The Scottish star capped an outstanding week at the KLM Open with a strong final round to grab a deserved victory in Amsterdam.
Connor Syme celebrates
Overjoyed Connor Syme went back to acting like a kid as he claimed a cherished first-ever title on the DP World Tour.
The Scottish star capped an outstanding week at the KLM Open with a strong final round to grab a deserved victory in Amsterdam.
Syme scored at the 182nd attempt to become the sixth Tartan ace to nab the major prize in the Netherlands and admits he went back to his roots to do it.
With winds hammering the course throughout the tournament and causing delays in play, the 29-year-old used skills honed in his formative years to find the key.
Syme said: “Unbelievable. It was so, so difficult the last few days. Different shots I’ve played as a kid, that was the kind of feeling it was and just everyone helped so much. I just felt so much better this week, I felt really ready to do it, and I’m so, so happy I managed to do it.”
Popular Syme was embraced by caddie Ryan McGuigan and wife Alanis at the finale before being drenched in champagne by pal and compatriot Ewen Ferguson.
Richie Ramsay also on hand at the final green as he made his off the green to jubilant scenes in front of family and friends having defeated closest challenger Joakim Lagergren by two shots.
He said: “It’s so, so nice they stuck around. I’ve obviously been really pleased for them and I’m really happy to have joined them and won myself, so just amazing. Amazing. Every part of my team is so, so important, I’m buzzing I’ve done it with Ryan on the bag as well, I’m just overjoyed.”
In winning, he followed in the footprints of Jimmy Adams, Brian Barnes, Ken Brown, Gordon Brand Jnr, Stephen McAllister and Colin Montgomerie as victots in the Dutch event.
Syme started the day two shots ahead and stayed solid to also get the congrats from Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit and become the second Scots winner on Tour this year after Calum Hill’s success in South Africa.
Fergsuon was spraying the champagne, but he also got a prize of his own having bagged a hole in one during the final round. The Glaswegian is having 750 stroopwafels, one for each metre of the four par-threes at the course in total, shipped back to his homeland by tournament chiefs.
Ferguson tied tied-fourth with Ramsay, who celebrated an excellent return from an absence from competitive action through ilness.
