Garrick Higgo closed with a two-under-par 68 on Sunday to finish inside the top 20 in the DP World Tour and PGA Tour sanctioned Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick in Scotland.
And while he was able to overcome a double-bogey on the first hole – he started his final round on the 10th – during a day which was blustery with an eagle and two birdies, he couldn’t match the magic of Rory McIlroy, who had a blemish-free four-under-par closing nine to pip Robert MacIntyre of Scotland by one and break Scottish hearts.
It was the final two holes which plunged the dagger to the heart of the home fans, and McIlroy made a birdie two on the 17th and a birdie three on the 18th into the teeth of winds between 35 and 50 kilometres an hour. His approach to 18 – a two-iron out of a sandy divot – was a thing of beauty, and perhaps unfairly eclipsed MacIntyre’s approach to the same hole which took him into the clubhouse at 14-under and with hope in his heart.
Higgo’s eagle came on the third, when he hit his drove 306 yards into the left rough, and then his approach 308 yards just four feet past the pin to give him an easy return putt.
The other South African in the field who made the cut, Erik van Rooyen, closed with a second consecutive three-over-par 73 to slip to a share of 68th on one-over for the tournament.
