Up and down final day for Neil in Hong Kong

Australian Ormsby takes title

Blairgowrie golfer Bradley Neil endured mixed fortunes as he flew the flag for Scotland at the UBS Hong Kong Open yesterday.

The 21-year-old – the sole Scot in the field after David Drysdale missed the cut on Friday – put on a good show in his first tournament as a full member of the European Tour.

Neil carded a closing 72 to finish on six-over-par – 17 shots behind Australian Wade Ormsby, who won his first Tour title at the 264th attempt after a nervewracking finish.

After rounds of 71, 71 and 72, Neil was desperate to climb the field yesterday and got off to a flying start with birdies at the fourth and sixth holes.

He bogeyed the seventh before five pars were followed by a fourth birdie at the 10th.

However, Neil cut a frustrated figure at the run-in with four bogeys in the last five holes.

The Scot was delighted with his overall performance at his first event since gaining full Tour rights after finishing in the top 15 in the Challenge Tour’s Road to Oman standings.

He tweeted: “Massive thanks to @ UBS Hong-Kong Open for the chance to play this weeks event! Loved my first time @hkgolfclub.”

Ormsby carded a final round of 68 at Fanling to finish 11 under, a shot ahead of Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello, Sweden’s Alexander Bjork and the American pair of Julian Suri and Paul Peterson.

The tournament looked to be heading to a play-off when Ormsby three-putted the 18th to leave Cabrera Bello needing to par the same hole to force extra holes.

However, Cabrera Bello found a greenside bunker with his approach and failed to get up and down, leaving the 37-year-old Ormsby to claim the second win of his professional career.

“It’s unbelievable. I’m kind of lost for words a bit at the moment,” said Ormsby, who climbs 201 places in the world rankings to a career-high of 118th.

He added: “After 260-odd starts on the European Tour and a first win, it means a lot to me.”

Cabrera Bello looked out of contention after playing his first 10 holes in one over, but birdied the 11th, 13th and 17th before having to settle for second place.

European number one Tommy Fleetwood finished alone in sixth after a closing 69 made up of 16 pars and a solitary birdie on the 17th, with four-time winner Miguel Angel Jimenez a shot further back after a brilliant 63.

India’s SSP Chawrasia, who began the day with a one-shot lead in pursuit of a wire-to-wire victory and was three ahead after eight, finished alongside Jimenez after a triple bogey on the ninth then four bogeys in five holes.