When Denis Duncan stood on the 18th tee of the Matchplay final, 1Up against his brother Alan, confusion briefly clouded the moment. Alan had just shaken his hand — but was it over? Had he conceded? Or was he simply offering the kind of sporting gesture only a sibling and a rival could give? “I didn’t know if I’d won or if we were still playing,” Denis said, laughing afterwards. “Only at the end did I realise — it was over. I’d won.”

It was a fittingly strange and emotional conclusion to a campaign defined by uncertainty, pressure, and extraordinary resilience. In five rounds, Denis Duncan played 95 holes — 5 of them beyond regulation — and emerged with a trophy many believed he might never lift again.

“It feels amazing,” he says. “Ecstatic to win. But that last hole – my putting was poor, Alan was giving up and then playing his ball – I was genuinely confused.”

For Denis, this wasn’t just a win. It was a return. A return to form, to belief, and to the winner’s circle. “It definitely feels like a monkey off my back. My golf has been poor the last couple of years, so I’ve got no complaints – but this season I’ve been playing well. I just wanted the results to show it.”

The Road to Redemption

That journey began with an opening-round clash against Ally Greenshields. “Yeah, Ally was a big win,” Denis recalls. “I actually thought it had gone to countback and I’d lost. But then I got the offer to play the 19th. I took it. And I’m glad I did.”

From there, Denis faced Graeme Connor – a match that would prove to be one of the tournament’s emotional peaks. “Graeme was striking it so well at the start, but the back nine was different. He started topping drives and let me back in.”

Then came the shot of the tournament. With the match tied heading up the 18th, Denis faced a tough chip, knowing that a par might not be enough. “All I was thinking was get this near and two-putt. But to see the chip run and drop – and then see Graeme’s dejection – I felt I had the edge.” He would go on to win again on the 19th.

By the time Denis faced Stevie Orr in the quarter-finals, the narrative was building: two matches, two extra holes, no fear. “I never thought ‘this is my year’,” Denis insists. “I was just playing well and keeping my head down. The extra holes had been kind to me. Still don’t know how Stevie missed that putt – he’d been firing them in all day.”

All these matches had one thing in common: Denis was playing them on his home course. “I definitely think that helped,” he admits. “And I have to thank everyone for agreeing to play there. Playing somewhere like Gleneagles would’ve made it a much bigger challenge – not impossible, but tougher. Paul [Gowens] showed last year it can be done, but it’s not easy.”

The Semi-Final Showdown

In the semi-finals, Denis faced David McColgan – a decorated Tour player and fierce matchplay competitor. “Dave is always the big fish,” Denis smiles. “With the form I’d had, I knew there was no coincidence he had me in his group in the tournaments before this. But I was confident – with my handicap, I had a real chance.”

Once again, the match went to extra holes. “I was just happy to still be in it. But I was worried – no shot on the 19th, and Dave can hit the green in one. Then I sliced my drive and thought, ‘That’s it.’ But he pushed his drive right too. When I found my ball had run enough to give me a shot over the trees, I thought: game on.”

Denis played a magnificent recovery, only to see McColgan match him. They went to the 20th. “Hitting the green with my drive and knowing I had a shot – I thought, ‘I’ve got this.’” And he did.

Brothers in Battle

That set up a final like no other – Denis vs Alan Duncan. Brother vs brother. The family match that had been brewing quietly throughout the draw was now set to define the tournament.

“Lunch was actually relaxing,” Denis says. “But I was worried. I play Alan every week from scratch – there’s nothing between us. But giving him five shots? I knew I had to play better. I went to the range just to work on my driving.”

Both brothers made shaky starts. “Maybe it was the big occasion,” Denis shrugs. “Or maybe it was just golf.”

Alan struck first, winning the 6th, 8th, and 10th to go 3Up. Denis had missed a four-footer on the 9th, and then watched his brother hole out from the fairway on 10. “I’d been knocking them in all day, then missed one I should make. Then he chips in – at that point, I really thought I had no chance.”

But something shifted. Denis fought back, winning four straight holes with composed iron play and patient course management. “Even on the 10th, I’d made a five despite a scrappy drive. But then I started striking the ball well, and Alan had a bit of a wobble. On 14, I pulled my drive, but then he knocked his second into the trees. I thought – just play percentage golf and this is mine.”

He led 1Up with three to play.

“I was annoyed with myself on 16,” he admits. “All I had to do was hit the green. Alan was on tilt – that was my chance to seal it. Watching my ball drift right... there were a few profanities.”

Alan won 16, but Denis responded on the 17th – a hole where Alan had a shot. “Winning 17 was amazing. I wasn’t even thinking about the 19th – for once, I was up going down 18.”

And then came the confusion. “When Alan shook my hand, there were mixed emotions. It felt like he lost it, not like I won it. Then he found his ball and I didn’t know if he was still playing. Only at the very end did I realise – it was over. I’d done it.”

Looking Ahead

With the Matchplay title comes an automatic place in the 2026 Carnegie Cup – a format Denis clearly relishes. “I love that comp – it’s different, got a bit of edge to it. I only got in this year as a captain’s pick, so to be guaranteed in next year feels brilliant.”

Few wins on the EuroDov Tour have come with such weight, such fight, or such complexity. Denis Duncan didn’t just win a trophy – he reclaimed belief, re-established his threat, and maybe, just maybe, changed the course of the season.

And if you see him teeing it up at the Carnegie Cup next year – don’t bet against him playing another extra hole or two.