Robert Brazill took a big leap up the Clutch Pro Tour’s Order of Merit with a third-place finish in the Al Houara Trophy in Morocco, but the Naas man will feel he let victory slip through his grasp.
Entering the final round three shots behind fellow countryman John Ross Galbraith and Wales’ Luke Harries, Brazill got off to a flying start, making birdies on holes three, five and six and mixing in an eagle-three on four to cover the four-hole stretch in five-under and leap to the head of affairs. Further birdies on eight and 10 put him in the driving seat, but a bogey on 11 was followed by double on 12, birdie on 13 and double on 14, and he found himself playing catchup to England’s Jack Yule who’d started the day one off the lead and birdied five of the first 10.
Brazill birdied the 16th, but dropped another at the last, finishing the week on -13 and in solo third – his best performance on the HotelPlanner Tour feeder since turning professional last year. He also climbs 20 places to 14th in the Order of Merit rankings, and with the meat of the schedule still ahead, can build on this week’s performance to rise further and put himself in position to claim one of three HotelPlanner Tour cards on offer.
Yule went on to secure a two-stroke win over Italian Luca Memeo, with Brazill one further back.
Galbraith, who won his maiden Clutch Pro title last August, failed to build on his stunning second-round 61 and closed out with a 74 to slip into a three-way tie for sixth.
Daniel Mulligan’s 68 was the lowest final-round score of the six Irish to make the cut, and he climbed into a share of 18th alongside Jack Madden who shot 71, with Paul McBride one further adrift in a tie for 23rd.
James Sugrue closed out with a level-par 72 to finish T42, while Brandon St John had a day to forget and slipped to 98th.
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