Neil recovers well as Paisley wins maiden title

Blairgowrie’s Bradley Neil made a sound recovery from his freaky Friday round at the South Africa Open in Johannesburg – but still finished well down the leaderboard.

The former Amateur champion, who turns 22 this week, carded a fiveover par second round 77 to leave him struggling.

But a three-under 69 on Saturday was followed by a closing round 72 yesterday, the former Challenge Tour star finishing 17 shots off winner Chris Paisley.

Neil got off to a fine start with a birdie at the second before successive bogeys at the fourth and fifth. However, he went on to par 12 of the next 13 holes – he birdied the par three 14th – to see him eventually finish on fourunder 284.

Paisley admitted he surprised himself after “playing out of his skin” to claim his first Tour title.

The Englishman – whose wife Keri was standing in for his regular caddie – carded a flawless closing 66 to finish 21 under par, three shots ahead of home favourite Branden Grace.

“I still just can’t believe it to be honest,” Paisley said afterwards.

“Going head to head against Branden in his home country with pretty much everyone in the crowd on his side was tough, but I just played great.

“I played out of my skin – I didn’t even think I was capable of playing that well to be honest and to come out on top is amazing.”

Paisley will climb from 289th in the world to a career-high just outside the top 120.

South Africa’s JC Ritchie, who lipped out for an albatross on the 15th in a closing 65, finished two shots behind Grace in third.

Two other Scots were also out on the course this weekend. David Drysdale carded a closing round 70 to finish alongside Neil on four-under, while Marc Warren was two shots further back after a 70 yesterday.

Bradley Neil carded a closing round 72.