Sami Valimaki became the third Finn to win on the European Tour after his dramatic play-off win over Brandon Stone, to claim the Oman Open at Al Mouj. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

SAMI Valimaki won his first European Tour title as he defeated Brandon Stone in a play-off to lift the trophy at the 2020 Oman Open.

Just six months ago the unknown Finn was playing at the third tier of professional golf in Continental Europe – now he has a winner’s exemption on the European Tour until the end of 2022.

A delighted Valimaki, who joins Mikko Illonen and Mikko Korhonnen as Finnish winners on the European Tour, said: “It’s awesome. There are not many words to say, it’s unbelievable.

“After the ninth hole when I made a double I knew that the 10th hole is good and I had to make a birdie on that,” said Sami Valimaki.

“I didn’t make a really good par on 11 and after that bogey I felt like, ‘okay this is gone’. But then I just grinded, made three birdies and on the last – an awesome birdie.

“I just needed to hit the fairways and the greens, it doesn’t matter how long you leave yourself, but you have to be on the green and get the chance to make the putt.

“I am feeling relaxed because I managed to get the birdies and gave myself that opportunity to win.

“I thought I was going to miss the putt on the last in regulation it but thank god it went to the hole and gave me the chance to win the tournament.

“It is great that more Finnish golfers are doing well in the sport and golf is getting more popular there in Finland.”

Valimaki had a stunning 2019 on the Pro Golf Tour, winning four times including three consecutive starts at the end of the season.

The 21-year-old claimed his card at November’s Qualifying School in Spain, and after securing a first top 10 the ISPS Handa Vic Open, he is now a winner in just his sixth European Tour event.

The Finn was outside the top 100 after day one at Al Mouj Golf. But a stunning 64 in round three put him alongside Stone in a six-way tie for the lead with 18 holes to play.

In difficult, breezy conditions by the coast, both Stone and Valimaki had held the lead on their own during the final day.

But it was Adrien Saddier who set the clubhouse target at 12-under, and the Frenchman calmly headed to the range to await the final groups completing their rounds.

But Stone put paid to Saddier’s hopes of a first win by getting to 13–under celebrating wildly as he holed a 20-footer on the last.

And there was more drama to come as Valimaki holed from similar range for his own closing birdie and a round of 70 to take the contest to extra holes – despite that double at the turn.

The duo halved the last in pars twice – but when Stone sent his second shot crashing into the stand on the third trip, and failed to get up and down, a par was enough to hand Valimaki victory.

Stone search for win No. 4 goes on

STONE was taking positives from the result despite losing his first play-off and coming up short in his bid for a fourth European title since the start of 2016.

He had spoken earlier in the week about how happy he was with work the South African, and his support team, had undertaken since last year to take his game to the next level.

“Obviously I’m a little disappointed but I’m really proud with how I played over the last four days,” said Stone – one of just 15 players to have won a Rolex Series event, thanks to his 2018 Scottish Open win.

“It feels like I’m closer again,” said Stone. “My confidence and swing are starting to come back.

“I’m feeling really comfortable and unfortunately, I came up a little shy, but the best thing about our job is I get to try again on Thursday,” added Stone, who finished sixth at the 2015 Challenge Tour Grand Final at Al Mouj Golf, to earn his graduation to the European Tour.

“We’re professional sportsmen and full of emotion which showed with my putt on the 18th in regulation.

“I knew I needed to hole that to give myself a sniff. I managed to get it done. We leave it all out on the line – a lot of time and effort goes into this.”

Italian Guido Migliozzi and Korhonen finished at 11-under, two shots clear of Spaniard Alejandro Cañizares, South African George Coetzee, Danish teenager Rasmus Højgaard and Wiltshire’s Jordan Smith.

•For final results in the Oman Open click here.

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Two-time European Tour winner Guido Migliozzi recorded his first bogey-free round since the Turkish Airlines Open, in November, to lead the Oman Open after the first round.
Picture by GETTY IMAGES

GUIDO Migliozzi fired a flawless round of 66 to rediscover his form and take the first round lead at the 2020 Oman Open.

The Italian has two European Tour wins from his stunning rookie year on the Race to Dubai last season.

But Migliozzi missed his first three cuts of the 2020 campaign and arrived at Al Mouj Golf without a bogey-free round since the Turkish Airlines Open in November.

