Young Delivers in Style for Breakthrough Scottish Win
Crowd-fuelled Daniel Young claims maiden title at home Farmfoods Challenge
Porthcawl, Wales - Daniel Young held his nerve and made history at the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge supported by The R&A, clinching a first HotelPlanner Tour victory on home soil with a closing round of 70 at SCHLOSS Roxburghe.
The 33-year-old Scotsman completed the week at 19 under par, edging out France’s Julien Quesne by a single shot after a tense final day. Young, who began the day with a cushion, saw his lead trimmed after Quesne birdied the 15th and 16th holes, but stayed composed to par the 17th and secure a three-footer on 18 for the win after Quesne missed his birdie attempt.
“I am lost for words,” Young said. “I’ve been playing well for a while now and was feeling good about coming back here this week. I like the golf course, and I’ve worked hard coming into this so it’s nice to see that pay off.”
Roared on by a local crowd, Young overcame an early double bogey at the first. He saved par at the second, birdied the fifth and then played steady, bogey-free golf on a demanding afternoon that saw many contenders falter.
“I don’t think it gets any better,” he said. “You don’t get to pick where you win but this win is extra special, that’s for sure. Winning is hard, and I knew the guys would be throwing the kitchen sink at me. James came at me early and then Julien was coming in fast at the end there, but I managed to just hold them off.”
“The putter didn’t work as well today, but it had been hot over the first three days, so I’m certainly not going to crumble,” Young added.
Young’s controlled approach saw him hit every green from the fifth until the last. “I tried to reset, and I know I was still two ahead,” he explained. “I knew if I made a barrel load of birdies from there I wouldn’t be caught. I steadied the ship and pretty much didn’t miss a green until 18.”
Fellow Scot Euan Walker finished solo third on 16 under, while England’s John Gough was fourth at 15 under. With this win, Young moves up to sixth on the Road to Mallorca Rankings, now led by England’s Joshua Berry, with JC Ritchie and Maximilian Steinlechner close behind.
“I’m really looking forward to the next few events and hopefully I can grab another trophy along the way,” Young said.
The Road to Mallorca now shifts to Killeen Castle for the Irish Challenge from August 7–10.