English ace Greg shoots 62 en route to stunning win at Glasgow Gailes Links
Greg Holmes claimed a new course record at Glasgow Gailes Links on his way to a stunning victory in the 2026 Scottish Men’s Open Championship.
The Royal Birkdale golfer posted rounds of 70, 62, 72 and 68 on the Ayrshire coast to earn a two-shot win in the 72-hole stroke play event from Denmark’s Mads Heller.
Holmes finished on 12 under the card with the Dane falling just short on -10.
Scotland’s Calum Nairn – playing out of Prestwick St Cuthbert – enjoyed a fantastic week to finish third on -7 with four consecutive rounds under par.
Holmes, though, was a thoroughly deserved winner with the highlight of his play over the three days his effort on Saturday afternoon.
A blistering round of 62 featuring nine birdies and no bogeys broke the course record which had previously stood at 63 and was posted by pro Jamie McLeary during the Open Final Qualifying in 2014.
It shattered the amateur course record of 65 achieved just a few weeks ago by Scotland’s Alexander Farmer.
Holmes was supported all the way by his girlfriend Amie who caddied and kept him calm as the pressure started to mount during the final round.
After becoming the latest English winner of the event and following in the footsteps of compatriots such as Tommy Fleetwood, Marco Penge and Andy Sullivan, Holmes was almost lost for words.
He said: “I’m speechless at the minute. It was such a grind all day.
“I tried to stay calm, but deep down I was fighting it – it was tough.
“It was nice to have three putts for it, but it would have been worse if I’d four-putted!
“This is the best win I’ve had and it’s been coming for a while. It’s nice to get it done.
“It’s good to have my name beside some of those names – I’m super proud.”
With 144 leading male amateurs from 18 different nations taking part at Glasgow Gailes Links, the quality of golf was guaranteed over the three days of competition.
Despite a strong breeze, fiery fairways and tricky pin positions, day one ended with four players tied for the lead on three under par.
Denmark’s Mads Viemose Larsen was first to post a score of 68.
The man from Roskilde was joined later in the day by English duo Will Coxon, a past winner of the Tennant Cup at Glasgow Gailes Links, Josh Rudkin from Leicestershire and South Africa’s Judd Sundelson, a finance student at St Andrews University.
Top Scots after day one were Laird and Scotland boys’ internationals Fraser Walters and Kai Laing on one-under par.
Larsen maintained the flow on day two when he went one better than his opening round by shooting 67, including six birdies, to reach seven under par.
Scotland’s Oli Blackadder then revived his hopes with a flawless six-under par round of 65 that catapulted him into the top five.
But day two belonged to Holmes who enjoyed an afternoon to remember on the links in flat calm conditions.
A bogey-free round featuring nine birdies not only earned him the course record, but also a three-shot lead over Larsen going into the final day’s play.
Heavy overnight and morning rain had softened the course, but a cool wind whipping off the coast made for difficult scoring conditions on Sunday morning.
The best third round tally came from the fast-playing Heller.
A round of 67 (-5) propelled him into the leaderboard story on -7 and when Larsen and Holmes failed to produce the same fireworks as Saturday, the Dane’s hopes were enhanced again.
Holmes didn’t do much wrong. His third round was steady enough with three bogeys, two birdies 13 pars adding up to a one-over round of 72 for a 54-hole total of -9.
Four dropped shots in the final three holes cost Larsen dearly and saw him slip to -5 for 54 holes.
He was joined on that total by Nairn who posted his third consecutive under par round, but was left cursing a poor tee shot on 17 that resulted in a lost ball, although, to his credit, he then made a birdie with his second ball.
Holmes went into the final round with a two-shot lead over Heller and a four-shot cushion between him, Larsen and Nairn.
The lead was never surrendered but that didn’t mean it was plain sailing.
In particular, Heller pushed him all the way and three birdies in a row from 15 from the Dane saw the gap closed to just one shot.
However, a birdie on 17 from Holmes gave him an extra cushion going down the last and a regulation four was good enough to seal the win.
He added: “There’s no time for a party – it’s a four-hour drive back down the road. Maybe tomorrow night!”
The 2027 Scottish Men’s Open will be staged at Spey Valley Golf Club.