The 23-year-old showed his class that week in Antalya as he achieved his first top 10 in a Rolex Series event.

And during round one in the desert he once again showed why he is a major rising star on the European Tour.

A delighted Migliozzi said: “It’s very good to start the tournament with a 66 and a bogey free round.

“It’s a good feeling to work my way into this beautiful course and tournament.

“Obviously, I will try to give my best over the week and for the rest of the year,” added the winner of the Magical Kenya Open and the Belgian Knockout.

“I think the whole course is good. It’s tricky because the greens are tough and tight and there are a lot of things which need your attention – like the wind and the release of the ball.

“You can play each hole in a few different styles and it’s really cool and all the players are really happy to play here,” added Guido Migliozzi.

“It’s a good feeling to be a European Tour winner already. I like to win, and I hope one day will come when I win again.”

Migliozzi’s six birdies moved him to six-under, one shot ahead of 18-year-old Dane Rasmus Højgaard, South Korean Taehee Lee and South Africa’s Brandon Stone.

Rasmus Højgaard – who won on his European Tour debut as a pro in his first start in Mauritius in December – said: “The conditions when I started out were a bit tricky.

“The wind was up a little bit so it was a bit of a battle but I got through it.

“This course is quite wide from the tee box, which is very nice, and I’m putting well.

“You have to have good speed on the greens out here because you’re going to be faced with some long putts. That was the key today.

“It might have come as a little surprise that I won so early on the European Tour, but I was playing well in my last year as an amateur – and I carried that confidence into the professional game.

“My goal this year is to be the Rookie of the Year and have multiple wins, so that’s what I’m chasing.”

Of course, last year’s winner in Oman was Kurt Kitayama who recorded his second win in his rookie season at Al Mouj – a feat matched last summer by Migliozzi.

Will that be a good portent for young Dane, whose twin brother Nicolai – another very promising prospect – is in the field in Oman?

Stone, who won his first Rolex Series event at the 2018 Scottish Open, said: “I’m always going to have a soft spot for this golf course.

“This is where I earned my playing rights from the Challenge Tour, so I have some history here and I played nicely here last year too.

“I love the course – it’s in my top five in the world, if I’m being honest, and every year coming back is an absolute pleasure.

“Last year was a fantastic year for me – even though the results weren’t there – because we put a lot of structure in place, physically and mentally.

“We did it to transform me as a person as well as a golfer, and I feel like the base work is there at the moment. My game feels fantastic and I’m feeling physically the best I ever have.

There is a group of eight players at four-under including former Ryder Cup players Victor Dubuisson, Ross Fisher, Stephen Gallacher and Andy Sullivan.

Joost Luiten – the 2018 champion – is in a group of 10 players at three -under, with five players returning to complete their finals holes on Friday morning due to darkness.

•For live scoring in the second round click here.

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Holland’s Joost Luiten won the Oman Open two years ago and rates Greg Norman’s Al Mouj Golf course as one of the best the European Tour plays on. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

JOOST Luiten is hoping to draw on the good memories of his victory at Al Mouj Golf two years ago, when he returns to one of his favourite courses on the calendar for the 2020 Oman Open.

The Dutchman got the better of Chris Wood in a final day battle to win the inaugural edition of the Omani event in 2018, before finishing in a tie for 12th last year.

The 34-year-old, who has six European Tour wins to his name over the last nine years, is a big fan of this week’s host course – and is hopeful his experience will serve him well as he seeks victory number seven.

Luiten said: “I’m feeling good. It’s always good to come back to a golf course where you’ve won, where you have good memories, where you know you can play well.

“I love this golf course. It’s one of the best golf courses I think we play all year. It’s in great condition, the greens are firm and quick.

“It’s going to be a good test. You just need to strike it well. If you can hit the fairways and you can hit the greens from there, you can make a good score.

“But if you struggle off the tee, this is going to be a really tough golf course to play.

“It’s always great to win a tournament, especially when you can relax on the 18th and enjoy it – and that’s what I tried to do,” added Joost Lutien, whose maiden European Tour win came in the co-sanctioned Iskandar Johor Open, in Malaysia, in 2011.

“Hopefully I can take those good vibes out on the golf course this week again.

“I can remember the last day. It was a fun day and I had a great start, making three birdies on the first four holes to go three clear.

