Scott Jamieson, a hero at home after a long hiatus
Scott Jamieson returns to victory on the DP World Tour, doing so in front of his home crowd. The Scot claimed the Nexo Championship at the end of a fourth round full of twists and turns, capitalizing on mistakes by Matthew Jordan and Shaun Norris. For the 42-year-old, this is his second title on the European Tour, coming more than thirteen years after his first victory, which he earned in December 2012 at the Nelson Mandela Championship in South Africa.
Starting in the final group alongside Jordan and Norris, Jamieson initially let his two rivals take the spotlight, as they traded the lead over the first eight holes. The turning point came on the 9th. Jordan ran into trouble in the rough, finishing with a double bogey, while Norris had to deal with a two-stroke penalty for altering the conditions of his shot on the 5th hole.
Jamieson thus found himself in the lead, and once he took the lead, he never relinquished it. His consistency on the green and his ability to handle the pressure on the final holes proved decisive. His par save on the 17th—thanks to an excellent escape from the bunker—was emblematic of his performance. With a final round of 67, the Scot finished the tournament at -11, ending a winless streak that lasted over 5,000 days.
Behind him was Matthew Jordan, who was unable to recover after a costly mistake on the 9th hole. The Englishman completed the final round in 70 and finished at -9, securing second place for the second time in a week. Andy Sullivan took third place at -7, while Quim Vidal, Marcus Kinhult, and Keita Nakajima tied for fourth at -6.
It was a bitter finish, however, for Shaun Norris. The South African, who led after the third round thanks in part to a spectacular albatross, was shaken by the penalty and went on to make two more double bogeys. His 76 on the final day dropped him to seventh place at -5, alongside Fabrizio Zanotti and Richard Mansell. Mansell found some consolation by setting a new course record with a round of 65.
