Singles with Scheffler, working with pop stars & now a tour winner

KLM Open last information leaderboard

-11 C Syme (Sco); -9 J Lagergren (Swe); -4 J Schaper (RSA); -3 E Ferguson (Sco), J Senior (Eng), R Ramsay (Sco)

Selected others: -2 A Sullivan (Eng), D Bradbury (Eng); -1 G Forrest (Sco), N Kimsey (Eng)

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Connor Syme has brushed shoulders pinch Scottie Scheffler and One Direction's Niall Horan during his golfing career, but those glamorous encounters will ray successful comparison to nan week he has conscionable had successful Amsterdam.

The Scot battled difficult conditions astatine nan KLM Open to sprout a final-round 71 and triumph his first DP World Tour title astatine nan 182nd attempt.

Syme, who doubly vanished 2nd successful 2022, led nan section by 2 shots aft 54 holes and nary subordinate was capable to pursuit him down arsenic nan rainfall fell and upwind gusted.

Sweden's Joakim Lagergren eagled nan past to decorativeness connected 9 nether par, but playing partner Syme held his nervus to make a par of his ain and triumph by 2 shots.

"I've played a batch of tournaments and you conscionable commencement to think, is it ever going to happen?" nan 29-year-old told BBC Sport Scotland.

"I've been successful a bad tally and it's astonishing wherever your encephalon will return you sometimes, but I deliberation I really conscionable focused this week.

"I don't cognize what it was, but I had a really clear image astir what I was trying to do and I was capable to do it."

The Kirkcaldy-born golfer took location nan first prize of $467,500 (£345,000) and was congratulated connected nan 18th greenish by compatriot Ewan Ferguson, who vanished 3 nether and made a hole-in-one astatine nan seventh earlier successful nan day.

And Richie Ramsay made it 3 Scots successful nan apical 10, matching Ferguson's people for nan week.

Syme's only erstwhile master triumph was successful 2019 connected nan Challenge Tour, erstwhile he hit Italy's Francesco Laporta successful nan Turkish Airline Challenge.

But it was arsenic an amateur wherever he first showed signs of his immense talent.

In 2016, he won nan Australian Amateur Championship earlier competing alongside Bob MacIntyre successful nan Walker Cup nan pursuing year, wherever he mislaid by 1 spread successful nan singles to existent world number 1 Scheffler.

Team GB & Ireland mislaid heavy to a USA squad that twelvemonth which besides included Collin Morikawa, Cameron Champ and Will Zalatoris.

Syme - a talented footballer successful his younker - turned pro aft nan Walker Cup and signed pinch nan guidance institution Modest! Golf who are co-owned by popular prima Horan - a erstwhile personnel of One Direction.

This play truthful acold has been a mixed container for Syme, pinch a ninth-placed decorativeness successful nan Joburg Open his champion of nan run until this week.

The triumph successful Amsterdam comes pinch a two-year exemption connected nan DP World Tour.

It besides moved him up 71 places successful nan DP World Tour rankings to 18th position, and puts him into contention for 1 of nan 10 places up for grabs connected nan PGA Tour for adjacent season.

"Since they had those cards out, decidedly my extremity is to effort and find a measurement to get 1 of them and extremity up successful America," Syme said.

"It would beryllium an absolute dream to play complete there. And this is simply a large measurement successful nan correct guidance to effort and execute that."