“And then it became a battle between me and Woody – obviously a good friend of mine.

“We didn’t play in the same group, but I can remember I was watching the group in front to see what he was doing – and he bogeyed the 17th to give me a little bit of air to go down the 18th two shots clear,” added Joost Luiten.

Defending champion Kurt Kitayama is not defending his title in Oman – he now has status on the PGA Tour and is playing at the Honda Open, at PGA National, in Palm Beach Gardens.

Stone another big fan of Al Mouj

THREE-time European Tour winner Brandon Stone also has fond memories of Muscat as he makes his fifth appearance in the Oman capital this week.

Stone said: “Oman is fantastic. What a design of a golf course that is – when people ask me what’s my favourite course on the European Tour, Al Mouj Golf is definitely up there. It’s simply fantastic.

“I played it during my time on the Challenge Tour and the design of the course is timeless.

“Greg Norman has done an incredible job there. Coming back is really fun.

“I love the place, the people, the golf course, the town of Muscat so I’m very excited to be back here.”

“Generally, when playing golf in the Middle East, driving is important.

“You’ve got to get a decent amount of carry through the air and with a lot of bunkers sitting around 280-290 yards off the tee it’s important to find the fairway – and that applies to this course, too.”

Aside from his two European Tour appearances in the Sultanate, the South African enjoyed top 10 finishes twice when the event was on the Challenge Tour schedule.

The 26-year-old finished tied fourth in 2013 at Al Mouj Golf before a sixth placed finish in the Challenge Tour Grand Final two years later helped him on his way to 14th in the rankings.

That secured Stone’s European Tour playing privileges for the following season.

•To see the first round tee times in the Oman Open, click here.

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Gleneagles pro Calum Hill jumped up to the top of the leaderboad in the second round of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open with a sparkling 64. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

EUROPEAN Challenge Tour graduate Calum Hill will take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open after a stunning second round 64.

The Scot recorded a top 15 finish at last week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship to get the season off to a promising start.

And he brought that form to Heritage Golf Club, moving to 12-under as he matched the low round of the week.

Hill won twice in 2019 to secure his European Tour card, and he now leads his second event of the new season after recording nine birdies and just a single bogey on Friday.

The final gain – a 20-foot putt on the last – was enough to edge the 25-year-old ahead of South African Rolex Series winner Brandon Stone, Belgian Thomas Detry and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, who all reached 11-under par at Bel Ombre.

Hill, who is attached to Gleneagles, said: “The last couple of days the game has been nice. Managed to get the putter going well today, which added up to a good score.

“Last week was a slow start and I played better at the weekend. I’ve just built on it from there.

“I’m happy with that, especially to make a putt on the last hole to finish off a good round. I made a lot of long range putts – 20-25 foot – probably made four of those.

It has been a case of so far, so good on the European Tour for the winner of the Euram Bank Open and the Made in Denmark Challenge.

Hill, who hails from Kirckaldy, added: “We seem to be following the sunshine so we’re always playing in warm weather and the courses are in great condition.

“I haven’t noticed a huge difference yet coming from Challenge Tour,” said the 25-year-old who graduated from Western New Mexico University

“Obviously the fields are stronger, but it’s the same as every tournament you play – you go out and do your best, see where that puts you at the end of the week, and dig in when you need to.”

Stone looks to go low over weekend while Detry’s trusting his confidence

BRANDON Stone, who is looking for a fourth European Tour win since promotion from the Challenge Tour four years ago was also pleased with his performance.

“Very happy with how things went,” said Stone. “I got off to a nice start this morning – a couple of birdies early which kind of settled the nerves a little bit. And then from there I just played great all day.

“Very low stress, always in play, gave myself a lot of opportunities and managed to convert a fair number of them and sitting 11-under par going into the weekend is exactly where you want to be.

“The target for the weekend to is go as low as we can go, actually,” said last year’s Scottish Open winner who fired a final round 60 at Gullane to land his first Rolex Series title.

“It’s going to be a challenge and at the same time, there’s a lot of really top quality players in the field, so you’re going to go out and try to shoot as low as you can and, hopefully, by Sunday evening it’s going to be enough.

Detry who is looking to join fellow Belgians Thomas Pieters and Nicholas Colsearts as winner on the European Tour is enjoying his debut in Mauritius.

