The first Sunday in May saw the EuroDov Tour descend on Kincardine just like 2022. The small village on the banks of the river Forth is home to Tulliallan Golf Club and the Invitational Tournament.

The event holds a special place on the EuroDov Tour rota as the only Major, and event, that requires pre-qualification. The top 8 players from the preceding years Montgomery Cup gain playing rights for the Major and in 2023 the Tour extended invitations to Andy Love and Kevin Brannan.

The field boasted 4 Major winners, Kevin Brannan, Barry Cunningham, Andy Love and David McColgan and also featured 4 players making their first appearance in the event.

The course, as ever, was beautifully presented. Slow growth and some spring showers before the tournament meant the course was significantly softer than 2022, which meant a different approach was required from the players.

The lead group of Brannan, Connor and Love got us underway with the former parring the first hole and his playing partners taking birdies.

The second group out all found trouble from the tee with Allan rescuing par, but Cunningham and Mair both dropping a shot.

And it was a familiar story in the final group of Lynch, McColgan and McNeill as McNeill birdied the hole and McColgan parred but Lynch double bogeyed the hole.

By the time McNeill had sunk his birdie on 1 the lead group had completed the second and Brannan’s birdie there saw him tie the lead. McNeill, however, couldn’t match his birdie at 1 on the second and was tied for the lead after 2.

The long par 4 3rd plays straight up hill and in the soft conditions was playing even longer. The hole was not kind to the field with Cunningham carding a triple bogey and Connor carding his second bogey in 3 holes.

Brannan would also bogey the hole to drop back to level par and one of the lead after McNeill managed a par.

Andy Love was going nicely with a bogey-birdie-par start and sat T2nd with Brannan, one off the lead.

The par 3 4th was punishing the lead groups with Connor carding a double bogey and Cunningham carding a bogey which would be matched by Love. However, McNeill, in solo 1st, would snatch a birdie and extend his lead to 2 shots through 4 holes.

Brannan, in the lead group would birdie 5 & 6 to put him at level par after a third of his round. Love would find a birdie on the par 3 6th to sit at level par also, the front group clearly motoring at this point.

Behind them in the final group McNeill was starting to waver. 2 erratic drives on 5 saw him drop 5 strokes and 3 off the lead behind Brannan & Love.

That lead would stretch to 5 strokes when the pair birdied 7 and McNeill dropped another shot. However, a double bogey-bogey finish to the front 9 saw Brannan drop to 2-over par with Love, in the same group, managing to fashion a par-bogey finish held a 2-shot lead at 9.

A quarter of the way through the tournament and the leaderboard was as follows; Love (Lvl), Brannan (+2), Connor (+3), Allan (+3), Lynch (+5), McNeill (+5), Cunningham (+7), McColgan (+7), Mair (+13).

Of the players in the hunt Connor would be the only one to not drop a shot at 10. Allan, Love and McNeill all bogeyed the hole and Brannan carded a double bogey.

Love’s lead was 3 over Allan and Brannan and he’d string together 2 pars and a bogey thru 13 to sit 2 shots in the lead. Brannan carded 2 birdies and 2 doubles to start his back nine and was T2nd with Connor and Allan at 4-over.

The long par 5 14th was the first sign of drama for the lead group. Love triple bogeyed the hole and Brannan carded a birdie to create a four-shot swing and but Brannan in the lead for the first time since the 7th hole.

At the back of the field McNeill was slowly picking up shots, birdieing 13 and 14 and was one off the lead, tied alongside Connor and Allan.

Brannan played the last 5 holes in 1-under par to finish the day on 3-over. But behind him, McNeill finished 2-under to claw back shots and finished T1st after 18.

After Love’s triple bogey on 14 he’d drop 4 more shots as he limped home at 9-over. And after 18 holes the leaderboard would look like this.

Brannan (+3), McNeill (+3), Cunningham (+5), Connor (+5), Allan (+6), Love (+9), McColgan (+11), Mair (+12), Lynch (+12).

After a short break and some refueling for the field, the players were out for the final round of the day.

Playing in reverse order of the leaderboard, McColgan, Mair and Lynch headed of first with Allan, Connor and Love in the middle group and Cunningham, Brannan and McNeill in the leaders group.

It was first blood to Brannan who birdied the first hole to take the solo lead at 2-over par. McNeill could only manage a par, as did Connor.

