Agony for Scottish golfer as fan favourite produces fairytale finish to secure DP World Tour card

Warren, a four-time tour winner, hoped he’d done enough to finish in the top 20 and ties after signing off with a 66 to end with a 17-under-par total in the six-round marathon at Infinitum Golf in Tarragona.

However, he eventually came up one shot short of regaining his seat at the top table, having to settle instead for a Category 9 card on the HotelPlanner Tour next season.

Speaking before he knew his fate, the Scot said: “I’d say that tee to green I was very good today and condition-wise you could have asked for any better as the course was immaculate and the weather was absolutely perfect for golf.

“Being first out as well, I felt I had a good chance on fresh greens. Unfortunately, I felt like I hit a lot of good putts today that didn’t go in. The birdies I made were from pretty close and a couple were tap-ins.

“Very pleased with how I handled myself and pleased with my game. I think I was one under with 45 holes to go, so to keep going and pull myself out of a bad run after being five under and go again, I feel really proud of myself.”

Starting at the tenth on the Lakes Course, the 44-year-old birdied the 16th and 18th to be out in 34 before adding gains at the second, fourth and eighth on his inward journey. It would have been mission accomplished if he’d managed to sign off with another birdie, but it wasn’t to be.

‘I couldn’t have done more tee to green’

“I had about a 12-footer with quite a big amount of break on it and I thought it was in with a couple of feet to go but it just caught the edge of the hole,” he reported. “I don’t feel I could have done more tee to green.”

Graham will also hold a Category 9 card next season after closing with a 67 to finish joint-25th on 16 under. “I’ve never seen him play better golf than I did the last few days,” said his dad Stuart, who was on the bad. “An incredible standard. If only some more putts had dropped.”

Looking as though he was facing a different test than everyone else, South African Zander Lombard finished a staggering 13 shots clear of the field as he posted a 37-under-par aggregate.

Scottish-born Australian Connor McKinney finished in a share of second spot while two-time tour winner Pepperell, a fan favourite in the game, birdied his last five holes to regain a seat at the top table next season.

“I’m pretty proud of myself actually,” said the Englishman, “That was a tough day [with] a great finish. I didn’t have too many goals coming into these two weeks. I was just looking forward to playing some golf, to be quite honest, and hoping that I would play well.

“This week felt like a bit of a struggle at times and never more so than today midway through the round, but I really hung in there. I am delighted.”

Others to secure cards included Scottish-born Australian Connor McKinney, Indian Shubankar Sharma, Spaniard Adri Arnaus and English duo Matthew Baldwin and Nathan Kimsey.