Connor Syme grabbed the best finish of his short pro career and has gone close to locking-up his Tour card for next year with a brilliant share of second in the Shot Clock Masters in Austria.
Syme, 22 holed a monster 50-foot putt at his closing hole for a birdie ‘2’ in a round 69 for a 10-under par tally on the Diamond Country Club course near Vienna.
It left him trailing six shots behind Finland’s Mikko Korhonen, who after a dozen visits to the Tour’s Q-School, claimed his maiden Tour title thanks to a closing day 69 for his 16-under par winning total.
Syme, who had birdied the last in two of the three earlier rounds, could hardly control his emotions in seeing his putt drop at the last.
“I am absolutely over the moon and that was a massive bonus at the last holing that putt and you can tell by my reaction how much it meant to me,” he said.
Connor Syme finishes 2nd in 2018 Shot Clock Masters. (Photo – @tourmiss)
“I guess I had about 50-feet and I thought I had to play it like it was a 25 or 30-footer up the hill and just let it run down to the hole and the minute I struck it, it felt like a good speed and as much as you are trying to get it right from there and it was just a massive bonus to see it go in.”
And Syme showed his fondness for the course have teed-up on the Diamond Country Club lay-out a year ago in the double-defending Scotland side European Team Championship side.
The Drumoig golfer had turned pro late last year at the Portugal Masters and straight after contesting the Walker Cup and with one of his last amateur triumphs being victory in Crail’s prestigious Battle Trophy.
Syme teed-up in Austria ranked World No. 836 and 206th on the Race to Dubai and having secured his best Tour finish last year with a T11th in the Tshwane Open.
His effort on the outskirts of Vienna will see Syme jump some 286 places on the World Rankings to the new World 350th ranked player while he is now ranked 101st on the Race to Dubai lifting his earnings from Euro 33,816 to Euro 143,816. (£126,266)
Syme’s immediate big bonus will be the strong likelihood of now qualifying for the July 12th starting Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open at Gullane.
“It’s massive as I have had a couple of decent results to the European Tour since I’ve gained my card and this result will turn things around a lot,” he said.
“I did not hit a very good tee shot there at 18 but then I felt like it was a special week and I just fancied myself to do something really classy at the end and that birdie putt dropping is s dream come true.
“It will obviously open-up a few doors and get me into the Rolex Series events as they are massive, and to be able to get into them will be brilliant.”
And there was two people in Syme’s life, and apart from his parents, who were really pleased and they were his grandparents living in nearby Ladybank.
“My granny and grandad are great SKY Golf watchers back in Ladybank and I am sure my grand dad will be in tears definitely and my family, as well,” he said smiling.
Syme’s next event is Thursday’s starting Paul Lawrie-hosted Aberdeen Standard Investments Par-3 Championship at the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre in Aberdeen.
