We are delighted to bring you the first From the Locker Room of the Order of Merit season. The St Andrews Open is in the bag for the 2021 season and what an opener it was. The course, the perfect canvas for the field of six; the weather, wouldn’t have been out of place in June; and the drama! We had it all.

Following a 12 from Denis Duncan on the 17th hole, David McColgan took home the honours and the 1000 points in the Order of Merit race. McColgan carded an eagle, 14 pars and 3 bogeys on his way to carding a 1 over par 71. So, let’s meet this month’s champion;

Sitting with McColgan a day after his win it is amazing to see him calm after the dramatic finish to the St Andrews Open. McColgan says, “winning the St Andrews Open is great, it’s good to get a win under my belt early in the Order of Merit, but it’s a long season and if the last two holes on Sunday are anything to go by, there is going to be loads of twists and turns.”

Talking through the drama unfolding on the 17th McColgan said, “I had no idea what was going on behind me, I was standing on the 18th tee, three shots adrift of Duncan and thought a birdie on 18 might put some pressure on.” McColgan took a driver off 18 and left his ball 15 yards short of the green, in the time he took to walk to his ball, Duncan had carded a 12 to fall four behind McColgan.

He said, “When I got to my ball, I was waiting for the rest of the group to play on and had a look at the scoreboard. At that point I saw I was 4 in front and couldn’t quite gather what had gone on behind me. I went from needing a birdie to settling for a par and the win.”

Of course, McColgan had played a full 17 holes before this point and had to that point carded 13 pars and an eagle in a round that could have been better. McColgan reflected, “I am happy with my round, sure there were a couple of things that could have been tighter, I had two great birdie opportunities on the par 3 5th and 15th and my approaches to the par 3 8th and 10th were very poor.

However, in the whole I played really well.”

Two stand out moments in McColgan’s round came at the par 4 2nd and the par 5 9th, McColgan picks up from here, “I was disappointed with my drive on 2nd, and left myself 190 yards into the pin against a stiffening breeze. The second green is a tough approach with the big bowl on the front left. I had a nice lie and I opted for a 5 iron, trusting the wind would hold it up. I made good contact and left the ball 12 feet to the right of the pin.

Coming up 9, I had had a look at the scoreboard, and won’t lie was shocked to see myself 5 shots adrift. I sent a long drive down the fairway and left myself 205 to the pin. I had a slight right to left breeze helping and only had 185 to cover the front bunkers. Again, I made firm contact with my 5 iron and sent a bullet straight down the pin. The sloping back to front green held the ball up more than I had anticipated but 2 good putts saw me out with a birdie.”

McColgan’s long iron play was strong throughout the round and may have been the reason he only took his driver out six times in the entire round, McColgan said, “Links golf entices players to get the driver out, there is wide expanses of fairway and a well struck drive can run out massively. However, the Eden’s greens can be challenging and often a full shot into them is better than a short chip.

I’d much rather have the right number in than a tricky pitch to a raised green, and by the looks of my scorecard I was right.”

As the interview comes to a close, we circle back round to the 17th hole, the drama that unfolded and McColgan had this to say, “I can’t control what other players do, all that is in my gift is to play my game.”

When asked to reflect on Duncan’s demise and does it feel like a hollow victory he said, “someone must win a tournament, and at the end of the day golf is played over 18 holes. If you stopped the tournament after 16 Duncan would have won…if you stopped after 9 his winning margin would have been bigger than mine. You’ve got to be able to close out.

Nothing is more draining for a leader than an opponent who refuses to be shaken off. My aim was to get to the clubhouse and post a score and if Duncan had beat it, I’d have been the first to shake his hand.”

Looking forward to the rest of the Order of Merit and his chances of lifting the James Braid Quaich at the end of the season McColgan said, “that’s a fruitless conversation. I have won one stage, we’ve got 6 more to go including double points in both rounds of the Tour Championship.

I am happy with my game today, but there’s plenty of golf to be played between now and August 27th.”