Rookie Rasmum R1 leader in Mauritius Open

“It’s my first time in Mauritius,” said Detry. “The place is absolutely lovely, the course is in great condition. I love the place.

“Very happy – shot five-under yesterday, six-under today. We’ve done a few mistakes here and there, but have managed to recover them pretty well.

“Shot eight-under on my last 14 holes so that was a pretty good performance and gets it going for the next two days.

“I’ve been taking it very relaxed, haven’t really practised too much. I’ve been playing well the last few weeks.

“I made it to Dubai after playing well in Sun City and Turkey. I’ve been relying on my confidence and it’s been working.”

French pair Benjamin Hebert and Antoine Rozner, American Sihwan Kim and Scotland’s Connor Syme are one shot further back in the pack chasing Calum Hill.

Denmark rookie Rasmus Højgaard, who was one of five players to share the first-round lead, and fellow countryman Søren Kjeldsen are on nine-under with South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who is looking for his second victory in the calendar year.

The event is tri-sanctioned with the Asian and Sunshine Tours.

•For live scoring from the third round of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open click here.

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Rookie Rasmus Højgaard who fired an excellent 66 to share a five-way lead after the first round of AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at Bel Hombre. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

FIVE players including Danish rookie Rasmus Højgaard, fired opening 66s to share the lead at the top of a congested leaderboard after the first round of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.

Rasmus, who played in last year’s Junior Ryder Cup with his twin brother Nicolai, was joined by French duo Benjamin Hebert and Romain Langasque, Rolex Series winner Brandon Stone and Scotland’s Grant Forrest.

The island paradise is hosting players from the European, Asian and Sunshine Tours in the tri-sanctioned event, and the leading quintet took advantage of good conditions to get to six-under par.

A further nine players are in a share for second just a shot further back, with 77 players under par and within five shots of the lead.

Højgaard, who finished 18th on the Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca before finishing fifth at last month’s European Tour Qualifying School to earn his card, said: “It was great, I played well and gave myself a lot of chances.

“Conditions are very good. It’s a course where if you are playing well you can see a lot of chances. I managed to take them today.

“I had a full season on the Challenge Tour, which gave me a lot of confidence in what I am doing. I just need to believe in myself.

“It’s paying off right now and hopefully it will pay off in the long run as well.

“Rookie of the year would be very nice, but it will definitely take some good results to get that. I’ll just try to play as well as I can and see where I end up,” Rasmus Højgaard revealed when discussing his goals for 2020.

Højgaard made his first European Tour cut at last week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship at South Africa’s Leopard Creek, and the 18-year-old carried that momentum forward with a bogey-free effort to sit alongside Hebert in the early lead.

Rasmus Højgaard may be playing his first season on the European Tour but the family name has been on golfing lips since 2018 – when he and his identical twin combined with John Axelsen to win the Eisenhower Trophy for Denmark.

Romain Langasque won the Amateur Championship four years ago and is another player tipped for the very top.

After finishing 24th on the 2019 Race to Dubai Langasque is looking to get off to a good start to 2020.

Langasque, who finished third at Bel Hombre two years ago, said: “It was pretty solid all day.

“It was the kind of round I was looking for to start the tournament, so I’m pretty happy.

“I love this place, I feel great, but loving the place and playing well is not the same thing.

“I played well here two years ago and I think this is a course that fits my game really well. I’ll just stay focused on doing my own thing and it worked well today.”

Fellow Frenchman Hebert is also looking for his first win on the European Tour after picking up six titles on the Challenge Tour – three in 2011 and three more in 2014 since his first season in 2009.

The 32-year-old, who has played eight seasons on the European Tour, said: “It’s always nice to start a tournament in this way.

“I enjoy the course. It was a good round of golf and it was pretty fun out there.

“The wind was quiet this morning, a little bit different direction than usual.

“But then it turned and started to blow. The course is in great condition anyway so, if you find a good way to manage the wind it is very scoreable.”

Trio fought windier conditions at Bel Hombre

With increased winds in the afternoon, it looked like Højgaard and Hebert may not be caught. But Forrest, Langasque and Stone played beautifully to reach the summit.

Stone, who won the Scottish Open in 2018 to claim the biggest prize of his career with that Rolex Series title thanks to a final round 60 at Gullane, said: “It got a little bit toasty, a little bit breezy, trickypin location here and there but overall, I’m happy with the round.

