Not even the capricious Highland weather could stop American Brooks Koepka from his record-breaking charge to the European Tour with victory in the Scottish Hydro Challenge.
The 23-year-old from Florida shook off a four hours of delays for persistent rainfall on the final day at Spey Valley and a late wobble to storm to his third win on the Challenge Tour this year, which gains him automatic promotion to the main circuit.
He shot a final round 68 to clinch victory and the £30,000 winners cheque over a group of four including defending champion Sam Walker by three shots with an 18-under aggregate of 266.
Koepka won the Montecchia Open in Italy in May, the Challenge de Espana last month and his third win in the Highlands gives him an exemption for the rest of this European Tour season and for all of 2014.
None of the five players who previously cracked the three-wins-in-a-season feat on the Challenge Tour which include Ryder Cup star Edoardo Molinari had done it as early as the end of June.
At Spey Valley he simply lapped the field on a fabulous weekend of scoring, having been six behind the leaders at the halfway point on Friday night.
A record-equalling 62 on Saturday brought him to within just a stroke behind Steven Tiley and Byeung-hun An going into the final day’s play, and it took him just three holes to overhaul them.
Four birdies in the first six holes despite the toughest conditions of the week and having to sit out two separate rain delays, the second being called just as he and his fellow leaders were about to tee off at the first took him away and clear and it seemed the only obstacle left to the young American was the weather.
Heavy rain had also caused last year’s final round to be abandoned and the event to be decided by a playoff over the final hole won by Walker, but the sterling efforts of Spey Valley greens staff ensured no such lottery was required this time.
In any case, it would have been the cruellest luck on Koepka, who was in the process of proving himself the class of the tour whatever the conditions.
Ironically, the young American was preparing himself for a much-needed trip back home having played eight events in the last nine weeks, and perhaps the fatigue began to tell down the stretch.
Three bogeys in the space of five holes meant his lead was reduced on Walker to just a shot, with Italy’s Andrea Pavan and An both also moving to up to share second.
However a birdie four on the long 17th ended the discussion and he finished with a flourish, hitting into three feet from heavy rough for a final birdie, leaving Walker, An, Tiley and Pavan three back.
“To be honest I got it into my mind that we weren’t going to be able to finish playing,” he said.
“Then I started so well I thought I’d better get moving. I saw another storm coming about the 12th and we were told that we’d have to get finished by 7pm, so we only just made it.”
Koepka only turned pro 11 months ago and opted for the Challenge Tour because he couldn’t get invitations to play at home.
“Coming over here has made me a much more well-rounded player,” he said.
“Most Americans get stuck in their ways and don’t like to leave the country, but coming here I’ve learned to play dealing with a lot more elements.
“I’ve learned so much in less than a year, much more than I did in college. I’ve enjoyed all the places and countries I’ve been to for different reasons.”
He won’t, however, take up his chance to play in the Irish Open on the main tour next week because he actually feels the need to get away from golf.
“I just need to get home and see my family,” he said.
“It’s awesome to think I’ll be playing on the European Tour but I think I need to get some new clothes first! I’ll think about my schedule for a bit now. I could be back for the Scottish Open but we’ll see.
“This is just the beginning for me, and while that may sound a bit cocky it’s because I have high expectations and I’m always going to be pushing myself to do better.”
Duncan Stewart, from nearby Grantown-on-Spey, holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole to clinch the Douglas Lowe Memorial Trophy for highest Scottish finisher, lying in a share of sixth on 12-under after a final round 72, pipping Jack Doherty and Chris Kelly by a single shot.