Scotland’s Liam Johnston claimed his second Challenge Tour victory in his debut season to all but clinch his European Tour card for 2019 while Callum Hill continued his rapid rise through the ranks at in Kazakhstan Open yesterday.
The 25-year-old from Dumfries, playing in the final group at Zhailjau Golf Resort, shot a five-under-par 67 to clinch a two-stroke victory over England’s Tom Murray.
Following his win in May in the Andalucia Costa del Sol Matchplay 9 in May, the €72,000 (£65,000) winner’s cheque in one of the Challenge Tour’s biggest-paying events moves him up to fourth in the Challenge Tour rankings and all but assured of one of the 15 playing cards for the main tour for next season.
Meanwhile Hill, winner of the Northern Ireland Open last month, had another top ten finish to secure his place in the season-ending Grand Final.
Another victory in the remaining five events of the Challenge Tour schedule would give Johnston an instant “battlefield promotion” to the European Tour, but in the meantime the Scot is thrilled with his biggest victory so far, pushing his debut pro season way beyond his expectations.
“I started the season with no category at all, and was just playing off invites,” he said. “That first win was huge for me in taking the step onto the Challenge Tour and it seems like this one’s going to be a huge win in taking a step onto the European Tour.
“I couldn’t even imagine this was going to happen starting this year in January with the goals that I’d set for myself.”
Johnston needed to keep his cool on a fraught final day when six different players held the lead, and when he bogeyed the opening hole to fall further behind third round leader Sean Crocker, but birdied the second.
He grabbed the initiave at the turn with a birdie at the eighth and an eagle at the ninth, where Crocker found water resulting in a three shot swing in the Scot’s favour.
He was able to coast in from there for a 24-under aggregate of 264 despite a furious late charge from Murray.
“I played great today, this is the best I’ve ever played I think, this whole week,” said Johnston. “Coming into today I was awfully nervous, with how much was at stake but it’s been a fantastic day and it couldn’t have gone more accordingly to what I dreamed last night before going to bed.”
It’s the fourth time a Scot has won on the Challenge Tour this year, with David Law having won on home soil in Aviemore in the SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge as well as Johnston’s two wins and Hill’s victory.
Hill, who only joined the tour in June, shot 67 to share ninth and moved up to 29th in the rankings, just €20,000 behind the top 15.
It’s been Scotland’s most successful year on the satellite tour. Law (10th) and Grant Forrest (14th) are within the automatic card spots with five events to play, while Hill, Ewen Ferguson and Robert MacIntyre are all inside the Top 45 who make the Grand Final, with Scott Henry just outside in 46th.
