There are years on the EuroDov Tour when one player dominates so clearly that the end-of-season honours feel inevitable. But 2025 has been a season of shifting narratives, unlikely breakthroughs and high-drama finishes — the sort of year where the Player of the Year award becomes less a coronation and more a debate.

Four names have emerged from the fray: Paul Gowens, Daniel Peck, Alan Duncan, and Scott Gowens. Each brings a compelling case, each has carved their own place into Tour history this year, and each carries the weight of an unforgettable storyline. From first-time Major champions to record-setting performances, from veterans rolling back the years to young talents exploding into the spotlight, this shortlist represents the diverse heartbeat of the EuroDov Tour.
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Alan Duncan: The Veteran Resurgent

Golf is often said to be a young man’s game until an older hand proves otherwise. In 2025, that hand belonged to Alan Duncan, who produced one of the great summer runs in recent Tour memory.

Alan’s form was nothing short of astonishing across July. He lifted the Senior Championship, shooting a magnificent 140 over two rounds to take the title, before following it up with victory in the Bruce Shield.
Barely had the Tour caught its breath when Alan went again, this time prevailing in the King’s Cup at Canmore, edging his brother Denis on a dramatic count-back.

Three trophies in one month — each different in character, each hard-earned — reminded everyone of Alan’s pedigree. At an age when many of his contemporaries have faded into the shadows, Duncan showed that experience and course management can still trump youthful aggression. His play was marked by control and composure, refusing to give away cheap strokes and capitalising on every scoring chance.

It was not just the volume of victories that impressed but the context. Alan’s King’s Cup win came against one of the most competitive fields of the season, while the Senior Championship performance was a display of endurance and excellence over 36 holes.

Alan Duncan’s case for Player of the Year rests on this resurgence: a veteran not content to fade gracefully but determined to add fresh chapters to a storied career. For those who value form, grit, and the timeless lesson that class is permanent, Alan Duncan is a worthy contender.
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Daniel Peck: From Prospect to Champion

For years, Daniel Peck was seen as a player with promise — flashes of brilliance but without the breakthrough to match. In 2025, the breakthrough finally arrived, and with it came a seismic shift in how Peck is perceived.

That moment came at the Montgomery Cup, the Tour’s oldest individual trophy. In claiming his first ever Tour win, Peck not only captured a Major but etched his name onto the roll of honour alongside some of the greatest players in EuroDov history. It was a performance built on grit and patience, the sort of round where every mistake was answered with resilience and every challenge turned into opportunity.

The Montgomery Cup was not an isolated highlight. Peck finished the season 5th in the Order of Merit, and was a runner-up at the Kinghorn Classic, a performance that hinted his breakthrough was not far away. Week after week he showed new maturity: measured in his risk-taking, sharper in his short game, more confident in his shot-making.

What makes Daniel Peck’s candidacy unique is the emotional weight of his victory. In a Tour dominated in recent years by names like McColgan, Duncan and the Gowens brothers, Peck’s rise symbolises the next wave. His Montgomery Cup win was celebrated by peers and fans alike as one of the feel-good stories of the year — a long-awaited validation of hard work.

For those who believe Player of the Year should reward the narrative of progress, resilience, and the arrival of new champions, Daniel Peck is the compelling choice.
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Paul Gowens: The Breakthrough Year

For the last five years, Paul Gowens has been a model of consistency. He has played in the biggest groups, pushed champions to the brink, and walked away more often with honourable mentions than silverware. In 2025, all of that changed.

Paul captured not one but two Major titles, breaking his duck in emphatic style. First came the Invitational Tournament, where his poise under pressure delivered the elusive first Major victory. It was a landmark moment, one that rewrote his place in Tour lore and erased the long-standing narrative of Paul as the Major nearly-man.

If the Invitational proved he could finally win at the very top, the James Braid Quaich confirmed it was no fluke. Two Majors in the same season placed him among the select few who have scaled that double summit. Add in his triumph at the MCM @ Pitfirrane, and 2025 stands as comfortably his most decorated campaign.

Yet trophies only tell part of the story. Paul also claimed the Harry Vardon Trophy for best average score across the season — a statistical validation of his consistency and superiority over the long haul. He added three runner-up finishes at the St Andrews Open, the Forrester-Lochgelly Open, and the Tour Championships, underlining how close he came to an even bigger haul.

What makes Paul’s year so special is not just the silverware but the arc of transformation. He began the season with questions about whether his window had closed; he ends it with two Majors, a scoring title, and the most complete résumé of any contender.

For those who value consistency and peak achievement in equal measure, Paul Gowens is the Player of the Year.
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Scott Gowens: Fireworks and Records

If Paul Gowens’ season was defined by consistency and Alan Duncan’s by resurgence, then Scott Gowens brought the fireworks.

It was only 18 months ago Gowens' Jr. wasn't even on the Tour, he was forged in the fires of Q-School, winning the whole thing in 2024 and his 2025 will forever be remembered for one tournament: the Tour Championships at Craigielaw, where he produced a record-shattering performance that redefined what dominance looks like on the EuroDov Tour.

Scott’s closing round of 62 was nothing short of breathtaking. It sealed a tournament record of 14-under-par, a number that left fellow players and fans alike struggling to comprehend the scale of his achievement. It was the sort of performance that transforms reputations: Scott had not just won, he had demolished the course and field alike.

But Craigielaw was not the only highlight. Earlier in the year, he had finished runner-up in the Bruce Shield, pushing Alan Duncan all the way, and he also secured the 2013 Cup (Handicap Champion), a reminder of his breadth of competitiveness across formats.

Scott’s style is all-out, aggressive, fearless. When his game clicks, he becomes unplayable, stringing birdies together in bunches and attacking pins others would bail away from. His candidacy is built less on sustained consistency and more on sheer brilliance: when he was on, he was untouchable.

For fans, Scott Gowens delivered the season’s defining highlight reel. For those who believe Player of the Year should celebrate the extraordinary and the spectacular, Scott is the obvious choice.
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The Verdict

Four players, four stories, and no easy answer. Paul Gowens has the weight of trophies and consistency. Daniel Peck has the romance of a breakthrough and the promise of a new era. Alan Duncan has the gravitas of a veteran proving he is not finished yet. And Scott Gowens has the records and the fireworks, the moments that will be talked about for years to come.

The EuroDov Tour Player of the Year award is always more than a tally of wins — it is a reflection of what a season meant, of who shaped its storylines and defined its identity. In 2025, the debate is as rich as the season itself.

Whoever takes home the honour, this much is clear: the Tour is stronger than ever, its narrative threads more intertwined, its champions more varied. And for the fans, that is the real victory.