The sprightly start Scottish golfers have made to 2019 on a variety of fronts continued yesterday as Connor Syme claimed his maiden title on the European Challenge Tour in the Turkish Airlines Challenge at the Samsun club on the Black Sea Coast

Following wins on the main European Tour by David Law and Stephen Gallacher over the last few weeks, Fifer Syme racked up the fifth Challenge Tour win by a Scot in less than 12 months with a play-off success over Italy’s Francesco Laporta.

During a week of low scoring, Syme and Laporta finished locked on 23-under aggregates after closing rounds of 67.

It was Syme who broke the deadlock in the sudden-death shoot-out, though, when they played the 18th again and after arrowing a 7-iron into five-feet, he knocked in the birdie putt to win.

Syme, who was a runner-up on the European Tour during his rookie year last season but lost his playing rights at the end of the campaign, could have played in the Trophee Hassan II on the main circuit at the weekend but opted to focus on his Challenge Tour duties as he plots a path back to the top table.

The decision paid off in spectacular style as he picked up the first prize of over £27,500 and surgedto the top of the early Challenge Tour rankings.

“It’s massive, I’m absolutely thrilled,” said the 23-year-old. “A few people might have been thinking why I hadn’t gone to Morocco this week so it was good to justify my decision to come here and win. I’m absolutely delighted and it sets me up for the season so hopefully it’s just the start.”

With players shooting rounds of 11-under and 10-under during the first three days, there were more testing pins for the final round, meaning scoring was more moderate and suited Syme’s game plan.

“The scoring has been crazy low the whole week and I had a feeling that I needed to get to 25-under-par,” he said. “The last few holes are challenging. I honestly thought before the final round that I was in the perfect position because the way the course was it’s so difficult to keep pushing all the time.”

At the Trophee Hassan II, meanwhile, hopes of a Scottish double evaporated on the final day in Morocco as Grant Forrest finished in a share of sixth.

The Scottish tour rookie had been well placed heading into the final round but a double-bogey on the ninth halted his momentum and he signed off with a one-over 73 for a four-under 288.

Spain’s Jorge Campillo won his first European Tour event at the 229th attempt with a nine-under tally.