Wolverhampton’s Aaron Rai claimed his second European Tour win – and first Rolex Series title – beating Tommy Fleetwood in a play-off at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open. Pictures by GETTY IMAGES

AARON Rai defeated Tommy Fleetwood in a play-off to win his first Rolex Series title at the 2020 Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open.

The former HSBC Wee Wonders winner – famous for wearing two gloves – signed for a wonderful 64 to set the target at 11-under par.

But Fleetwood holed a 20-foot putt on the last for a closing birdie to take it to extra holes at The Renaissance Club, in North Berwick.

It was advantage Fleetwood off the tee as Rai found a fairway bunker.

But the 25-year-old rescued his par and when Fleetwood three-putted from just off the green, Rai claimed his second European Tour title.

A visibly shocked Rai said: “It’s incredible. I played a lot in Scotland growing up – dreamed of playing in a European Tour event in Scotland.

“To be able to play in it was incredible a couple of years ago. And to be able to go still further is an incredible feeling.

“I didn’t really see many leaderboards all the way around. I knew we had to play well – and knew we had to cope pushing forwards.

“But luckily I had a good couple of breaks and also played very well. So I’m very pleased.”

Rai picked up the winner’s cheque for €974,352.96. He picked up just under €300,000 for his first European Tour win in Hong Kong, less than two years ago.

Aaron added: “You have to play some world-class golf. But for it to be a Rolex Series – with the class of field this week – is deeply satisfying.

“And yeah, I’m incredibly pleased. It’s a dream come true.

“If I’m honest, to win any event on the European Tour is amazing,” added Rai.

Ironically, Fleetwood was his playing partner on that day too.

Tommy Fleetwood (right) congratulates Aaron Rai of England after winning the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club

Rai ready for Race to Dubai chase

VICTORY has given Rai some new goals to focus on for the rest of the 2020 season. That includes the possibility of being crowned European No. 1.

“The Race to Dubai wasn’t something I was thinking of. Or certainly winning it wasn’t something I was thinking of before this week.

“Any time you’re up there in the Race to Dubai – whether it’s winning it, whether it’s in the top three, top five – it shows a great degree of consistency with some really top results, as well.

“So still a long way to go in the season. But it’s a great spot to be in,” said Rai, who grew up in Wolverhampton, and recorded three Challenge Tour wins in 2017.

The latter included his maiden Challenge Tour victory in the Kenya Open.

That was watched by his mother Dalvir, who hailed from East Africa and returned to Mombasa for the first time in 47 years to see Rai win.

COVID-19 restrictions meant there were no fans or family to see his Rolex triumph.

Rai’s latest victory came after he finished second behind American John Catlin at last week’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, at Galgorm Castle.

It moved the former EuroPro Tour player, who turned pro in 2012, into the top five on the Race to Dubai rankings.

He is now also inside the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking, moving from 183rd to 88th overnight.

Rai started wearing two gloves at the age of eight. By then he was already shining in the annual Wee Wonders event – organised by East Lothian-based pro Alasdair Good, with the UK finals held at St Andrews, every October.

Rai’s first EuroPro Tour win also came in a play-off in Scotland at Mar Hall in the 2015 Glenfarclas Open. That earned him £10,000.

Now Rai has an even bigger reason to love golf North of the border and Scottish links courses in particular.

Tommy blames putter for not closing door at Renaissance Club

Fleetwood tees off on the 18th hole during the final round of the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open

FLEETWOOD was prepared to put his near-miss down to an indifferent week with the putter.

Tommy, whose fifth European Tour title came in last November’s Nedbank Challenge, said: “I hit a poor putt and that’s the end of it, really.

“Aaron played 72 holes very, very good, and it was Aaron’s time – and Aaron’s week. Congratulations to him.

“Obviously, I’d have loved it to have been me,” said the 29-year-old from Southport, who also missed a short birdie chance on the par–five 16th.

The Ryder Cup star added: “But overall looking back at the week, there’s so many putts that probably cost me going further in the tournament. But that’s golf.

“There’s a lot of areas in the game that you have to do well to win. One putt on 18 on the 72nd hole… putting cost me at the end. But that’s life and we try again next week.

“I played really, really good – especially the back nine. I felt really in control of my game, and nobody beat me over 72 holes.

“It was Aaron’s time and that’s how it goes.”

Overnight leader Robert Rock battled back with four birdies on the back nine only to bogey the 18th in the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open.

Robert Rock left counting cost of bogey at the last

OVERNIGHT leader Robert Rock, who also hails from the West Midlands, missed out on a place in the play-off by one shot.

