The drive down the Fife coast from St Andrews to Kinghorn is glorious, and this year it was bathed in brilliant sunshine and just the lightest of breeze. Many a year have we made the trip in driving wind and rain and watched as the players took to the links from the comfort of the locker room.

However, in 2025, the players went to battle on a tough, firm and fast course that was going to test everyone’s game. We had it all as well, chip ins, and chip ins again, late runs up the leaderboard and late collapses as well. But when all was said and done it was a familiar face standing on the 18th green with trophy in hand, and following back-to-back runner-up spots to start the season, David McColgan had claimed back-to-back wins.

We sat down with him to hear his thoughts on the day’s proceedings and the season ahead.

Congratulations again David, that’s your third win in three starts in 2025, how does it feel?

“Thanks guys, when you put it like that it does feel quite a lot.”

Well, your win at Kinghorn was your 12th Order of Merit win and your 3rd in the Kinghorn Classic, what is it you like about the course?

“It’s a funny old one really. I know from the start there is at least a handful of guys who hate the course, they are beaten before they even step on it. As for the rest of us, it’s as much psychological as it is ability out there.

Bad bounces are always around the corner, the greens are lightning fast, the slightest lack of concentration and the cards come tumbling down.”

Let’s talk about the psychological side, you were co-leader after a great bridie on the 6th hole, but Gowens Snr. would run off three birdies in a row to take a 2 shot lead at the turn, you then took solo lead after 10 but with back-to-back chip-ins and eagles Stevie Orr claimed the lead from you – how do you keep focused out there on your own game?

“It’s hard out there, you’re motoring along thinking you are on a good game, then you see the leaderboard flipping and you are suddenly two or three off the lead.

Playing alongside Paul I knew he was having a good round, and playing behind Stevie [Orr] you could hear the cheers further up the course.

However, around Kinghorn you know there’s danger holes all over the course – Orr being a good example when he shot 4-over for the last 4 holes.”

You had gained over 2.5 strokes on the field in the first 5 holes opening with 5 pars, do you ever start to wonder if it isn’t going to be your day out there?

“Love the stats guys, but when I am on the course, I don’t have the bandwidth or the intelligence to clock strokes gained against the field.
What I did know was that the 3 on two was going to be key – I think in the end there was only 6 pars in the entire field, and one player took an 8. My 5 pars weren’t too frustrating, and starting so consistently sets you up for a run at the leader board later on.”

Let’s jump forward and talk about what was going on up ahead of you in the tightly packed last few holes. You were walking down the 12th fairway with a four shot lead when the shouts came ringing out from the 13th green, what was going through your mind at that point?

“Well just before those shouts I watched – what I thought was a perfectly hit approach - bounce right through the back of the green and I was staring at an up and down for par.

But shouts like that don’t ring out for a 2-inch tap in so knew someone had done something extraordinary, and after I settled for a bogey I saw Orr had eagled the 13th and my lead was still 3 but I had the 13th to play.”

Ok let’s walk 13 again, you’ve hit a great drive and you get to your ball, there’s roars ringing out from the 14th green, what’s going through your mind now?

“Well, it was the same group and even louder, I am staring at a 210-yard approach into the green and I see Orr has only chipped in for another eagle, after carding back-to-back pars – good scores on those holes – I am suddenly 1 off the lead.

It’s not ideal, but I know the final few holes around Kinghorn are tough and many a leaderboard has spun on them.”

Well let’s look at the last three holes, you shot three pars which was just over 1 shot better than the field. You had to be happy with that?

“I can’t lie after my drive on 16 I felt I should have had a birdie, but par-par on the closing holes I would take any day of the week.”

It’s a little bit early for predictions but a back-to-back win in the Order of Merit sees you top the standings with a 750-point cushion, you’ve got to be measuring up the James Braid Quaich for the trophy shelf?

“I think that is wildly over ambitious at this stage. I’ll definitely miss one event, if not two, this year and that cushion can quickly evaporate.

It’s all the likely names hot on my tail with Mair, Gowens Snr. Orr and Peck vying for that top spot as well.”

There was once a time on Tour that you were named the “Lord of the Links” you hadn’t won at St Andrews or Kinghorn since 2022, does it feel like you’re back where you belong?

“I think the absence from my name on those trophies is as much to do with the calibre of golf being played on Tour now than myself really.

If you go back through the record books, I think every one of those events was won with a sub-par, or level par score, and that’s great to see for the players, the field and the competition.

Everyone knows when you tee it up, you’ve got to be on your game to win.”

Next up is the MCM @ Pitffirane – it’s one of the few events on Tour that you haven’t managed to win yet, how do you approach the tournament in May?

“Oh it’s frustrating…I have played so well in three of the events under the MCM banner and never quite managed to get it over the line.

Truth is, when I tee it up on Sunday 18th it’ll be so far at the back of mind it’ll be forgotten. Once the ball is on the course that’s the only thing I can control, what anyone else does is none of my business and once my ball is in the 18th hole I can worry about the result.”

Well, there we have it folks, your 2025 Kinghorn Classic, going back-to-back just like in 2021 and 2022 is David McColgan.

Join us for the MCM @ Pitffirane on Sunday 18th May.