Graeme Robertson capped a tremendous season by winning the Arnold Clark Tour Championship at Gleneagles.
On a bright and breezy day over a beautifully presented Kings course, Robertson harnessed the tricky conditions to fine effect and posted a four-under 66 for a four-shot victory over Alastair Forsyth and Craig Lee.
Level-par through 13 holes, Robertson moved up the gears on the run-in and conjured a decisive late thrust with birdies at 14, 15 and 16. Another birdie on the long 18th gilded the lily and earned him the first prize of £1,600.
It was the perfect end to a memorable 2023 for Robertson, who illuminated his campaign by winning the Loch Lomond Whiskies Scottish PGA Championship at Scotscraig and qualifying for The Open at Hoylake.
“This is a great way to end a great season,” said Robertson. “I would have bitten your hand off if you’d offered me all this at the start of the season. To play in The Open and win the Scottish PGA Championship? It’s been very special.”
The Arnold Clark Tour Championship brings together the top-10 players on the Tartan Tour’s Order of Merit for an 18-hole Pro-Am shoot-out. The event also provides the opportunity for The PGA in Scotland to express its gratitude to the various sponsors and partners who support the domestic circuit throughout the season.
Robertson added: “This event gives the players the extra motivation to get in the top-10 on the rankings but it’s also nice for the PGA professionals to give back to those supporters who are hugely valued by us all. It’s a great day for everybody.”
Heather MacRae also had cause to celebrate in her own backyard of Gleneagles as she edged out Dominic Bradburn by one hole to win the PGA in Scotland’s Matchplay Singles Final.
Three-up at the turn, an advantage aided by a chip-in on the 10th, MacRae was pegged back to all-square by the 16th but edged ahead again as a nip-and-tuck encounter came to a tense finale.
Despite her unquenchable thirst for competition, MacRae has admitted that she won’t be returning to the Ladies European Tour qualifying school this year and will focus her energies in 2024 on The PGA scene.
“The Women’s PGA Cup is a huge goal of mine for 2024,” she said. “I’m leading the qualifying rankings and it’s double points next year so that’s the target for me.
“I had my second wind on the Ladies European Tour and I’m now looking at the next chapter of my career. That’s why I’m not going back to q-school. I’ll focus on The PGA stuff. I’m 40 now too and, as my dad always says, I need to grow up at some point!”
In the Matchplay Fourball Final, meanwhile, the pairing of Ross Cameron and Tom Higson took the honours as they eased to a 5&4 victory over James Dick and Scott Grieve.
