9am Round-Up: Scottish challenges fizzle out

Scottish challenges fizzled out simultaneously in the last round in two professional tournaments in England.

Ireland's David Higgins won the PGA Pros' Championship at The Oxfordshire. Picture: Getty Images

Clydeway Golf’s Graham Fox had a whiff of victory in his nostrils as he headed into the final circuit in the Titleist & FootJoy PGA Professional Championship at The Oxfordshire just two shots off the lead.

However, a closing 75 for a six-under-par total left the Tartan Tour man having to settle for joint-fifth in an event won by Irishman David Higgins.

The Waterville Links player signed off with a 66 to win by three shots from Andy Raitt, the St George’s Hill pro who finished joint runner-up behind Brian Marchbank in the 1996 Scottish PGA Championship at Dalmahoy.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in a tournament this big so to come out on the right end is great,” admitted Higgins, who picked up a cheque for £10,000. “It must have been 12 or 14 years or something since I won something like this, so you have to enjoy these. They don’t come along very often and I will enjoy it.”

Elsewhere, another Clydway Golf man, James Steven, slipped from second overnight to eighth at the finish after a last-round 76 in the PGA EuroPro Tour’s Lookers Championship at Close House, to the west of Newcastle.

Instead, Clydebank and District’s John Henry ended up as the leading Scot there, finishing joint-seventh in an event won by Welshman Richard James after he carded a closing 68 to finish two shots ahead of overnight leader and the winner at Montrose Links earlier in the month, Billy Hemstock.