“Tee to green, I think I was decent. I hit the irons quite nicely, some really good iron shots earlier on in the round and towards the end there.

“I think we’ve had the best end of the year with these two events,” added Stone, who is looking for a fourth European Tour win since graduating from the Challenge Tour in 2015.

“Woke up to a beautiful island’s summer morning, took a walk on the beach with the wife, and after that I had to come and do a little bit of work and come and shoot a 66.”

Scot Grant Forrest who is in his second season on Tour after graduating from the Challenge Tour in 2018, said: “I made a long putt on my first hole – probably 45, 50 feet, so that’s always a good way to start the round.

“The game is getting there. We’ve done a lot of work over the past few months and it’s been a bit of a struggle on the golf course but we’re starting to see signs now.

Forrest, who played in the 2015 Walker Cup against the USA at Royal Lytham, added: “I had a great start to the tournament last week as well.

“It’s been encouraging the last little while and things are falling into place for the coming season,” said the 26-year-old from Craigielaw Golf Club, who finished 94th on the 2019 Race to Dubai.

The quintet sit a shot ahead of South Africans Jaco Ahlers, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Keith Horne and Zander Lombard, French duo Matthieu Pavon and Antoine Rozner, Belgian Thomas Detry, American Sihwan Kim and Portugal’s Ricardo Santos.

•For live scoring from the second round of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open click here.

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Wentworth’s Steven Brown resecued his European Tour card for 2020 by winning the Portugal Masters by a shot from South Africa’s Brandon Stone at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

SURREY’S Steven Brown overturned a three-stroke deficit to win his first European Tour title at the Portugal Masters and secured his playing rights for the 2020 season in the process.

The Wentworth member arrived in Portugal needing a top-three finish to secure his card for 2020– and started the final day in the Algarve in fourth place.

But the 2011 English Amateur Champion put the pressure on 54-hole leader Brandon Stone after the turn with a birdie on the 11th.

And a spectacular eagle on the 12th – after hitting his second shot to just four feet – would ultimately hand him his maiden European Tour victory at Vilamoura’s Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course.

Brown, who had finished tied eighth on the much tougher Le Golf National course in Paris a week ago, said: “It’s hard to put into words. It hasn’t sunk in. It was a weird day. You never know with this game.

“It’s crazy to think how well I’ve played this month and how bad the first two-thirds of the year were. I never thought this would happen – I was counting down to Tour School and getting ready for that.

“That shot I hit into 12 was probably the best shot I’ve ever hit. It couldn’t have come off more perfect,” said Brown, who was a winning member of the 2011 Walker Cup team against the USA at Royal Aberdeen.

“I saw the leaderboard at 13 and saw Justin was playing well and Brandon was still ahead of me,” added Brown, who lost a play-off to Matt Wallace in the Made in Denmark last year.

“I kept telling myself to keep going – we had holes to play. It seems like everyone fell away at the end. It went my way because I just parred in,” said Brown who was greeted by the Hertfordshire ace in the scorer’s hut after posting the clubhouse lead on 17-under, with Stone on the 18th tee.

“I’ve just had a calmness in my head the last few weeks – even today. I like the fact I had to go for it and wasn’t trying for a good result,” Brown added.

“I had to seize the chance to win the tournament. That’s the difference.

“Before I’ve thought… ‘I’m up there and had a good week, that’s great’ – this week it was do or bust.

“I can’t believe it,” said Brown, who was congratulated by Walker Cup team-mate Andy Sullivan – a former winner at Dom Pedro Victoria – spraying him with champagne, on the putting green after Stone failed to birdie the 18th hole, playing in the last group.

A gaggle of English players joined in the celebrations, including Essex’s Oliver Fisher, who had a chance of winning going into round four, plus two-time Portugal Masters winner Tom Lewis, another of the Great Britain and Ireland team that saw off the Americans eight years ago in Scotland, including PGA Tour winners Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay, Harris English and Russell Henley.

Brown and Stone were tied with just five holes to play after the South African bogeyed the 13th, with the Englishman moving ahead after his rival dropped another shot at the 16th.

Brown held his nerve with par on each of his final six holes to secure his first European Tour title – his playing rights for 2020 – and his spot in the Turkish Airlines Open in a fortnight’s time.

