Jamieson ends 14-year wait with Nexo Championship win at Trump International
Scott Jamieson ended a 14-year wait for a second DP World Tour title with a two-shot victory at the Nexo Championship at Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The 42-year-old Scot shot a final-round 67 to finish at 11-under par, holding off England's Matthew Jordan, who closed with a 70 to finish second at 9-under. Andy Sullivan was third after a 68.
Jamieson's win came 5,005 days after his maiden title at the 2012 Nelson Mandela Championship in South Africa. He began the final round three shots behind overnight leader Shaun Norris but erased the deficit with three birdies on the front nine. A run of four birdies in five holes around the turn took him five under for the day, and he responded to his only bogey, at the 13th, with a birdie at the 14th. A fine up-and-down for par at the 17th, where Jordan made bogey, effectively sealed the win.
"Fourteen years, that's wild. It's just so tough, so hard to win," Jamieson told reporters, his voice cracking with emotion. "I was so patient all day... just can't believe I've won."
The victory was the second consecutive Scottish win at the venue, following Grant Forrest's success last year. It also lifted Jamieson from 135th to 42nd in the Race to Dubai rankings and secured his playing rights for another two years.
Norris's penalty changes the final round
The final round took a dramatic turn when Norris, who had led by two shots after a third-round 66 that included an albatross, was penalized two strokes for kicking away a replaced divot on the fifth hole. The DP World Tour announced the penalty on X, citing Rule 8.1 – Players Actions That Improve Conditions Affecting the Stroke. The rule prohibits "removing or pressing down divots that have already been replaced or other cut turf that is already in place."
Norris was not informed of the infraction until after completing the ninth hole, when rules official Simon Higginbottom met him. The penalty changed his par on the fifth to a double bogey, dropping him from 9-under to 7-under and from a tie for the lead to a tie for third. He closed with a 4-over 76 to finish tied for seventh at 5-under, six shots behind Jamieson.
The penalty drew criticism from some observers, with Golf Channel announcers noting the unfortunate nature of the incident. It was the first two-stroke penalty of Norris's career, and it brought to mind a similar penalty Bryson DeChambeau received at the 154th Open Championship.
Trump's video call adds a unique twist
After the win, Jamieson received a video call from President Donald Trump, who owns the course. It has become tradition for the president to contact the winner at Trump International, and Jamieson was the latest recipient, following Grant Forrest last year.
"He was very complimentary and it sounds like he was actually watching it," Jamieson told BBC Sport Scotland. "He said he was following along, so it was really cool... I mean he is the President of the United States."
Jamieson, who is based in Florida, said the person he most wanted to speak with was his wife, Natalie, who he credited with keeping him believing during his darkest days. "Natalie was with a group of family and friends at home and I was conscious that it was about 30-40 minutes since I had finished and I hadn't spoken to her," he said. "When I did eventually get the chance to call her, that was cool. That's what it's all about."
The win earned Jamieson £372,000 and a two-year card exemption. It was his 421st start on the DP World Tour, a far cry from his maiden win, which came in his 65th start.
McKinney's breakthrough and Mansell's course record
Australian Connor McKinney earned the first top-10 finish of his European tour career, tying for 10th at 4-under after a final-round 71. The 24-year-old Scottish-born West Australian, who moved to Australia at 13, holed out for a spectacular eagle two from 143 yards at the par-four 11th, after double-bogeying the ninth and bogeying the 10th. McKinney, who won the Australian Amateur and St Andrews Links Trophy four years ago, finished at 4-under.
Richard Mansell set a course record with a final-round 65, earning a $10,000 bonus from Nexo. The Englishman, who has struggled with injuries and financial pressures on tour, made six birdies and an eagle on the par-five 10th, holing a 100-yard approach shot. His only bogey came on the par-three third. He finished tied for seventh at 5-under.
"It's been a bit of a struggle," Mansell said, reflecting on a season that has included missed cuts and a hip surgery. The bonus, about 17% of his season earnings, was a welcome boost.
Other notable results
Shubhankar Sharma, the Indian golfer, finished tied 46th at 4-over after a final-round 72. Fellow Indian Yuvraj Sandhu missed the cut. Spain's Quim Vidal and Paraguay's Fabrizio Zanotti shared fourth place with Andy Sullivan at 6-under.
Norris, who is 44 and seeking his third DP World Tour title, had been in commanding form through 54 holes. His third round included an albatross on the par-five fourth, his fifth career albatross, and he described the shot to Sky Sports: "I'm not getting better than that." But the penalty and a poor final round left him to rue what might have been.