Dunbar’s Zander Culverwell had to undergo a thorough mental and physical examination in the final round but gathered himself and pulled away for a four-shot victory in the Battle Trophy on the Craighead course at Crail on Sunday.
The 23-year-old Stirling University student saw a three-shot advantage after 54 holes of the new Scottish Golf Union Order of merit event wiped out by the turn in the final round by the pursuing Scott Gibson and Graeme Robertson, with three more members of the Scotland elite squad also threatening.
However, Culverwell’s streak of three birdies around the turn effectively broke the back of the field and he was able to use his advantage to coast to victory as others found trouble amidst the threatening gorse on the Craighead back nine.
His par figures for the trip home a double bogey on the 14th after his own visit to the gorse being the only blemish saw him finish with a two-under aggregate of 286, four ahead of Gibson, with Kilmacolm’s Matthew Clark in third two shots further adrift.
Scottish squad members David Law and Michael Stewart were joint fourth with Glenbervie’s Robertson, who made up six strokes on the front nine of the final round but gave them all back on the return.
The Battle Trophy was inaugurated in 1998 as a Crail GS event but went open the following year and was included on the SGU’s Order of Merit list for the first time this year.
“It’s a great win and the best of my career so far,” said Culverwell. “I was second in the North of Scotland back in 2006 but I feel I’ve come on a huge amount since then.
“It’s a tribute to what we’ve been doing in Stirling, with Dean Robertson who has been so great at working with me on the mental side, and with Ian Young my coach for 10 years.”
Culverwell had a chance to win a ranking event at the South East District Open last year but slumped in the final round and seemed set to do the same as he lost his three-shot advantage to Gibson in just eight holes of the final round, but that actually gave him confidence.
“I was struggling at the start, but I managed to get a birdie at the ninth and discovered that Scott and Graham had just caught me and weren’t ahead, so I felt I still had control,” he said. “I birdied the 10th and 11th and even though I double-bogeyed the 14th I knew the other guys were struggling as well and if I parred in then I’d get the win.”
Gibson was the main challenger but his chances all but vanished when he lost a ball at the 12th in the gorse and took a triple bogey seven, falling further back with bogeys at the 14th and 18th.
Clark had the best day of the remaining field with a par 72 and a final round 71, while Scottish champion Stewart’s bid for another title floundered with a third round 76, although he bounced back for a one-under 71 in the final round.