The latest product of the Wentworth Academy programme – that includes Ross Fisher and Annabel Dimmock on the Ladies European Tour – will now play in the first of three consecutive Rolex Series events at the end of the 2019 season.

Stone shared second place with his compatriot Justin Walters – who needed a strong week to secure his playing rights for next year, which he did after moving up to 79th from 121st on the Race to Dubai rankings.

Frenchman Adrien Saddier finished fourth, while Northumberland’s Chris Paisley – another who congratulated the new champion as he was preparing for a possible first play-off in the Portugal Master’s history rounded out the top five.

Similarly to Walters, Hampshire’s Jack Singh-Brar needed a strong performance to secure his card for 2020.

The 22-year-old, who started playing for the county’s juniors while a member at Bramshaw, started the week as the last man in on the Race to Dubai in 117th place.

But, as the cut-off moved to 115th, the 2017 Walker Cup player responded with a final round of 66 to move to 109th and a share of eighth place.

Singh-Brar, who first played on the European Tour as an amateur in Russia after winning the Faldo Series in 2012, said: “I’m over the moon.

“I got off to a great start – three-under through nine – I just tried to keep pushing.

“It’s hard when you know how much is on the line, I’m just so glad to have done it,” added Singh-Brar, who played in the same Great Britain & Ireland team as fellow Hampshire junior graduates Scott Gregory and Harry Ellis, in Los Angeles.

“You wake up with thoughts racing round, even today. I knew I had to shoot a good number because there were so many people chasing me down.

“Trying to control my emotions, even coming down 18 I could barely hold the club. I struggled to get comfortable all year – hence my results. Now I feel like I can push on.”

Gregory, from Corhampton, will join Wentworth member Ellis at the second stage of the European Tour Qualifying School next week after crashing out at the halfway mark on Friday, having taken a ninth at the par four seventh, in round two, missing the cut by eight shots.

Ellis came through the first stage last month, and has produced back-to-back runner-up spots on the MENA Tour in October.

•Full results from the Portugal Masters click here.

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Essex’s Oliver Fisher carded a 59 in the second round of the Portugal Masters to lead on 12-under… this year he shot two 65s to get to the top of the leaderboard. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

OLIVER Fisher holds the second round lead at the Portugal Masters for the second-consecutive year after moving to 12-under par at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, in Vilamoura.

The 31-year-old Essex pro shared the 36-hole lead in 2018, but holds it outright 12 months on after a second round of 65, which included two eagles and four birdies.

The Englishman made history after carding the European Tour’s first 59 on the same course during last year’s second round and, coincidentally, has reached the score of 12-under again at the same stage in the Algarve.

Fisher, whose sole win came in the Czech Open back in 2011, said: “I played really well the first two rounds last week, the driving was better in France.

“I just got on some bad runs around that course, which can happen. The first two rounds I hit the ball well.

“I didn’t quite hit it as well today, but it was windy,” said Fisher who first came to prominence as an amateur by winning England Golf’s Gold Medal, as a 12-year-old.

“The south-easterly wind makes a few drives tricky. I’m pleased to hit 65, I’m looking forward to the weekend,” added Fisher, who played in the Walker Cup in 2005, in Chicago, breaking Justin Rose’s record as the youngest ever Great Britain and Ireland player in some 80 years.

Fisher, who became the youngest pro to win a card at the European Tour Qualifying School in 2006, is one stroke ahead of South African Justin Walters and South Korea’s Jeunghun Wang, who are both fighting to secure their playing rights for 2020 and avoiding a trip to Q-School next month.

Walters, who famously holed a long putt on the 18th in 2013 to save his card, has sufferred an emotional year after losing his dad.

“It’s hard, but I’m staying in the present,” said Walters, who is coached by West Hove’s Ryan Fenwick. “Hitting the best shot I can and if I don’t pull it off, there’s not much I can do.

“If it works then great, if not it’ll be disappointing. There’s not much more I can do but if by the end of the week I can hold my head up high if I’ve thrown everything I have at it.

“It should be enough, if it’s not we’ll find another place to win a tournament.”

Walters’s compatriots took over the leaderboard during the second round, with seven South Africans sitting inside the top 10.

