Mixed fortune for Tartan Tour ‘s Greig Hutcheon

Greig Hutcheon at the Titleist PGA Play-Offs in Antalya, Turkey. Picture: Getty

But the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre player missed out at his first attempt to tie down a PGA Cup place as well next season through the Titleist Play-Offs in Turkey.

Hutcheon, the defending champion, closed with a two-over-par 73 on the PGA Sultan Course to finish seventh in a 28-man field on four-under.

It meant the 41-year-old comfortably secured one of ten spots up for grabs in the European Tour’s flagship event in Surrey next May.

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But he fell well short in the end in terms of his other target in the 54-hole event, which was to clinch a place on the PGA Cup team heading to CordeValle in California next September.

Niall Kearney secured one of those spots in style as he became the first Irishman to be crowned the PGA No 1 following a wire-to-wire victory.

The 26-year-old Royal Dublin man carded splendid rounds of 65, 67 and a closing 67 to finish on 14-under-par – two shots clear of the pack. Also assured of places on Jon Bevan’s team are English duo Jason Levermore and David Dixon after they finished second and third respectively. Hutcheon, a member of last year’s PGA Cup team at Slaley Hall, now needs a good performance in next year’s PGA Professional Championship to retain his spot.

The same goes for Clydeway Golf’s Graham Fox, who finished 15th in Turkey, where Greg McBain (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) ended up 18th.

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