Morgan thrilled with win - despite Open heartbreak

Scottish Open winner John Morgan was today reflecting on the best golfing day of his life - one which earned him nearly £225,000 (€337,400) and totally revived his career, but ended with him just missing out on the final place in this week’s British Open.

With an inspired display, the 26-year-old shot a closing 65 in Illinois last night to force a play-off in the US Tour’s John Deere Classic, only to lose it at the second extra hole to Mark Hensby.

The Australian won the £375,000 (€562,000) first prize after Morgan pulled his tee shot to the short 16th into the hazard left of the green and went from there into sand the other side. He almost sank the bunker shot, but Hensby two-putted for par.

The triumph also carried an exemption for Royal Troon but Hensby declined the invitation, saying he did not feel he had enough time to prepare for a Major championship.

He passed on the exemption to Morgan who was delighted, but an hour later he was told by PGA Tour officials that this was not allowed under the Royal and Ancient Club rules.

“Obviously, I’m gutted,” the 26-year-old said. “I’d give anything to go play in the (British) Open. It’s not many times you get to play in a Major at my age. I’d love to get in there and have a go, so I’m gutted and it can’t be helped.”

Instead it would go to Glaswegian Barry Hume, who lost a play-off yesterday in the final qualifying competition at Western Gailes near Troon.

Until this tournament Morgan had been having a dire time this season. After losing his US Tour card last year – despite earning over $400,000 (€322,500) – he had made only five appearances, had missed four halfway cuts and earned a mere $10,302 (€8,300).

That put him 236th on the money list and 410th on the world rankings. Moreover, his one European Tour event, the British Masters at the Forest of Arden, saw him finish 148th out of 156.

With his back-to-front cap and extrovert character – he has had his hair coloured blue in the past – he is already a crowd favourite and he created a huge roar when he holed a 25-foot birdie putt on the final green.

Hensby, though, got up and down from sand on the same hole to match his 16 under par total.

“I don’t know what planet I’m on at the moment,” said Morgan as he tried to get his head round what he had just achieved.

“The crowd made me feel so good and made me want to hole that putt so they would go even more crazy. It’s all a bit of a blur at the moment. I was just plugging away and just seeing what would happen.”

He had to try to control his emotions not only because of the play-off, but also because he is epileptic and has had seizures on the course before.

Before the sudden death could be decided, the two players were subjected to an hour-long rain delay because of an approaching storm.

Morgan faced a putt of approaching 80 feet on his return and knocked it nine feet past, but bravely made that to stay alive.

He was 141st on last year’s US Tour money list, twice finishing fifth, but only the top 125 retain their cards. He went back to the qualifying school, but managed only 111th place.

Now he probably needs only one more top-10 finish to be sure of returning full-time to the circuit next season.