Spaniard secures third European Tour title and first stroke play win after shooting 63 in final round at Fairmont St Andrews
Sunday 18 October 2020 18:06, UK
Adrian Otaegui secured his third European Tour title and first stroke play victory with an impressive four-shot win at the Scottish Championship presented by AXA.
Otaegui fired 10 birdies on his way to a joint-low round-of-the-day 63 at Fairmont St Andrews and ended the week on 23 under, earning the Spaniard a first worldwide victory since the 2018 Belgian Knockout.
Overnight-leader Matt Wallace had to settle for second place after a one-under 71, with Scottish Open champion Aaron Rai six off the pace in third after ending his week with a bogey-free 66.
"I'm very happy to win here in Scotland, the home of golf, next to St Andrews," Otaegui said. "It feels like a very special win for me.
"Stroke play is my favourite way of golf, I think it's the proper way. You have to play very solidly and very consistently all four rounds, which I think I did. I'm very happy to be able to win stroke play as well, my third win on the European Tour. I have no words."
Otaegui went into the final round four strokes back from Wallace but quickly halved the deficit by holing a 25-foot birdie putt at the first, where Wallace made bogey after having to pitch back into play from behind a wall.
Wallace picked up a shot at the fourth but saw his lead reduced further when Otaegui followed a long-range birdie at the fifth by getting up and down from off the driveable seventh green to add another birdie.
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A two-shot swing at the par-three eighth saw Otaegui fire his tee shot to six feet on his way to another birdie and Wallace make bogey after getting a plugged lie in a bunker, with both players then picking up a shot at the par-five next.
They both started the back nine with a bogey, only for Otaegui to go inches away from a hole-in-one at the par-three next and match Wallace's birdie at the 12th to move two ahead.
Otaegui holed a monster putt from the rough off the 13th green and picked another shot at the 15th, before extending his winning margin by adding a 10th birdie of the day at the par-five last.
Garrick Porteous dropped three shots over his final three holes to slip into tied-fourth alongside Chris Paisley, while Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington and former world No 1 Lee Westwood both ended 10 strokes back in a share of 14th.
