We could get used to this.
Hot on the heels of Grant Forrest’s win in the Hero Open seven days ago, Calum Hill made it back-to-back victories for the Scots on the European Tour as he eased to a maiden triumph in the Cazoo Classic at the London Club in Kent.
Our cup runneth over. Throw in Hannah Darling’s win in the Girls’ Amateur Championship on Saturday and Scottish golf currently has the kind of feel-good factor you get after a couple of celebratory libations.
Hill has been knocking on the door this season and let a good opportunity slip from his grasp in St Andrews last weekend. It was a different story on this super Sunday, though, as the 26-year-old put in a title-winning display of class, confidence and composure to earn the spoils.
His closing five-under 67 for a 16-under aggregate left him one clear of the fast-finishing Alexander Levy as he tucked a tidy cheque for some £160,000 into his back pocket. It’s the first time Scotland has produced successive winners on the European circuit since Paul Lawrie and Richie Ramsay served up a double Scotch at the Johnnie Walker Championship and European Masters respectively back in 2012.
“It feels brilliant,” said Hill as he got to savour the winning feeling his compatriot Forrest enjoyed a week ago. “This year I’ve been in a few good positions but just not had the strongest of Sundays. Last week was very promising for me, I felt very comfortable and just had a little blunder around the turn. This week I wouldn’t say I was in as good a position being three back at the start of the day, but it’s hard to win a golf tournament. I managed to stick in and perform nicely.”
He certainly did. With ground to make up, Hill was plodding along until he ignited his assault with a trio of birdies at the eighth, ninth and 10th to thrust himself into the mix. “That really got me going,” he said of that profitable little surge.
Further gains at 13 and 15 lifted him to the front but it was a brave par save on the short 17th which was key. Bunkered off the tee, Hill splashed out to some 10-feet and held his nerve to hole the putt and maintain his slender one shot advantage. The pump of the fist underlined the significance of the moment.
“That was a peach,” he said. “In that bunker you see where the flag is but then you take your stance and you can’t see anything. I thought I hit it a little firm and it ended up nine, ten feet beyond the flag. It was a brilliant putt that went right in the middle. I needed that one.”
Having won on the US mini-tours as well as three times on the second-tier European Challenge Tour, Hill is now a champion at the top table. The winning habit is a good one to get in to.
“It’s brilliant, you want it to become kind of habitual and become a process you’re comfortable in,” he said. “It took a little longer to get it done here (on the European Tour) but hopefully I can keep pushing on and when I get in this circumstance again I feel as comfortable as I was today.
“When you accomplish what you feel you can achieve, it spurs you on and it gives you confidence. Hopefully this isn’t the peak and I keep pushing forward and continue to win at whatever level I go to.”
It’s onwards and upwards.
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