The end of the regular season is always a bittersweet moment for the Tour. It signals the beginning of the end of the season but equally it signals the start of two of the most exciting events, the Tour Champs and the RyDov Cup.

The Order of Merit players descended on Lochgelly Golf Club for the third season, it’s an event that has never had back-to-back winners and Richard Mair was attempting to be the first.

The field was met with fierce weather conditions as a 20-yard wind thrashed over the course and players were in trouble from the first tee, but one player amongst them all was the epitome of steady, keeping the ball on the fairway and plotting his way around the course.

Paul Gowens is only a year removed from his Cancer treatment and was coming to the end of his first full season back on Tour, he had just triumphed in the Matchplay final on Friday and kept his form heading into Lochgelly to seize his third Order of Merit win.

We caught up with him to get his views on the season, the tournament and what’s next.

Congratulations on your win today Paul, how does it feel?

“It was good to hold on and been a good week, with the objective to avoid relegation secured now.”

Today is your first OoM win since the King's Cup in 2022, do you feel this marks your return to the EuroDov Tour?

“Absolutely, I can put last season behind me and already looking forward to 2025.”

Your win has propelled you to 7th in the standings but also given you an exemption from Q-School this year, how does that change your approach to the Tour Champs?

“It does take the pressure off for sure. I’ll be able to go out and enjoy it and try and post a score.”

The conditions were pretty tough out there, how did you cope with the changeable wind?

“I had played a few times this week and I think it’s an advantage not being a big hitter.”

By the halfway point it was pretty much a two-horse race between you and Callum McNeill, what's your approach when that situation arises?

“I wasn’t really aware of how close it was, a few of the other group had said I was playing well but I wasn’t aware to the exact score till on the tee at 18.”

You had a slight blip on the par 4 14th, carding your only bogey on your back nine, what was going through your mind at that point?

“Just get back to trying to be level 5s and I knew I had a few pars in the bank from the front 9 that would help the overall score.”

Standing on 18 you had a 1 shot lead on the tee, how do you approach that hole?

“My drives from 14 onwards had all going right and missed the fairways so I just tried to get it forward and in play to have a shot to the green and then 2 putts.”

Your win today puts you joint second in most wins in the Order of Merit - with 3 - is there another 2022-esque season where you make a run for the James Braid Quaich, just around the corner?

“I am not sure.

I had two good rounds at the right time this week on the back of a horrific 104 at the last event so as McColgan shows, consistency over a full season is key. I hope I will card a few good rounds maybe even a win but maintaining it throughout a whole season to be in the challenge for the quaich is a very different story.”

Your win today was followed by your sons win in Q-School, how good was it to see him win, and know he'll be competing in the Order of Merit next year?

“It was good to see him win Q-School, it has been great to see him on Tour this season and it’ll be good to have a friendly side competition going on next year that’s for sure.”

Well, there we have it folks, for the third time in his Order of Merit career Paul Gowens enters the winners circle, capping off a great week for Team Gowens, with the Matchplay, Lochgelly-Forrester Open and Q-School all heading home with them.