How Scottish golfer bounced back from 'absolute nightmare' to become Tartan Pro Tour winner

The 24-year-old, who is attached to Airdrie Golf Club, picked up three birdies in the last five holes on the PGA Centenary Course to land a two-shot success in the Gleneagles Masters presented by Insights.

Dalziel, who had opened with rounds of 70 and 68 on the 2014 Ryder Cup course before signing off with a 66, finished with a 12-under-par total in recording his first victory on the circuit.

“It was a great way to win it,” he said of picking up birdies at the 14th, 16th and 18th to come out on top ahead of Order of Merit leader Graeme Robertson (67-68-71) in the battle for a £4535 top prize.

“After hitting the green in two at the last, I checked the leaderboard and saw I was two shots ahead. I was 18 feet away and thought if I’d eagle the last, then the guys chasing me would have had to play well over the last four holes. I thought that was going to be a crucial putt but, thankfully, a birdie was good enough.”

Heading into the season-ending Tour Championship at Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen in a fortnight’s time, Robertson and Sam Locke have secured the top two spots in the Order of Merit.

In doing so, they have both earned Challenge Tour cards for next season and, aiming to work on establishing a bit more consistency in his game, Dalziel is hoping to be in the same position in a year’s time.

“My season has been up and down,” he admitted. “I started off really well, having a couple of good results. Then, during the summer it was a bit poor before picking up again towards the end of the season and this is my first proper Tartan Pro Tour win, having been beaten in a few play-offs and had a few second-place finishes.

“There’s a lot of good players on the tour who can shoot good scores while others randomly pop us well. But Graeme and Sam have just been more consistent than anyone else. The fact we’ve got two cards as well now is great. It gives you more of a chance whereas last year we were playing for one.

“I was fifth last year in the order of merit and I think I’m now sitting fourth this year, which is rewarding and also a big confidence booster. I’m close, but I just need to try and be a bit more consistent.”

Scots have been involved at various venues around Europe over the past few weeks in the First Stage of the DP World Tour Qualifying School.

Calum Fyfe and Sandy Scott were the latest to progress, joining Callum Bruce, Kieran Cantley, John Henry, John Paterson and Jame Ross, but it was a disappointing outcome for Dalziel at Arlandastad Golf in Sweden.

“I played terribly in the first round,” he said of an opening 76, “then had two really good rounds (67-65) to get back inside the cut number but then had just had an absolute nightmare (signing for a 75) on the last day. It’s just one of those things and you’ve just got to keep knocking at that door and hope it will eventually open.”

The top 30 players on the Order of Merit will tee up in the £30,000 Tour Championship on 7-9 October.