Brandon Stone holds fourth place on 10-under, while Darren Fichardt and Haydn Porteous share fifth with last year’s runner-up Eddie Pepperell, from Frilford Heath GC.

Stone, who won twice in 2016 and whose last win came in last year’s Scottish Open at Gullane, said: “I’ve been great off the tee all week, and the last few months.

“I felt comfortable with the putter, which has been the missing link for a long time now. I enjoy quick greens and bent greens.

“When we arrived I felt really comfortable. The stroke feels fantastic and I’ve given myself a lot of opportunities – especially early in the round.

“It’s easier when you get birdies to start your round, you give yourself something to fall back on,” added Stone.

“Overall, I’m very happy with where the game is.”

George Coetzee – who had a chance to win in France a week ago, is eighth, while Dean Burmester and first round leader Louis De Jager joined defending champion Tom Lewis, from Hertfordshire’s Welwyn GC, on seven-under in a share of ninth with four others.

The predicted cut-off on the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex has moved to 116 after the cut fell at minus one.

•You can follow live scoring in teh third round of the Portugal Masters by clicking here.

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European Challenge Tour graduate Robert MacIntyre will fly the Saltire flag during the Scottish Open when he tees it up with four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy and defending champion Brandon Stone, on Thursday. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

SCOTLAND’S Robert MacIntyre will start this week’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open in the company of 2015 champion Rickie Fowler and four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy.

The 22-year-old, who graduated from the European Challenge Tour last year, is in the marquee TV group for the third Rolex Series event of the season which gets under way tomorrow (Thursday), and will be broadcast on Sky.

MacIntyre, who lost in the 2016 Amateur Championship final to Hampshire’s Scott Gregory, impressed with consecutive runner-up finishes at the Betfred British Masters, at Hillside, and Made in Denmark in May.

Scot MacIntyre, who hails from Oban, now has his sights set on an exciting first appearance in his national Open at The Renaissance Club, in North Berwick.

MacIntyre, who is attached to Glencruitten GC, said: “I’ve got to be thrown in at the deep end at some point. It’s just about learning from this. It’s another step in the learning experience for me.

“In my first year, I’ve had quite a few already and this is going to be another one. It’s going to be another special week for me, and not just me, but my family. To be out with them in your first Scottish Open is pretty special.

“I’m sure the crowds are going to be unbelievable anyway. Home soil for the first time is going to be something different.

“Playing the Challenge Tour was good but to finally play a Scottish Open is something I’ll never forget,” added MacIntyre, who tees off with McIlroy at 1.40pm, on Thursday.

Defending champion Brandon Stone returns to East Lothian after his success last year at Gullane.

Stone said: “The greens are quite severe. A lot of tricky sloping, it should prove a true test.

“If the wind picks up like it might, that typical Scottish links breeze, it might be a little bit more penal for the guys that are hitting it a bit more wayward – but the course is in fantastic condition, it really is. The greens are great.

“They are having a lot of rain at the moment but at the same time the course is holding up quite well.

“It’s going to be a true test and you’ll have to play great golf and it’s going to be a great test before next week at Royal Portrush for The Open.”

The South African became the fourth player in European Tour history to card a winning final round of 60 as he won his third European Tour title.

Russell Knox, the highest-ranked Scot in the field this week, will go in search of his second Rolex Series title after his stunning victory at last year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.

Knox holed a 60-foot putt at Ballyliffin to force a play-off against Ryan Fox and then made an almost-identical putt on the first extra hole to win his second European Tour title.

Knox admitted this week that being based in the United States had hurt his Ryder Cup hopes, after he was overlooked for a captain’s pick by both Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn in 2016 and 2018 despite winning once in the States as well as in Europe.

Knox, who moved permanently to the States in 2007 – after attending Florida’s Jacksonville University – said: “I actually thoroughly enjoyed slashing it on the range in the rain.

“It’s been a while since I put on the rain suit and just hit balls on the range in the rain. I kind of wanted to practice a little bit today, even though it was pouring rain.

“But no, it’s amazing to be back. Always feel like I’m at home instantly when I touch back on Scottish soil.” added the 2015 WGC-HSBC Champions winner.

Despite being a US citizen, Knox still very much feels Scottish and praised the current group of Scots battling their way to earn and keep their cards.

