Sam Bairstow wins Farmfoods Scottish Challenge on International Left-Handers' Day

Sam Bairstow celebrated International Left-Handers’ Day in style by landing his maiden Challenge Tour triumph with an impressive win in the £230,000 Farmfoods Scottish Challenge presented by The R&A.

Englishman Sam Bairstow receives the trophy from Paul Lawrie following his one-stroke victory in the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge supported by The R&A at Newmachar. Picture: Kenny Smith/Getty Images.

Negotiating the final 36 holes on the tricky Hawkshill Course at Newmachar without dropping a shot, the 25-year-old Sheffield man followed a 66 on Saturday with a closing 65 to finish with a 15-under-par 269 total.

Bairstow, who only made his professional debut in last year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, prevailed by a shot from Romain Wattel after the Frenchman birdied the last to match the winner’s last-day effort.

“I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet,” said Bairstow. “Coming into this year, I didn’t know what to expect. I think the first few weeks were a bit of a wake-up call with the travel and resting properly, but I’ve started to adapt to it the last few weeks and that has shown on the golf course.”

Sam Bairstow tees off at the par-4 17th hole on the Hawkshill Course at Newmachar. Picture: Kenny Smith/Getty Images.

On a perfect golfing day in the North-East, Bairstow started out sharing the lead with home player Craig Lee but, with no less than 22 players separated by four shots, it was a wideopen contest.

One of Bairstow’s compatriots, Steven Brown, made the big early move by starting with four straight birdies before his challenge faded following back-to-back dropped shots before the turn.

Home player Calum Fyfe then mounted a charge as he covered his opening 15 holes in eight under, getting to within a shot of the lead before consecutive bogeys took the wind out of his sails.

Recent Irish Challenge winner Brandon Robinson-Thompson posted a best-of-the-day 64 to set the clubhouse target with his 12-under-par total, but that always looked like being beaten by either Bairstow or Wattel.

Having already picked up shots at the third, fifth, sixth, tenth and 14th, Bairstow gave himself a two-shot cushion by making a birdie at the par-5 16th that Wattel, a former Scottish Open Stroke-Play champion, was unable to match.

Worth £36,800, the win came in Bairstow’s 20th start on the Challenge Tour and he jumped 43 spots to 18th in the Road to Mallorca Rankings, with the top 20 securing DP World Tour cards next season.

“I was just thinking about keeping my card,” admitted Bairstow, who, laughing, added: “How do I celebrate this win? Drive six-and-a-half hours then fly to Northern Ireland (for the main tour’s Handa ISPS World Invitational) tomorrow.”

After a closing 68 for a ten-under total, David Law finished as the leading home player in a tie for ninth, just ahead of both 46-year-old Lee after his closing 71 and Fyfe (65) while Sandy Scott (68), Jack McDonald (69) and Daniel Young (69) also ended up in the top 20 on eight-under.

“Yeah, it was really worthwhile playing,” said Law, who took the opportunity on his doorstep in Aberdeen with the DP World Tour being on a summer break. “There’s no substitute for tournament golf and getting to do that this week after three weeks off and testing myself was great.

“I drove it really well all week and putted well, so that was two really positive things to take into the next two weeks. Just need to get more dialed in with the wedges and short irons and see the short game being a bit better.”