The morning singles matches at the RyDov Cup also double as the Montgomery Cup, the oldest major on the EuroDov Tour. The Cup was first won in 20213 by Barry Cunningham before David McColgan won four straight Cups. Scott Hardie managed to break that streak with Andy Love lifting the cup in 2021.

The Montgomery Cup is always the most hotly contested Major on the Tour with a field of24 players vying to etch their name in the history books. 2022 was no different with has many as 5 players holding the lead at one point or another throughout the morning.

McColgan and Graeme Connor came out the trap the quickest carding a birdie on the par 4 1st. Connor would go on to bogey the second hole to drop off the lead – for now – but a birdie from Stuart Allan would put him tied in the lead with McColgan at 1 under thru 2 holes.

McColgan’s race would be run after a bogey on the par 3 3rd, and he wouldn’t feature at the top of the leader board for the rest of the day.

Stuart Allan managed a par on the tricky 3rd, but a birdie 2 from RyDov and Tour rookie Richard Mair propelled him to joint leader. Mair’s birdie would 2 birdies and 3 pars’ as he held the lead through 8 holes, holding a two-shot leader over Graeme Connor who was sitting 2nd on 33 shots.

However, as the players reached the turn a double bogey 7 for Mair and a birdie 4 for Connor so the lead switch at the end of the front nine. Connor – who hadn’t led since the first hole found himself back in the driver’s seat to start the back 9.

The 10th hole saw the lead change again, this time Mair carded a birdie 3 to Connor’s 4 and the pair headed to the 11th tied for the lead.

However, a birdie 2 for Connor on the par 3 11th started a run that saw him play the holes 11 thru 16 level par and never relinquish the lead. As the field filtered through the 17th hole it seemed to everyone looking on the Connor would exorcise the ghosts of 2021, where he lost the Montgomery Cup, and his first major, by 1 shot to Andy Love.

The 17th hole is a short, but tricky par 4. It requires a tee shot to be placed accurately into the middle of the fairway with no sight of the green from the tree, but trouble lies left, right and in front if the ball runs out of fairway.

Connor would bogey the 17th, not an uncommon score on the hole, and with a par Richard Mair was back in the hunt, however Allan Kinnear entered the fray with a birdie and joined the leaders for the first time on the day.

Kinnear, Connor and Mair were all tied for the lead heading up 18. Mair could only manage a par to finish on 1-under 72, his under-par front nine complimented by a level par back 9. Graeme Connor snatched the lead from Mair, much like he did on the 9th hole with a birdie to also finish with a level par back nine and a 2-under 71.

However, it would be Kinnear who would go one step further, after booming his trademark drive up 18, he’d eagle the hole giving him a 3-under back nine and a 3-under par 70 for the day and pries Connor’s hands off the Montgomery Cup to claim his first Major.

The FTLR team had a chance to sit down with Kinnear to get his reactions. Allan, how does it feel to win your first Major?

“Thanks guys, great to be here – it feels good to win my first major. I have been close a couple of times in the Montgomery Cup, there something about these Kinross courses that really suit me.”

What was your thought process out there today?

“To be honest I never really focus on the individual win, I was just going out trying to win my match. It was an incredibly tight match with Stuart Allan, and knowing he’d give it his all meant I needed to dig in and play my best for the full 18.

I don’t play a whole lot of golf these days so I can’t say I have any expectation to win when I head out there.”

Your birdie-eagle finish propelled you into the lead, that must have felt good?

“I didn’t even know my score until we were finished – I was just out there enjoying myself.”

Are you telling us you had no idea how close it was?

“None whatsoever!”

You’ve won twice in 2022 lifting the Anstruther Plate with Jim Robertson and now lifting your first Major.

There have been some people clamoring to see you play more on the Tour, could that happen in 2023?

“I’d like to play a bit more on Tour but have a lot of commitments outside of golf. Maybe if I find some more time you might see me on Tour a bit more often. Watch this space.”

Well, that seems like a good place to leave it, not sure if it is a threat or promise but I am sure there’ll be plenty players on Tour taking notice.

Kinnear has made it another EuroDov Tour season with a first time Major winner and his statistical dominance in the RyDov Cup has finally seen him crowned the King of Kinross.