Rock had slept on a two-shot lead. He dropped two shots on the front nine, before making four birdies in seven holes.

But the two-time European Tour winner missed out with a bogey at the last for a round of 70.

Australian Lucas Herbert picked up six shots in the first 10 holes, to bounce back from a 79 in Saturday’s storm. His 65 posted the clubhouse lead at nine-under.

Scotland’s also Marc Warren – playing with Rai – bogeyed the last to drop back to nine-under after a superb 66.

Warren and Herbert were a shot clear of Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult, Woburn’s Ian Poulter, South African Erik van Rooyen.

Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington was a shot back in a share of ninth.

Oxfordshire’s Eddie Pepperell, Essex’s Matthew Southgate, Frenchman Victor Dubuisson and Finn Kalle Samooja joined the Irish legen on seven-under.

•For full results at the Scottish Open click here.

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The Renaissance Club was set to stage the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open in July – the European Tour is looking to move it back in the season. Picture by SHIRLEY PINDER

TWO more European Tour tournaments have been cancelled while the Scottish Open – part of the Rolex Series – has been postponed as a result of the continuing threat posed by the spread of the coronavirus.

The BMW International Open and the French Open will not take place in 2020 while European Tour staff are looking to move the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open from its July date to later in the season.

The BMW International Open, which has been played every year in Germany since 1989, was due to take place at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried, in Munich, from June 25-28.

The French Open – continental Europe’s oldest national open, was scheduled to take place a week later, July 2-5, at Le Golf National, near Paris, which staged the 2018 Ryder Cup.

It has been cancelled following the French government’s decision to cancel all mass public gatherings and events until mid-July.

The Scottish Open was one of eight Rolex Series events announced at the start of the 2020 season.

It was scheduled to return to The Renaissance Club, in North Berwick, from July 9-12 – but could now form part of a plan to stage several events in the UK later in the season (see below).

European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said: “The decision to cancel the BMW International Open, which has been a cornerstone of the European Tour calendar for three decades, and the Open de France – one of our most historic national opens – was made in consultation with our long-term partner BMW and the French Golf Federation, respectively, with public health and well-being the absolute priority for all of us.

“Both Germany and France have been significantly impacted by Coronavirus, and our thoughts go out to everyone affected in both countries, as well as elsewhere around the world.

“In consultation with Aberdeen Standard Investments, VisitScotland and Rolex, we have also decided to postpone the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, which is part of our prestigious Rolex Series.

“Discussions about the possibility of rescheduling this event will continue as we look at a variety of different scenarios for our schedule for when it is safe and permitted to resume playing.

“We will only announce details of these plans when we have clarity on the global situation.”

•The latest cancellations bring the total number of events postponed in 2020 by the European Tour to nine, with five more events cancelled completely.

The Wentworth-based European Tour is working on plans for its UK events later this year

‘European Tour considers UK swing’

A LETTER sent from Pelley to Tour players earlier this week – and backed up by a Sky TV interview with Eddie Pepperell – revealed the tour are considering running up to four events in the UK over a condensed period.

They could even be played without fans, the European Tour has said – the PGA Tour announced the first four events of its resumed season will be played behind closed doors, yesterday.

The likely scenario being discussed would see the BMW PGA Championship go ahead at Wentworth, to be followed or preceded by a rearranged Betfred British Masters, which was due to be played at Newcastle’s Close House, at the end of July.

The BMW PGA it is currently scheduled to be played the week before the US Open, at Winged Foot (September 17-20), which was rearranged earlier this month by the USGA.

The Scottish Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship – due to be played at St Andrews the week after the Ryder Cup (September 25-27) – could form part of a British Swing to resurrect the 2020 season.

The biggest problem is that European stars heading to the States for the US Open face being isolated for up to 14 days, which could force the European Tour into moving the BMW PGA back til after the Ryder Cup which would mean October.

Wentworth hosted the World Match Play Championship in October between 1964 and 2007 – but with a much smaller field.

The lack of daylight would affect any events the European Tour hopes to stage in October – the Alfred Dunhill Links has been a celebrity pro-am since 2001, attracting stars from sport and entertainment in the US and UK, including Hollywood actors.

It also traditionally has one of the biggest purses on the European Tour – and was easily the biggest outside the 2020 Rolex Series with €5million at stake.

Combining the Dunhill Links with a rearranged Scottish Open would make the most sense logistically, given the need to make it easy for players from all over the world to compete in any rearranged tournaments – before the climax to the Race to Dubia, due to take place in Italy, China, Turkey, South Africa and Dubai in November or early December.

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