Ewen Ferguson came tantalisingly close to being the first Scot to win three times in a DP World Tour season this century, but had to settle for second behind Oliver Wilson in Denmark.
The Bearsden player, winner in Qatar and Northern Ireland this year, shot a final round five-under 66 in the Made in Himmerland event and banked a 20-under finish.
However he was pipped into second place by the former Ryder Cup player Wilson, who emerged again from eight years of struggles.
The 41-year-old last won in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2014. This time he holed two outrageous long putts of more than 60 feet for birdies at the 13th and 17th, and added another birdie at Himmerland’s famous short 16th to edge Ferguson by a shot.
While a very emotional Wilson struggled to find the words to explain what the win meant, Ferguson was content that he’d given his all with his bogey-free final round.
‘It wasn’t mean to be my week’
A world class up and down from @EwboF 🙌
The Scot is the first to -20 and now leads by two.#MIH22 pic.twitter.com/51K7OuDI1u
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 4, 2022
“I actually feel quite good,” he said. “Obviously a little bit sad that I didn’t win, but I feel I definitely didn’t lose it.
“Oliver battled hard and definitely deserved to get it over the line. It wasn’t meant to be my week, even though it was another good week.
“There’s been other times this year when I’ve been up and gone on to win, it’s just the way it goes sometimes. I’m definitely happy with the way I played under pressure.”
Ferguson would have been the first three-time Scots winner on Tour since Colin Montgomerie in 1999 had he held on. But the final day proved to him that he can cope with all the pressure at the top of the field, even when it doesn’t quite work out.
“I think it shows I’m good under pressure and I’m a fighter,” he said. “That’s one of the good things with me is I never give up and I fight all the way to the end.
“It wasn’t meant to be my week but I’m still happy with my performance. I definitely didn’t lose it, Oliver went out and won it.”
Ferguson was two behind going into the final day but made up the ground with birdies at the 3rd and 5th, then took a share of the lead with an eagle three at the 8th.
He added another birdie at the short par four 14th. Then the 26-year-old made two fine two-putts to preserve his advantage at 15 and 16.
He had a chance from ten feet at 17 and a wayward drive meant he needed a good up and down to save par at the last, but 20-under looked good enough.
’18 years’ experience teaches you to hang in there’
From 65ft!🤯@Oliver_Wilson holes a huge birdie putt to take a one-shot lead to the 18th. #MIH22 pic.twitter.com/MlsTp5cQ2n
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 4, 2022
However Wilson had drained a 66-footer for birdie from the back of the 13th green. Then he amazingly did it again on 17 from three-putt territory, for the crucial birdie of the day.
“I missed chance after chance!” he said. “But I holed those two bombs on the back nine so I guess it was my day.”
“I was so in control, I was so confident I’d get the job done. Everything I’ve done over the last ten years to get to this point, I was so calm. I almost enjoyed the last hole.
“I’m so pleased to get win number two at last. My game’s been trending in the right direction. My stats haven’t been much to shout about but there’s been a lot of good stuff this year.
“18 years of experience teaches you to hang in there.”
It was an encouraging week for the Scots ahead of next week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. Robert MacIntyre shot a final round 70 to finish in 12th place on 14-under.
Craig Howie (-11), Richie Ramsay (-8) and David Drysdale (-7) all finished within the top 50.