Taylor measures up at Crieff to clinch final spot

Jamie Taylor conquered his nerves to seal a place in Portugal by winning the Lombard Trophy regional final at Crieff Golf Club.

Taylor teamed up with Forrester Park Golf Resort PGA Professional Paul Edgcombe to card a 10-under-par round of 61.

But it was a close run thing as the Dunfermline duo won by just one shot ahead of Simon McLean and Ian McPherson of Airdrie Golf Club.

Taylor and Edgcombe will now play in the £41,500 grand final. The Lombard sponsored tournament, supported by Coca Cola is being held at beautiful Pestana Golf Resort in Vila Sol from September 22-23.

But Taylor, 44, who grew up in the East Midlands before moving to Scotland, admitted he had no idea how tense the finish would be.

“I was nervous about playing at Crieff, I was up at 4.30am and just didn’t want to let anyone down,” he said.

“I recorded my best ever round to get to play with Paul in the event, and I made my next best score here!

“But if I’d known how narrow the margin of victory was going to be I’d have gone to pieces.

“Paul didn’t let me know what was happening, but I saw him in conversation with someone before we played the 18th hole and I guessed we might be in with a chance.”

Even when they came in with a round of 10-under-par, 15 handicapper Taylor was still not convinced.

“The winners have to put a shirt and tie on and I said to Paul that we shouldn’t jinx it, but we’d done enough,” said the exhibition director from Carnock.

“But what struck me was how nice the professionals were, I’d never played alongside anyone from that level but it was great. Paul took all the pressure off me.”

Edgcombe admitted he knew what sort of score could win the event.

“I felt nine-under-par might do it but that score had already been posted, so we just had to come though the 18th with no problems,” he said.

“We made a great start and Jamie used his shots well. I heard he was nervous but I saw nothing of that. It was one of those days when very little went wrong but it was quite close at the end.”