Dalmohoy’s Jamie McLeary is celebrating after earning his highest European Tour result and a bigger main Tour payout in finishing T7th at the Tshwane Open in South Africa.
McIleary, 34 carded a second straight 69 for a four under par tally on the Pretoria Country Club course.
Past Masters winner Charl Schwartzel put daylight in second place blitzing the field by to win by eight shots with a closing 63 for a 16-under par tally.
It was Schwartzel’s 11th European Tour victory, a second this new season, and a seventh on home soil.
Peterhead-born McLeary went into the last day six off the lead but only three adrift of third spot.
The Scot, who is back on the main tour after a two-year absence and also for just a second time in his 10-year pro career, went out in three under par courtesy of three birdies in succession from the sixth.
Jamie McLeary returning home with his best Tour finish and his highest main Tour pay cheque. (Photo – www.europeantour.com)
However, McLeary let slip a possible top-three result doubling the 10th and then sandwiching a 13th hole double bogey in between birdies at the 12th and 14th.
McLeary earned a prize cheque £20,222 and nearly £5,000 more than a prior best main tour pay out of £15,400 two years ago.
And it’s McLeary’s first-ever top-10 result in 62 European Tour appearances and eight places higher than a prior peak of T15th in the 2009 St. Omer Open.
However the only downside was McLeary effort saw him fall one shot of being among the top-five that would have earned him a tee time in Thursday’s commencing $US3m Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur.
He said: “I am happy with the weekend overall but I still look back at it and thinking what if.
“Over the course of the week I dropped too many shots.
“I also don’t feel like I’m hitting top gear but the putting is a lot better and with my driving being good now.
“So with my best finish on the European Tour I’m really excited for what the remainder of 2016 brings.”