That group includes MacIntyre and Victoria Open winner David Law, while Euan Walker lost in the Amateur Championship final at Portmarnock, last month, as MacIntyre did three years ago, plus Challenge Tour graduates Liam Johnston and Grant Forrest.

Knox said: “I sure hope one of these young guys turns out to be 10 times the player I am. It would be great for Scotland.

“It’s been great – it’s been coming for a few years. It was obvious that there was going to be a next wave of great players, and it’s obviously here now.

“It’s great for Scottish golf, great for the European Tour, and hopefully this week, one of us will play well.”

As well as Tour veterans and Scottish Ryder Cup players Paul Lawrie and Stephen Gallacher, the Saltire will be flown by the likes of David Drysdale, former US Amateur winner Richie Ramsay, Scott Jamieson and Marc Warren, who have 19 wins on the European Tour between them.

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Brandon Stone and Aaron Rai (right) at the DLF Golf and Country Club ahead of this week’s Hero Indian Open. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

AARON Rai insists it would be “a dream come true” to win this week’s Hero Indian Open on a course he holds in extremely high regard.

The 24-year-old Englishman has Indian born grandparents and would love to add a second European Tour title to his CV at DLF Golf and Country Club, on Sunday.

Rai says this week’s host track, The Gary Player Course, is among his favourite in the world and he is happy to be there this week along with a host of local talent.

The golfer, who hails from the West Midlands and first came to prominence at the HSBC Wee Wonders competition, said: “It is in incredible shape and is probably my favourite course in the world.

“It is very scenic to walk around, but more importantly it is a great course, a great test, so you have to be on.

“My grandparents from both my mum and dad’s side where born in India, so back home as well I have family with Indian heritage, so to even compete in India is a blessing.

“So if it was to happen and go one step further that would be a privilege, especially around a course like this where you need to be on your mental and physical game, so a long way to go but if that did happen it would be incredible and a dream come true,” said the Wolverhampton-based golfer.

Four-time European Tour winner Bernd Wiesberger is hoping to see further improvements in his game this week as he continues his return from injury.

The Austrian missed a large chunk of the 2018 Race to Dubai season with a wrist problem but has managed to play nine events so far this campaign and he is pleased with his progress.

Meanwhile, South African Brandon Stone is excited to be in India for the first time this week and the 2018 Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open winner hopes to be in the shake-up in Sunday’s final round.

Wiesberger said: “I haven’t been to India for five or six years so it’s nice to be back and I am looking forward to coming to a golf course that has been described as somewhat challenging, and something different to what we see on a regular basis.

“I have been out there for nine holes this afternoon and it’s quite spectacular.

“I was here the last time when it was the old design, so incredible what has been achieved here – an amazing course in great condition –so looking forward to a strong test of golf here in India.

“Unfortunately, I was out from May until November and that was quite a tough break for me not having any golf to play over summer with the injury in my left wrist.

“I still feel the effects of it a little bit, but I’m not where I want to be, so my results have not been anywhere to what

“I expect of myself but at the same time I am kind of taking it easy, week by week, and taking the positives out of every round.

“I am quite happy with the progress in most parts of the game as I have had to restart in a lot of parts of the game, but I am really looking forward to hopefully improving even more in Delhi.”

South African Brandon Stone said: “It’s my first time coming to India and so far, spectacular. I took my first tuk tuk ride yesterday which was a lot of fun, and my first time looking at the course today. Mr Player has come up again with another very unique design.

“My first look at the 17th hole and I wasn’t disappointed, alternative design so let’s say that, the course is in spectacular condition, so I think it’s going to be a very fun week.

“There is a strong field here this week, a lot of local talent, and I am sure they are going to be vying to get their name on the Hero India Open trophy.

“I remember watching the event last year and watching the shot that Matt Wallace hit on 18 to win and didn’t really think it was that good until I walked down the 18th fairway today and realised that was actually top class.

“I’m excited to be here for the event and hoping to put up a stern fight for the championship come Sunday.

Stone also has one eye on the biggest show in town – the IPL cricket.

He said: “On Saturday I will most certainly be there. It has been on my bucket list the last few years, ever since the IPL came to South Africa.

“So to actually go to a game in India where I have a couple of mates that play for the Delhi Capitals – I am quite envious I won’t be at the game tonight.

“But at the same time we are going to be making a lot of friendships with the team at Hero tonight in getting this event underway.”

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