Lonesome star Hutch gains plenty of admirers

Cast as Norman No-mates by having to play the third round of the BMW PGA Championship on his own, Greig Hutcheon had acquired a substantial posse of admirers by its close.

At that point, the 33-year-old PGA Professional from Banchory had moved from two-over to three-under for the tournament as a result of plotting his way round Wentworth’s West Course in 67.

In doing so, the Scot recorded the lowest round by a PGA Professional in the championship since David J Russell posted 66 on the final day in 2002.

The chances are, however, that Russell did not have to contend with some of the obstacles that confronted Hutcheon this morning.

Having completed his rain ravaged second round in the gathering gloom on the previous evening, he was back out on the course, teeing off first, less than a dozen hours later.

Then, with the 71 qualifiers scheduled to play in pairs and him deemed the odd man out, there was the question of him having to go solo.

Not that that bothered him. “Playing on my own was fine,” he said. “I just talked to myself.”

In addition, his caddie provided companionship, dispensed advice and, on the par four 13^th, some banter which lightened Hutcheon’s mood after he had hacked his way to the green.

“The 13^th is one of the few holes here that miss-align me,” Hutcheon explained. “So I have really tried to get behind my driver, which I did on the 13^th. This time I took a huge divot and the ball went 180 yards into the heather.

“I actually put an idiot mark on my driver, a scuff near the top right corner. It was a shocking shot.

“I then hacked an eight iron out of the heather up short of the ditch and still had a seven-iron to the green, which I hit pin high but 25 feet from the hole.

“We’re walking up to the green and Rory, my caddie, says: ‘Well Hutch, I must say, you’ve got all the shots!’ It took the edge off it and, unbelievably, I holed the 25-foot putt for par.”

That near disaster clearly lit the blue touch paper and Hutcheon, who had earlier eagled the par five 12^th, produced an explosive finish, recording three birdies in the last five holes.

Understandably he was delighted with the round, but tempered his pleasure with an honest assessment.

“I was pleased with that – it went well,” he said. “But I got lucky in places. At 67 you’d think it would be immaculate but it was far from it.”

Nevertheless, eclipsed by 66 from Hutcheon’s compatriot, Richie Ramsay, it was the joint second best round of the day.

Moreover, it left him six shots adrift of tournament leader Alejandro Canizares and two clear of Jason Levermore, the other surviving PGA Professional who qualified via the Titleist PGA Play-Offs.

Somewhat perversely, Livermore, the pro at Channels Golf Club, Essex, reckoned he had his best round of the championship thus far but that was not evident from his score.

Levermore, who followed up opening rounds of level par and two-under with a third of one-over, said: “It was the best I’ve played over the three days to be honest.

“I didn’t really get the putter working today. I gave myself quite a few chances but didn’t really take advantage of them.

‘But if someone told me at the start of the week I’d still be here after three days, I’d have settled for that.”