It was like the volleyball scene from TopGun – the original one, when men were men – on Scotland’s Golf Coast this past weekend. The From Locker Room Team had to be reminded they were here for work and not play but the golf on display at the Tour Champs this year certainly made it feel a lot more like play.

Ally Greenshields challenged the field in the morning with a brilliant level par 71, however his charge for the Tour Champs, that he lost on a countback in 2023, would falter with a 10 on the par 4 7th. The handover, to McColgan, would result in a run to the final hole and a second Tour Champs win for the 2024 Champion Golfer of the Year.

We caught up with at the end of play to get his thoughts on the Tour Champs.

Welcome David, we’re going to be speaking a couple of times this week, but congratulations on your Tour Champs win.

“Thanks guys, never got bored of chatting to you lot.”

This is your second Tour Champs win, after claiming the inaugural back in 2021, but you broke the tournament record, how does that feel?

“I wasn’t at all aware of breaking the record until you guys mentioned it, so really happy with that.”

Let’s get back to the day, before a ball has been struck. You come to the Tour Champs without a win in the regular season, how does that affect your mentality coming into the event?

“I think it’s a question a lot of folks have been asking, and it wasn’t lost on me that I hadn’t secured a regular season win, for the first time in the Order of Merit era.

But I am going to be really boring, I wasn’t even thinking of it, I was just focussed on the end goal of winning the James Braid Quaich.”

You got your tournament off to a fairly steady start with 4 pars thru 4 holes then bogeys on 5 and 6 seemed to derail you a tad, what’s the thought at that point?

“I think everyone just tries to get through the first hole, it’s short but it’s fraught with danger then the 2nd and 4th feel like birdie opportunities, so to not even have a sniff at birdie there was a bit annoying.

The bogeys on 5 and 6 were tough to take, especially as I think 5 thru 8 are holes that can really beat you up.”

You made it to the turn 2 shots off the lead, and would finish the morning round 2 behind the leader Ally Greenshields, what were thoughts at this point?

“Firstly, great round from Ally, especially with the pressure of relegation hanging over him.

By the close of play in the morning round I knew I had done enough to have won the James Braid Quaich, that was priority number one at the start of the day.

But I think it also gave me the freedom to go out and enjoy my golf in the afternoon.”

We’ll get to the afternoon round, but let’s talk about the opening tee shot in the afternoon. You had a 4 wood in hand, the same club from the morning round, but the gallery was jeering you to pull driver, what was your reaction to that?

“Well like I said earlier, the afternoon round was a bit more carefree after taking care of business in the James Braid Quaich. So, I grabbed the big stick and gave it a thump, unfortunately I didn’t give the crowd the greened drive they wanted, but I did get up and down for the birdie so can’t complain.”

You opened with the birdie, then rescued par with a phenomenal shot from 110 in the fairway bunker, you then parred the par 3 third and followed that with a magnificent birdie on 4 which included an 8 iron from 155 yards to just 2 feet – what was the feeling on the round at that time?

“2 under thru 4 was a very good place to be, I felt my swing was nice and loose and I was enjoying myself out there.”

Callum McNeill was quoted in his presser saying you made it look effortless any comments on that?

“It’s nice of him to say it, it felt really good, it was one of those rounds where everything just came together.”

You took the lead on the 7th hole, and despite Richard Mair joining you at the top for 1 hole you weren’t really in trouble out there – what did it feel like on the back nine in the afternoon?

“It’s funny, because Craigielaw has quite a few holes were groups pass each other and there are always little remarks and comments exchanged.

My view of the leaderboard was Richard wasn’t just on my tail, but he was edging past me at times, so it really spurred me to play good golf, and I am just glad I had enough not to be beat by him for the second time this season.”

Good golf you certainly played, the Tour’s stats team had you hitting 11 of 13 fairways, 14 of 18 greens, 75% in up and downs from off the green and just 29 putts on your round – how does that sound to wrap up the Order of Merit season?

“It’s probably my most complete performance from the whole year, and what a day to do it.
It’s been an amazing year, phenomenal competition, great field and the Order of Merit certainly seems to grow in stature year on year.

So here is to 2025.”

On that note we’ll let you get away to enjoy your evening, and we’ll be speaking to you tomorrow about your 12th Major, the 2024 James Braid Quaich winner and Champion Golfer of the Year.