour wait he was able to warm up and hit a perfect birdie putt to deny Molinari his chance to emulate his brother Edoardo, winner at Loch Lomond two years ago.
”To win in Scotland, at the home of golf, on a links course I enjoy playing so much in tough conditions, and to get a place in the Open next week in addition means this is the best win of my career,” added Singh.
”I am looking for accommodation for next week now,” he said. ”To be going to the Open with this win, feeling confident in my game and importantly injury free, is the best I could hope for.”
Molinari did his Ryder Cup hopes no harm, but missed a series down the stretch that might have removed the need for a play-off.
Alex Noren also had a chance but bogeyed the last to finish tied with Warren in third.
It’s still not clear whether Singh will defend his title next year at Castle Stuart, as European Tour chief executive George O’Grady and the sponsors refused to confirm the venue for 2013 ”until the dust had settled” from this year.
The Moray Firth course is probably favourite, but the only things certain are that it will be staged on a links course and it won’t be the Trump International Links.