Adrian Otaegui Wins Scottish Championship

The Spaniard shot a closing 63 to beat Matt Wallace by four at Fairmont St Andrews

Adrian Otaegui Wins Scottish Championship
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Spaniard shot a closing 63 to beat Matt Wallace by four at Fairmont St Andrews

Adrian Otaegui Wins Scottish Championship

Adrian Otaegui produced a brilliant closing round of 63 to storm to his first 72-hole stroke play victory on the European Tour at the Scottish Championship.

The Spaniard has shown himself to be an expert at head to head battles, winning both the 2017 Paul Lawrie Match Play and the 2018 Belgian Knockout for his first two European Tour victories, and he showed all those skills again as it came down to a three man contest with playing partners Matt Wallace and Garrick Porteous at Fairmont St Andrews.

Otaegui entered the day four shots off the lead of Wallace but eight birdies in 11 holes from the fifth helped him finish at 23 under par, four clear of the Englishman.

Aaron Rai continued his recent excellent form to finish at 17 under par, a shot clear of fellow Englishmen Chris Paisley and Porteous, with the latter challenging for the title until falling away down the stretch.

After an opening round of 62, Otaegui's Sunday 63 bookended his week beautifully and saw him get over the line after three runner up finishes in stroke play events, including this season's English Championship.

Related: Adrian Otaegui What's in the bag?

"I'm very happy to win here in Scotland, the home of golf, next to St Andrews. It feels like a very special win for me," Otaegui said.

"Stroke play is my favourite way of golf, I think it’s the proper way. You have to play very solidly and very consistently all four rounds, which I think I did. I’m very happy to be able to win stroke play as well, my third win on the European Tour. I have no words.

"The whole week went very well. Started with a very good round and I just tried to do a reset after every day and start from zero. I felt very good on the golf course, hit some very good shots. Today again I just wanted to give myself some opportunities, chances. I think I did, I hit some very good iron shots into the green. I holed some very good important putts, so I'm just very happy.

"I didn't really (look at the leaderboard). I knew more or less how Matt (Wallace) and I were, but I just tried to do the best I could. If I played my best, I knew I was going to be up there. You can't control what others are going to do, but I just tried to focus on myself, tried to feel confident and tried to feel good, and that's what I did."

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV