August saw the final event of the Order of merit regular season; the last chance to get hands on some silverware and jockey for position ahead of the Tour Champs. The From the Locker Team travelled to the western fringes of the Kingdom of Fife for the Forrester Open at Forrester Park, Cairneyhill.

It was the closest Order of Merit event in 2021 with only four strokes separating first to last. It was also the first Order of Merit event that saw a tie at the top of the leader board with Stuart Allan, Stephen Green and Denis Duncan all finishing on 2 over par. Order of Merit rules state that OoM points are split for any ties, but in the event of a tie for the lead a countback takes place to determine the tournament winner.
And after a long 6-month season, we were delighted to finally sit down with Denis Duncan. Coming home with a level par 36 he won out over Allan and Green’s 39’s.

After 4 second place finishes and a fifth-place finish Duncan finally stepped into the winner’s circle and got his hands on silverware. So, let’s hear from the man himself, how does it feel to get your first win Denis? “I was surprised as I didn't think I played well enough to win and with a three-way tie it takes a little edge of it. But ecstatic to get the trophy. well done Stu and Stevie who also played well.”

This season has been defined by nearly-wins how did you keep yourself going, “I've just kept my head down and kept going. My consistency has been quite good across 18 holes, and I have just never got across the line. I think my putting has improved immensely from the start of the season.”

The round today was good but a double bogey on 15 looked to be the start of an all too familiar story this season, how did Den feel at that point? “I was worried that I had blown it. But the holes up to that were good and Kevin said that Stuarty had 2 holes prior to that where he got worse score than a 5 on the par 3, I think, So it evened itself out and eased my nerves.”

Duncan’s win propels him to the top od the Order of Merit standings heading into the Tour Championships. How does he feel his chances of lifting it all are? “I am happy to get back up to the top of the standings. Holding on to that spot will be a challenge as there is a lot to play for with double points and 2 rounds of golf. There is going to be a lot of tired players so hopefully I can get a good score out on the front 18 and see what happens on the second.”

The Tour Championship is a different event all together. It’s all or nothing and Duncan starts with the target on his back, so what’s his mindset going into Craigielaw? “It feels the same at the moment. Just keep plodding along enjoying games and hopefully it works out well in the end. 400 points isn't much, so I still have to try and stay tight with my game. And hopefully I can get some good practice in between then and now.”

Well, there we have it folks, after 4 near-misses Duncan finally landed in the winner’s circle and in incredible nail biting fashion. It has to be the story we all wanted to see, and it caps off a fantastic first season for the Order of Merit.

The Tour Championships will be played at Craigielaw, on Scotland Golf Coast, on Friday 27th August.