The Tour marked the start of May with the MCM @ Aberdour.

The Mearns Castle Memorial first held in what can only be called apocalyptic conditions at Mearns Castle Academy on the outskirts of Glasgow was relocated in 2022 to Aberdour Golf Club in Fife. It is the first tournament of the year where the defending champion wasn’t there to lead off the day, due to Stephen Green’s relocation to London and subsequent scaling back of his Tour commitments.

However, a near full compliment of players took on the MCM @ Aberdour and what a marked difference May made in the temperature and on course conditions. For the first time this season there wasn’t a pair of waterproofs or umbrella in sight and the scoring reflected that.

The lead group consisted of Barry Cunningham and Daniel Peck – both of whom play their off-Tour schedules at Aberdour – however it was Order of Merit debutant, Paul Gowens who made the headlines.

After starting bogey-par on the opening par 3’s he’d run off an eagle and four birdies on his front nine to take an unassailable lead going into the back nine before eventually claiming his first ever Tour victory in emphatic fashion.

We caught up with Paul straight after the tournament formalities were over to get his reaction to the day.
Paul, welcome to the winner’s circle, how does it feel to win the MCM @ Aberdour?

“Thanks guys, it’s great to be here. I have had a great day out on the golf course, good company, good golf it’s hard to complain.

As many people know this was my first tournament, and I was pretty nervous coming into today, I just wanted to get that first tee shot away and not embarrass myself.

To win the event is just amazing.”

Let’s linger on that, you’ve played one Tour event before, the 2021 Anstruther Medal which is a pairs event. This was your first foray in to singles strokeplay, how did you enjoy it?

“It was a great event.

I have never played Aberdour before, so it was great to head out with Barry [Cunningham] and [Daniel] Peck as they knew the course. But they were great to play with, they really settled me and I just had one of those days.”

You’ve played 1 Order of Merit event and won, we’ve got guys on Tour who have played for years and not got that W yet, it must feel extra special to get the win today?

“Look, of course it is amazing to win, but all the guys were great today, really made me feel welcome and not like a stranger. I am really looking forward to taking part in more events going forward.”

Well, if you play like you did today, you’ll be a handful for the rest of the field. What worked really well for you out there?

“My chipping was much improved today and that helped massively. I am not a big hitter, so I do think a course like Aberdour really helps me.

I just focused on keeping the ball in play and giving myself a chance with my second shot.”

You were 5 under through 9 and your lead was largely unchallenged most of the day, what was going through your mind out in front?

“I just didn’t want to know the scores; I didn’t look at the scoreboard once. It wasn’t even one hole at a time, it was one shot at a time.

All day all I was thinking was level 5’s, I knew if I could hit that I’d be in a fairly good position.”

We need to talk about that shot into the Par 3 18th. You are 5 under par, 3 in front of Denis Duncan at the time and you step on to that tee. What happened next?

“I wasn’t sure at all what to hit into that hole. I had 183 yards to the pin, but the hole is very deceiving, I finally settled on my 5 wood.

The left to right shot suits me a lot and it seemed like the shot that as going to get me in least trouble.

After I hit it Barry and Peck were very confident it was close, but I wasn’t sure about it. When we go closer to the green, I couldn’t see it and my playing partners were getting increasingly excited.

When we got there it, the ball had come to rest about a foot behind the hole, it wasn’t a hole-in-one, but I was delighted to make my birdie and finish off a great round.”

Well, your 7-under victory has catapulted you up the OoM standings into 8th, what’s your ceiling from here?

“I am not sure, but I really hope I haven’t peaked too early.”

What’s a realistic aim of the rest of the year?

“Well, I can’t control what everyone else does around me but if I can work my handicap down to 18, I’ll make a good account of myself in the process and hopefully have some fun doing it.

It’s a great series of events and I just want to go out and enjoy every one.”

There we have it folks, we have a new name to had to the Tour winners list. Gowens’ emphatic win has echoes of Love’s 7-under win at Canmore before he went on to win his first Major in 2021, could the same fate await? We’ll keep watching and we hope you will too.

The next Order of Merit event is the Kinghorn Classic on June 18th but before then the Tour breaks from the OoM schedule for the season opening Major The Invitational tournament and the second Major of the season the EuroDov Cup, so stay tuned for all your behind the scenes news.