Welshman Stuart Manley won the Eagle Orchid Scottish Masters by one shot to Michael McGeady and Oliver Farr at Rowallan Castle on Friday 3rd August.
Manley (Machynys Peninsula) shot a three-under-par 68 in the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour event to conclude his 54 holes seven shots under par.The win takes Manley to the top of the Tour Order of Merit. The Welshman had placed in the top three four times prior to the event in Ayrshire but this was his first victory on the Tour this season.
He began the day two shots behind 36-hole leader Graham Benson (Leighton Buzzard Golf Club) and one shot behind Irishman Michael McGeady (McCambridge Duffy).
McGeady opened his final round with a bogey but birdies at two and four saw him join Benson at the top of the leaderboard. Soon after, Manley took a share of the lead thanks to birdies at six and nine.
Going out, Benson completed each of his first nine holes to par but turning home he made bogey at 10, slipping to five under par. A birdie at 13 helped his cause but a double bogey at 15 saw him drop down the leaderboard. Further bogeys at 16 and 18 saw him sign for a four-over-par 75 in his final round and he concluded the tournament tied for eighth on two under.
McGeady moved to seven under par with a birdie at the 12th and Manley soon joined him when he made three at the par-four 14th.
But, while Manley completed the remainder of his round to par, McGeady made a bogey at 15 and finished tied second on six under after a one-under-par final round of 70.
Farr (Worcester GCC) began the day four under par after 36 holes. Birdies at two, 15 and 16, 14 pars and a bogey at the 10th saw him sign for a final-round 69 and finish tied second on -6 for the weel.
Matt Allen (Berkshire) completed his front nine one under par but returned his card to level par with a five at the 11th.
He jumped to six under with birdies at 12 and 13 but dropped one when he made five at 15 and another bogey five was registered at the 18th. That left the Welshman to sign for a level-par 71 and finish the week fourth on four under.
Speaking after his victory, Manley said: “I have been in the last group a few times this season and I have had some great chances to win but haven’t quite pulled it off, so to finally get that monkey off my back is brilliant.”
“Last week [when he shot a final-round 78, six over par, to finish nine shots off the lead on the Challenge Tour] I should have done a lot better having started the final round in the last group. I didn’t take advantage of that so to win the week after is massive for me.
“I had a really good lesson with my coach on Monday and we had a good chat to get the mental side of things right.
“I played pretty solid in the final round at Rowallan and I am really delighted to have won. Maybe not being in the final group helped, I probably do prefer to do it that way.”
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