South East Links masterclass from Scottish international
After a couple of runner-up finishes in major events this year, Suffolk’s Gregor Tait was in no mood to miss out again at the South East Links, winning the prestigious open by eight shots.
FORMAT: 72-hole stroke play
The Aldeburgh player was a picture of consistency at Royal St George’s and Royal Cinque Ports and just missed out on becoming the first player to shoot four rounds in the 60s. He shaved the hole with a 15-footer at the last, which would have seen him close with a 69.
But that could not dent his delight at picking up the victory. In July he finished second at the Tillman Trophy behind Will Hopkins and a couple of weeks later lost in the final of the Scottish Amateur to Oliver Mukherjee.
Two years ago in the SE Links, Tait played alongside Walker Cup player Jack Dyer on the final day as he “pulled apart” St George’s in claiming a sensational victory. The Essex player closed with 65 and 68 to win by ten shots.
And this year’s champion admitted that experience proved massively helpful as he finished with rounds of 67 and 70 to finish well clear of Kedleston Park duo Joshua Ashton and Sam Potter. He had started the final round leaing by two from Hertfordshire’s Zach Little.
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Tait said: “Going into that final round I had 70 in my mind as the score because that would get me to seven under and with Zach two back and a host of really good golfers five back, they would have to shoot something in the mid 60s. Had that happened you just have to think ‘well fair enough’.
“But having played with Jack Dyer, when he pulled St George’s apart, definitely helped…to be able to see someone do that… I really drew on that a lot on the final day.”
The Scottish international had two birdies and two bogeys in the final round and executed his final-round plan to perfection with the wind changing direction to add to the considerable challenge posed by the Open venue.
Tait, who also won last year’s Suffolk County Championship, added: “I was really happy to start with four fours. The third (par three) is a monster so I new bogey wasn’t a bad score on that hole.”
The leader, unaware that Little was struggling to maintain the form that had taken him to five under after 54 holes, kept ticking off the pars until the eighth where he recovered superbly after pulling his drive way left. After nailing a five iron to get the ball on the green, he then rolled one in from 40 feet to get himself back level for his round.
“That was a massive moment,” said the Aldeburgh star. “To birdie that hole after that tee shot just gave me so much momentum.”
Two solid two-putts from distance at nine and ten ensured things remained very positive and at 11 and 12 he had two decent looks at birdie without converting.
A good up and down at 13 from a green-side bunker was also another major momentum moment ahead of tackling the potentially-perilous 14th with the wind picking up and pushing drives towards the out of bounds up the right.
With getting on in two almost impossible, Tait and his caddy Max Weaver concocted a plan, which paid off in spades.
Two four irons left him 120 in and he knocked his wedge to 15 feet and then holed the putt.
“That was a great feeling because I played the hole exactly as you should when having a lead like I did.”
At 16, the legendary par three which Thomas Bjorn infamously made famous, Tait’s main goal was to avoid ‘Bjorn’s bunker’ and ended up finding sand on the other side of the green. This time he did not get up and down although did manage that at the next hole having spun off the front of the green.
By the time he and playing partner Potter reached the 18th tee, word had got back to them that Little had been struggling – he closed with a 77 (+7).
“It was nice getting confirmation that someone had to shoot something in the mid 60s to beat me although I was a little bit upset I didn’t manage to hold that 15 footer on the last for birdie with four rounds in the 60s having never been achieved before.”
Tait would have to ‘settle’ for tieing Dyer’s scoring record (-7) and now he can look forward to tacking the first phase of the DP World Q School in France at the start of the October.
The 24-year-old is planning to remain as an amateur unless he makes the tour.
He added: “I am in no rush to join the professional ranks. There are so many great amateur events and I am really enjoying my time playing them. I am in a really good place now and will probably play at least one more year as an amateur.”