Scotland’s  Connor Syme will resist a move back to the main European Tour after securing a very first career pro victory in the second-tier Turkish Airlines Challenge.

Syme, 23 rolled-in a five-foot birdie putt at the first extra play-off hole to defeat Italy’s Francesco Laporta after both players had posted final rounds of 67 t o finished tied at the top at 23-under par on the Samsun course laid out along the Black Sea shoreline to the north-west of Ankara.

“I’m absolutely delighted and to win my first pro tournament is massive,” said Syme.

“It was a tough day. The scoring has been crazy low the whole week. I had a feeling that I had to get to 25-under today – that was my target and I was just going to try and play my own game.

“But it is so difficult when you see the leader-boards going round and maybe guys weren’t pushing as much as you had thought.”

Syme could have been competing in Morocco on the main European Tour but after an indifferent 2018 first full pro season and missing out by one place in securing 2019 European Tour membership, he expressed his reasons why he’s chosen this year to concentrate on the secondary Challenge Tour.

“A few people might have been thinking why I hadn’t gone to Morocco this week, so it was good to come here and win to justify my decision,” he said.

“It sets me up really well for the rest of the season and hopefully it is just the start.

“Also, my European Tour category will make it difficult to get starts on the main Tour, and while I’d love to be playing on the European Tour, it’s just not that easy.

“You can never really say you are going to play here or there or in this or that.

“So, even after this first win I will stay focussed on the Challenge Tour and where I can plan a whole season for myself.”

Syme’s victory follows Aberdonian David Law who captured in February a first main European Tour win with success in the co-sanctioned Vic Open in Victoria, Australia.

It is also sixth Tartan success in less than 12 months on the secondary Challenge Tour.

Syme capped his amateur career winning the 2016 Australian Amateur title and then after securing victory at the 2017 Battle Trophy at Crail, the Scot was first in Final Qualifying at Glasgow Gailes for The Open in July at Royal Troon. He turned pro after competing in the 2017 losing GB & I Walker Cup team by teeing-up a fortnight later at the Portugal Masters and securing an eye-catching T12th at Villamoura.

Syme then played a full European Tour season last year contesting 26 but losing his Tour card in making the cut in just half. Prior to heading to Turkey, Syme had played six main European Tour events and making the cut in three.

Syme and his Italian rival went into the final round of the second Challenge Tour event of the year each trailing three off the lead at 18-under par. The Scot and the Italian, and both out in the third last pairing, each birdied three holes in succession from the second hole. Syme bogeyed his fifth hole but made amends with a birdie at seven and the for a fourth day running, as he had also done at the second for four rounds, he birdied nine to make the turn at four-under for his round at 22-under par for the event.

Syme went to 23-under with a birdie at 12 but from the 14th hole he finished bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie and par for his 67.

The 28-year old Laporta, and also seeking a first Tour victory, in making the turn in just one-under but then lived-up to the outrageous red-and-black attire and storm home to tie Syme with four birdies from his 12th to 17th holes.

Both split the fairway at the first extra hole and with Laporta, who had remarkably grabbed four eagles in his first round 62, missing his birdie putt from some 12-feet.