The From the Locker Room boys always love a trip to Dunfermline – firstly, it marks the end of the links season, and we get to shelter in the salubrious treelined fairways of Pitffirane, and of course, the clubhouse is a castle. Come on…what’s not to love!

However, it was a windy, but sunny day out on the course, and the players were contending with the swirling winds right off the bat. The conditions, and the ever competitive field made for an exciting day but it was a familiar feeling but no less sweet for Paul Gowens, who captured his second MCM title — this time at Pitfirrane Golf Club, his home course — with a composed and confident round of 68, finishing four-under-par. The win not only added another trophy to his growing cabinet but also marked his fourth career victory in the OoM, making him the second-most decorated player in its history.

We had the chance to sit down with the winner and hear his thoughts on today’s round.

“It feels good,” Gowens said with his trademark understatement, speaking to us post-round. “I actually felt like I played the course and the conditions really well.” And with swirling winds and a tightly packed leaderboard featuring seven players under par at one point, he had every reason to be proud of a performance built on local knowledge, strategy, and cool nerves.

The MCM event, known for rotating venues, moved from Aberdour to Pitfirrane in 2024 — a transition that played right into Gowens’ hands.

“Same event, different venue,” he said with a grin. “Aberdour was shorter, but this was my home course, so it suits me well.”

That local edge was particularly valuable late in the round as fatigue crept in. “Massively [an advantage], especially when getting tired. You have a good idea what's coming and where you can make shots, especially in the difficult windy conditions.”

And make shots he did. With the field chasing and the pressure mounting, Gowens stayed locked in — unaware, he admitted, of just how crowded the top of the leaderboard was. “Me lol,” he joked when asked how he focuses as scores tumble. “I had no idea how close it was or how many players were in the hunt.”

Standing on the 18th tee tied for the lead, Gowens knew what had to be done. The par-5 finishing hole at Pitfirrane has history with him — and not all of it pretty.

“When I first joined Dunfermline, the green was almost out of reach in five,” he said. “Then I got to the point when I was putting for par, then making the green in three. I have a few target points and if I make them, it’s a 7 iron in normally and hopefully two putts.”

This time, the plan worked to perfection. He found his spots, trusted the strategy, and walked off with the par he needed to seal the win.

Now just 450 points behind current OoM leader David McColgan, Gowens could be forgiven for eyeing the top spot. But in typical fashion, he keeps expectations in check.

“Not really,” he said when asked if he fancies a run at the title. “I think what events we can make will be a factor. I may have a couple of good rounds in a season, but [McColgan] always has a really good season. I’ve exceeded my expectations — I think there’s a few players who’ll be close at the top.”

And if nothing else, his Q-School exemption is already changing the tone of the season.

“Survival was the number one goal,” he admitted. “Hopefully just keep improving. It will definitely calm the nerves in the later part of the season not being in a relegation battle.”

Gowens may not shout about his achievements, but with wins in every season he’s played on the Tour and a track record of peaking when it matters, the rest of the field knows better than to count him out.

Quietly driven, fiercely strategic, and deeply at home on his turf, Paul Gowens showed once again that the combination of heart, experience, and a 7-iron can take you a long way — especially when the fairways are familiar and the stakes are high.