On a weather-hit opening day, which led to a suspension of three hours and 45 minutes, Cheese emerged late in the evening with a thrilling eight-under 65 as he finished four shots clear of Ross Munro, Jordan Sundborg, Chris Maclean, Tom Higson, Taylor Kerr and the defending champion, Graeme Robertson.
With a busy coaching diary at the St Andrews Links Golf Academy, Cheese has played in only two Tartan Tour events this season, but the 36-year-old from Sutton Coldfield revelled in a rare outing on the domestic circuit.
“That put me in a great frame of mind and I just went on from there,” said Cheese, who was a prolific winner on The PGA Midlands scene before moving north and becoming a full-time coach.
“With coaching and family commitments, I haven’t played a lot. My mind still expects to do things but the reality is that the expectations are much lower. Sometimes playing with low expectations helps.
“I thought I’d keep this event in the diary as a bit of time off work. It’s rare to get out playing so I just tried to enjoy it.”
Robertson Eyes Back-to-Back Title
Robertson, aiming to become the first player to win back-to-back national titles since Ross Drummond in 1990, was out in the very first group of the day but managed just two holes before play was suspended.
The 36-year-old returned with purpose and a neatly assembled, bogey-free round was illuminated on the par-five 18th when he cracked a 3-wood to 20-feet to set up an eagle chance. His putt just missed but the resulting birdie set the early standard.
“It was wet, windy and pretty miserable so four-under was very good in the conditions,” said Robertson, who won the pre-championship Pro-Am with a sizzling 10-under score. “I played to my strengths today and just kept hitting drivers at every opportunity. It’s a nice start to the defence.”
Munro Pushes for Breakthrough
Munro has had close shaves in both the Deer Park Masters and the Kerr Investments order of merit events recently.
A 69 set him up nicely for another title assault as he seeks a breakthrough on the Tartan Tour.
The 30-year-old highlighted his round with a terrific bunker shot on the 15th which spun back to within eight-feet of the pin and led to his sixth birdie of the day.
“I feel a breakthrough is coming and I really should’ve won at Deer Park,” said Munro of those near misses. “I certainly would’ve taken this at the start and at least I’ve given the rest of the boys something to think about.”
Maclean Thriving in Rich Vein of Form
Hayston pro Maclean birdied two of his last three holes in his four-under round as he continued the mine the rich vein of form that earned him a share of the honours in the Kerr Investments 36-holer earlier this month.
“This is my first Scottish PGA Championship and so far it feels pretty easy,” chuckled Maclean. “I’ve been playing well all season really and I’m making loads of birdies. That helps the self-belief.”
Sundborg, Kerr, and Higson in the Mix
Sundborg, the winner of July’s Scottish Young Professionals’ Championship, picked up three birdies in a row around the turn before dinking a fine chip into the 18th for a finishing birdie to join the log-jam on four-under.
“I made slow start and was one-over through five but I got used to the conditions and the three birdies really got me going,” said the Royal Burgess trainee.
Kerr birdied the last in the fading light to join the four-under posse while Higson, the winner of the Deer Park Masters earlier this month, birdied three holes in a row from the eighth on his way to a 69.
A Day of Weather Woes
Play was eventually suspended for the day with nine matches still to complete the first round. The first round is expected to be completed on Tuesday morning, setting the stage for the rest of the championship. The remaining players will be looking to make up ground on Cheese, who has put himself in a commanding position. It will be interesting to see if Robertson can mount a successful defense of his title. With a strong field and a challenging course, the Loch Lomond Whiskies Scottish PGA Championship promises to be an exciting event.
Click here for the Dalmahoy leaderboard.
The Road to Dalmahoy
The Arnold Clark Tartan Tour’s flagship event returns to its spiritual home of the East Course for the first time since 1996 and Robertson headlines an impressive field of PGA in Scotland campaigners.
During a memorable 2023 season, which also included a debut appearance in The Open at Royal Liverpool, Robertson went on to land the Loch Lomond Whiskies Scottish PGA Championship at Scotscraig as he joined a decorated roll of honour that includes John Panton, Bernard Gallacher, Sandy Lyle, Brian Barnes, Sam Torrance and Paul Lawrie.
Robertson completed a notable double when he added the prestigious Northern Open title to his collection earlier this season and the 36-year-old has enjoyed having two treasured pieces of silverware on his mantelpiece.
“The shelf was looking really nice for a while,” said Robertson with a smile. “My daughter, who is in Primary Six, actually had a thing at school about parents who had an interesting job. So, I went in with the trophies and done a wee talk to her class. I think she was quite proud of her old dad.
“Winning the Scottish PGA, one of the most prestigious titles in Scotland, was a big moment. Ever since I qualified for The Open, I seemed to have more self-belief.
“It’s a game of small margins and a wee bit of confidence can make a big difference. I just trusted myself much more last year and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.”
Robertson Relishing the Challenge
The return to Dalmahoy, which was a regular host to the Loch Lomond Whiskies Scottish PGA Championship during the 1980s and 1990s, is being eagerly anticipated and Robertson is relishing the challenge of the storied East Course.
“I like it as a venue and hopefully I can put up a good defence,” he said. “I’d say it suits my game. The East Course is one that asks for a driver and when a course is like that, I tend to do well. You can be quite aggressive. Hopefully, it’ll be right up my street.”
Injury Concerns for Robertson
Robertson has been nursing a niggling wrist injury for the last couple of weeks and the former Scotland amateur cap is hoping that won’t derail his bid to become the first back-to-back winner of the title since Ross Drummond in 1989 and 1990.
He added: “I struggled with the wrist three years ago and it’s just flared up again. It’s just ligaments. And getting old. I’ve played so much golf this year and it’s maybe just catching up with me.”
Dalmahoy Ready to Host
The Dalmahoy showpiece will commence on Monday August 26 with a 20-team Pro-Am before the 72-hole championship itself gets under way on Tuesday August 27. As well as Robertson, the line-up also includes Tartan Tour heavyweights Alastair Forsyth and Craig Lee.
Craig Waddell, Director of Golf & Leisure at Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club said: “It is a real honour to host the Loch Lomond Whiskies Scottish PGA Championship at Dalmahoy once again.
“The Pro-Am is a brilliant opportunity for professionals and amateur golfers to come together and play on a world-class championship course and we look forward to welcoming some of the country’s finest golfing talent.”
David Longmuir, Manager of The PGA in Scotland, added: “We are delighted to return to the Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club for the first time in 28 years where famous names have previously lifted the Scottish PGA Championship trophy including Sam Torrance, Bernard Gallacher and Collin Gillies to name a few.
“This year’s tournament will feature the leading players in the Arnold Clark PGA in Scotland Tartan Tour circuit and I’m sure the golf course will provide a great challenge and a worthy winner.”
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