A Par on 2 maintained Brannan’s lead as the chasers all parred the hole, but McColgan, out in front managed a birdie to drag himself back to 10-over and 8 off the lead after 2.

Brannan bogeyed the third, just like his morning round and just like the morning McNeill managed to bridie the hole – all change at the top! Connor managed another par to sit at 5-over and 3 off the lead.

McNeill held on to the lead after pars on 4 for him and Brannan, but a bogey on the 5th (where he dropped 5 shots in the morning) saw him and Brannan tied on 3-over just like the morning round. Connor made his first mistake of the afternoon round on the 5th bogeying the hole slipping to 6-over but still only sat 3 off the lead.

McNeill bogeyed 6, but Brannan (playing in the same group) double bogeyed the hole meaning McNeill now had solo lead at 4-over. Connor’s par meant he was just two off the lead with only 12 holes to go and to everyone’s surprise McColgan now only sat 6 off the lead and had heads turning after starting with 5 pars and a birdie.

McNeill and Brannan parred 7 to keep the former in the lead, but Connor dropped back to 7-over. However, a bogey from McNeill on the par 4 8th, was met with a birdie from Brannan and the 2-shot swing saw Brannan take the lead once more. Connor and McColgan managed birdies as well meaning they sat 2 and 5 shots off the lead respectively.

A bogey to finish off the 9 from Brannan saw him and McNeill head into the back nine of a Major tied at 5-over. With the rest of the leaderboard looking like.

Connor (+6), McColgan (+9), Lynch (+9), Cunningham (+9), Allan (+9), Mair (+13), Love (+26).

The back 9 started with Brannan, Connor and McColgan all carding pars but McNeill bogeyed the hole to drop out the lead.

Brannan would bogey 11, as would Connor and McNeill, but McColgan secured a birdie on the hole and with 7 holes to go Brannan had a 1 shot lead over Connor and McNeill and 2 shots over McColgan.

A further bogey by Brannan on the par 3 12th was matched by McNeill but pars from Connor and McColgan meant Brannan was T1st with Connor at 7-over and McColgan and McNeill were T2nd 1 shot behind.

Birdies on the par 4 13th saw Brannan and Connor go toe to toe and McNeill stayed 1 behind, but McColgan’s par saw him back to 2 off the lead.

The par 5 14th would see Brannan get a birdie but Connor and McColgan could only manage pars and McNeill carded a double bogey – Brannan’s lead was back to 1.

On the challenging par 3 15th McColgan would leave his tee shot short right and scramble down for bogey, and Connor would finish short left and scramble for bogey. But Brannan carded his 3 straight birdie to stretch his lead to 3 over Connor and 5 over McColgan and McNeill.

In the lead group McColgan birdied the downhill 16th and parred his way home and miraculously sat in the club house with the lead at 8-over par with the lead group still 4 holes to play. However, Connor would come home soon after McColgan and post a 7-over par to take the lead.

After an anxious wait at the18th green, the gathering crowds had sight of Brannan who teed off with a 3 shot lead and 1 hole to play. As he strolled to his ball it was evident his tee shot was dead center of the fairway and his approach found the heart of the green.

2-putts later and Brannan had his hands on the Invitational Tournament, his second Major and 3rd EuroDov Tour victory.

McColgan’s 3-under par 66 in the afternoon was in vain after his disastrous 11-over 80 in the morning and Connor’s 1-over round was matched by Brannan relegating him to runner-up for the 4th time in a Major.

McNeill’s afternoon round couldn’t live up to the promise of his morning effort and, but he’ll take great heart from his game on Sunday.

In the end the leaderboard stood as follows.

Brannan (+4), Connor (+7), McColgan (+8), McNeill (+9), Lynch (+13), Cunningham (+14), Allan (+15), Mair (+17), Love (+34).

The 2023 Invitational Tournament – much like the entire season so far – was one for the record books. McColgan set the 18-hole scoring record and Brannan the 36-hole record. Brannan also joins the unique collective of players to win back-to-back Majors and multiple Majors.

It is hard to argue that the Invitational Tournament has not become a jewel in the crown of the EuroDov Tour and it’s unique qualifying structure has delivered two high calibre tournaments and I for one cannot wait for the 2024 edition.