David Drysdale ended his 17th full Tour season again banging loudly of a first victory door at the close of the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek.
Drysdale posted an equal-best final round of 67 to head to the clubhouse leading the field at 12-under par and looking to halt a victory drought in his 471st Tour event.
The 43-year old Scot ended his round in near sensational manner with an eagle-attempt ‘flop shot’ from well above his feet just yards from a back-of-the-green water hazard and only for his shot to shave the flagstick for a tap-in birdie ‘4’.
The Borders golfer then waited anxiously for some 30-minutes before American David Lipksy bounced back from a horror 15thhole double-bogey to eventually win by two shots with a closing 68 for a 14-under tally in the continuing near 100-degree heat.
David Drysdale on route to a equal-best 67 on the final day of the Alfred Dunhill Championship. (Photo -Getty/European Tour)
The ‘tortoise pace-of-play like’ Lipsky won a second European Tour title after capturing the 2014 European Masters in Switzerland.
“It’s indescribable actually,” he said. Winning is what we all hope to do, it’s what we practise for, it’s what we all put the time in for – the blood, sweat and tears.
“This was a tough year for me. I haven’t played that well and have really struggled. To cap it off with a win at the end of the year is so special and I’m really looking forward to big things in 2019”.
Drysdale’s closing round was a mix of six birdies and just a lone bogey for a prize cheque of £148,000 taking him to third on the 2019 Race to Dubai ahead of the Festive Season break.
Scott Jamieson congratulates American David Lipsky in winning the 2018 Alfred Dunhill (Photo @europeantour)
The Scot’s pay-out was a biggest cheque since Dysdale was fourth in the 2017 Irish Open.
As well, the result is the Eyemouth Golf Club attached golfer’s third career second-place finish and 33rd top-10 result on Tour while Drysdale’s earnt more than £4.86m in prize-money.
Sadly, Scott Jamieson saw his goal of a second Tour win, and a first in six-years, disappear under the weight of a closing 72 for an eventual share of third at 11-under.
Jamieson went into the last day leading by one but Lipsky soon drew level with a first hole birdie. The each birdied the second but Jamieson fell away with a bogey and three and then a double-bogey on five.
He fell further back down the board with three bogeys in a row from the eighth before Jamieson halted the slide with four birdies in succession from the 12th.
