Champ Brandon’s agony as miss

SCOTTISH OPEN champion Brandon Stone missed his place in history by an inch as his final round slipped close to a fabled 59.

No player has ever shot a sub-60 round on the European Tour and few will ever come as close as the South African did yesterday at Gullane.

And he knew it, dropping to his hunkers and dipping his putter over his head in frustration as his eight-foot putt from glory tailed off tantalisingly past the left edge of the 18th hole.

But it’s difficult to be too annoyed when you’ve pocketed a cheque for £877,000, lifted the second and biggest title of your career – and claimed one of the last three qualifying spots for this week’s Open.

Add in the satisfaction of having left in his wake a stellar field including Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler and Patrick Reed to win by four shots.

The closest anyone could get to his 20-under total BY EUAN McLEAN was Eddie Pepperell whose closing 64 proved there’s much more to the Englishman than just an entertaining and outspoken Twitter persona.

It seems his clubs can do the talking equally well and he too will get another chance to shine at Carnoustie. Swede Jens Dantorp will join him having pipped former Masters winner Trevor Immelman to that third qualifying spot.

But the day belonged to Stone who revealed a poignant reason why winning now means that bit more.

He said: “The tournament director of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, Dan Sevel, tragically passed away at the start of the week.

“All the South African boys – myself, Dean Burmester,