This week the Faldo Elite Tour headed to Scotland for the fourth event of the season held at Murrayshall Estate, Perthshire.
Silhouetted against 365 acres of Perthshire countryside, Murrayshall golf course is nestled between the towering trees and evergreen hills that date back over 400 years. The former home of Lord Lynedoch is not only a stately house, but a landmark on the Scottish landscape. Luscious greens and tree-lined fairways greeted the players on a perfect start to summer.
With a day perfect for good scores, it was Harry Uzzell who set the pace with a 5 under front nine setting the tone nicely. Not to be outdone, McPhail was close behind with a 4 under front nine.
Unfortunately with an unforced error on the tee shot of the 15th hole, it lead to a double bogey that put a halt on Uzzell’s charge. Compounded by a following bogey, it was not meant to be despite a bounce back birdie on the 17th hole to finish on 3 under par. Scotland’s Mitchell Cowie also finished strong with two birdies in his final four holes to match the clubhouse lead at 3 under.
It was McPhail though, who stormed to a commanding victory keeping a perfectly clean card for a 7 under total. After his victory he said, ‘I played really well today, with the trees shaping so many tee and approach shots, having clear lines of sight was key. I positioned the ball well, and gave myself clear opportunities to hit the greens. This win sets me up nicely for the St. Andrews Links Trophy next week, so hopefully I can keep the momentum going.’
With McPhail taking the lead of Sprint 2 on the Elite Tour for a Challenge Tour start, there is consolation for Uzzell who takes the Overall Rankings lead on the way to earning multiple professional starts.
Many thanks to Emma Lester, and the whole team at Murrayshall for their assistance and warm hospitality, the course provided the perfect setting to test the Elite Tour players.
The next Faldo Elite Tour event takes place at Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent on the 14th of June.
