Euan Walker birdied his final two holes at the British Challenge presented by Modest! Golf Management to secure his maiden European Challenge Tour title at St. Mellion.
The Scotsman entered the final round three shots off the lead but after posting a closing one under par round of 71 he reached eight under par to triumph in England, with South African JC Ritchie finishing second on seven under par.
The 27-year-old was delighted to secure a first Challenge Tour title in front of his parents, who had made the journey down from Scotland to support him this week.
“It feels absolutely amazing,” he said. “To win this week far exceeds any expectations. At the start of the season things weren’t going that well but over the last few months I have started to turn things around.
“My mum and dad were here today which was absolutely brilliant. They like to come to the British events and I’m glad they were here to see this. I’ve had my dad caddie for me before and I haven’t played very well so I just wanted him to see me perform today. It reminds me of my friend Emilio Cuartero Blanco who won in Sweden earlier this year because he had his family there just by chance.”
Walker climbs into the top 20 on the Road to Mallorca Rankings courtesy of victory in Cornwall and is now in a strong position to earn DP World Tour playing rights for 2023 with just two events left to play.
“On the 18th I didn’t realise I was in contention until I saw the leaderboard. I realised a birdie would probably be good enough to win so I just had to be aggressive and go for it. I hit a great drive and then I struck my approach shot perfectly. Standing over that putt was definitely the most nervous I have ever been in my life.
“For most of the year I had been battling with which kind of playing status I was going to have but the results have been much better in recent weeks. A win at this time of the season has put me into a great position on the Rankings.”
Overnight leader Matthew Baldwin finished third on six under par, while Englishman John Parry, Swede Simon Forsström and France’s Adrien Saddier shared fourth on four under.
Walker catapults 43 places into 20th on the Road to Mallorca Rankings, while Ritchie moves into first place after his runner-up finish at St. Mellion.
The Road to Mallorca remains in England for the English Trophy presented by Rocket Yard Sports Marketing from October 13-16 at Frilford Heath – the final event before the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A.
