Bradley Neil creates Tartan Pro Tour history with Newmachar title defence

The Blairgowrie man, who is attached to Turnhouse these days after going down the PGA training path, pipped overnight leaders Liam Johnston and Rory Franssen in the latest event on the Scottish-based circuit.

Neil, who started the final round four shots off the lead, signed off with a seven-under-par 65 - the joint-best effort of the day along with Craig Ross - to land a top prize worth £4,175 with a 202 total.

The victory also secured a spot for the 2014 Amateur champion in the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge supported by The R&A at Schloss Roxburghe in the Borders next month.

“I was delighted with the win and it is nice that I have become the first player to win an event for the second year in a row, which was a bit of a surprise, to be honest,” admitted Neil.

His sparkling closing effort on the Hawkshill Course at the Aberdeenshire venue was sparked by birdies at the opening two holes. He then added gains at the sixth, eighth, ninth, 11th, 13th and 16th, with his sole dropped shot coming at the last.

Johnston, who’d catapuled himself up the leaderboard on the back of a second-round 63, parred the final eight holes as he came up one short of the clubhouse target, with Franssen missing out on a play-off after he bogeyed the last.

“I didn’t really think winning on this occasion was in the equation as Liam and Rory have been playing some great golf while I’d missed the cut in every event before this one,” added Neil.

“I was surprised that no one else in the last three groups managed to post a score like I did, especially as Craig Ross had shot seven under as well in an earlier group.

“It was good enough to get the job done for me, though, and that’s all that matters when you are in contention in a golf tournament.”

Neil, who played on both the DP World Tour and Hotel Planner Tour at the start of his professional career, joined Peter Mitchell’s staff at Turnhouse over the winter.

“I am wanting to go out and play care-free golf and play with a bit of freedom, especially now that I am doing my PGA training, which means I am in the shop three days a week and coaching,” he said.

‘It’s been anything but fun, to be honest’

“When I am playing in competitions, that’s when I should be happy about getting that opportunity. It should be my time to relax and have fun but, apart from my PGA in Scotland Fourball wins with Graeme Robertson earlier in the year, it’s been anything but fun, to be honest.”

Johnston, who is playing in Tuesday’s Open Final Qualifying at Dundonald Links after winning one of the Regional Qualifiers at Kilmarnock (Barassie) last Monday, and Franssen, a winner at Blairgowrie on the Tartan Pro Tour earlier in the season, each picked up £2,665.

“We’ve been going to Newmachar for a few years now and, as I said to the guys on the Tartan Pro Tour team and the greenkeepers I saw, that it was by far the best I’d seen the condition of the course and the greens were immaculate,” said Neil of the latest venue of the 2025 campaign on Paul Lawrie’s circuit.