GULLANE, Scotland — Brandon Stone sank to his haunches and dropped his putter in despair after narrowly missing out on becoming the first player to shoot a round of 59 on the European Tour.
It wasn’t all bad for the South African golfer, though.
Stone’s 10-under 60 secured a four-shot victory at the Scottish Open on Sunday, earning him a third professional title of his career — the first outside his native country — and the bonus prize of a qualifying spot in next week’s British Open just up the east coast at Carnoustie.
He also left the Gullane links with a slight sense of regret.
Stone’s approach to the 18th green skipped on and came to rest about 8 feet from the hole. His caddy hadn’t let him look at a scoreboard all day, so it was only as Stone walked toward the green that he was informed he had a birdie putt for a 59.
Stone let his caddy read the line — “This is completely up to you,” Stone told him — and it looked like the putt was going to roll into the cup before it curled just left. He slumped almost to his knees, put both hands to his face, then stared at the ball for some time.
“I rolled it over his mark,” Stone said of his caddy, “but he did criticize my pace so he is probably right. Didn’t hold its line, but we’ll take it.”
That elusive sub-60 round in 46 years of European Tour play will have to wait for another tournament. It was officially the 19th round of 60 on the tour — 18 players have achieved the feat, with Darren Clarke doing so twice.
There have officially been nine sub-60 rounds on the PGA Tour, with one of them being a 58 — by Jim Furyk at the Travelers Championship in 2016.
For the No. 371-ranked Stone, it was a return to form after a disappointing season. He had missed the cut at nine of his previous 16 events and recorded only two finishes inside the top 60 in 20 starts since October.
His previous wins both came in South Africa, at the BMW SA Open in 2016 and Alfred Dunhill Championship in 2017.
“When that thing went home, the emotions came flooding,” Stone said. “I had to really struggle to keep it in. It’s been a long 18-month journey making a few changes, but the swing felt incredible today, the putting even better and the mental state was flawless.
“A day when you shoot 60 and win the Scottish Open is something I’m going to hold dear to my heart for a very long time.”
Stone rolled in four birdies on his front nine Sunday, then more on Nos. 10, 12, 14 and 15. He curled in a 40-foot eagle putt at No. 16, virtually guaranteeing him the win and leaving him needing one birdie on his final two holes for a 59.
On No. 17, he left a long putt short before more agony at the last.
Stone’s run of back-nine birdies allowed him to pull clear of Eddie Pepperell, who led for much of the final round after picking up six strokes in his first 10 holes. He shot 64 to finish alone in second place, one clear of Luke List (64), 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman (65) and unheralded Swede Jens Dantorp (68).
Pepperell and Dantorp joined Stone in securing last-gasp places at the British Open, for being the leading three players not otherwise exempt for Carnoustie who finished in the top 10.
“Hopefully I can find some accommodation, if I can be brutally honest,” Stone said. “I wasn’t exactly planning on going.”
Rickie Fowler, the champion the last time the Scottish Open was staged at Gullane in 2015, shot 68 and was in a three-way tie for sixth place.
USGA Senior Women’s Open
WHEATON, Ill. — Laura Davies went virtually unchallenged in Sunday’s final round of the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open, claiming the title by 10 strokes over Juli Inkster.
The 54-year-old Davies shot a 5-under 68 to finish at 16-under 276 at Chicago Golf Club in the USGA’s championship for women 50 and older.
A 7-under 66 Saturday provided Davies with a five-shot lead over Inkster. The World Golf Hall of Famer from England widened her advantage early Sunday when she birdied the par-5 second hole and Inkster made bogey.
Davies’ lead never fell below six shots after that as she added to her extensive trophy collection. She has 85 career victories, still plays on the LPGA Tour and finished tied for second at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup earlier this year.
Inkster shot an even-par 73. England’s Trish Johnson also shot 73 to finish third, 12 shots back. Danielle Ammaccapane was fourth and Yuko Saito finished fifth.
Martha Leach was the top amateur, tying for 10th at 6-over 298.
LPGA TourMarathon Classic
SYLVANIA, Ohio — Thidapa Suwannapura won her first LPGA Tour event on Sunday, closing with a 6-under 65 and birdieing the first playoff hole to defeat Brittany Lincicome at the Marathon Classic.
The 25-year-old Thai player is the sixth first-time winner on tour this year. Her previous best finish in 120 starts was seventh at the 2014 Kingsmill Championship.
Suwannapura picked up three strokes over her final two holes, making eagle on the par-5 17th and closing with a birdie on the par-5 18th at Highland Meadows to finish at 14-under 270.
In the playoff, Suwannapura converted a short birdie putt after Lincicome hit her second shot into a water hazard and scrambled for par.
Lincicome shot 67. She had a chance to win in regulation, but her birdie putt from about 10 feet did a nearly 360-degree turn around the edge of the cup and stayed out. Next up for the big-hitting Lincicome: a start against the men at the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship.
Third-round leader Brooke Henderson led by two shots after six holes, but struggled the rest of the way. Back-to-back bogeys on the 14th and 15th holes dropped her out of the lead. The 20-year-old Canadian finished with a 2-under 69, one shot out of the playoff.
PGA Tour John Deere Classic
SILVIS, Ill. — Michael Kim shot a final-round 66 on Sunday to win the John Deere Classic by a record-setting eight strokes and pick up his first victory on the PGA Tour.
Kim, who turned 25 on Saturday, finished at 27-under 257 — breaking Steve Stricker’s tournament record from 2010 by one shot. He also qualified for next week’s British Open at Carnoustie.
Bronson Burgoon, Francesco Molinari, Joel Dahmen and Sam Ryder all finished at 19 under.
Kim took all the drama out of the final round with birdies on his first three holes and secured the largest margin of victory during the tournament’s stay at TPC Deere Run, which began in 2000. J.P. Hayes (2002) and Vijay Singh (2003) won the event by four strokes.
PGA Champions Senior Players
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. — Vijay Singh birdied the second playoff hole to beat Jeff Maggert and win the Constellation Senior Players Championship on Sunday.
Singh knocked in a putt from about 2 feet after a nearly perfect approach on the 18th hole at Exmoor Country Club. He gave an understated fist pump as the ball fell in, giving him his first major title on the PGA Tour Champions.
Singh (67) and Maggert (68) finished at 20-under 268. Brandt Jobe (66) was two strokes behind, while Jerry Kelly (64) and defending champion Scott McCarron (71) finished at 17 under.
Maggert had chances to win in regulation and on the first playoff hole but missed birdie putts both times.
