Ross McGowan found his groove when it mattered the most to win the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam Open, the opening event on the 2015 MENA Golf Tour schedule, in Rabat, Morocco yesterday, ending a title drought that lasted 612 days.
The Englishman, six shots behind overnight, carded a brilliant five-under 68 to reach three-under for the tournament which was good enough to seal the victory, his second on the tour following the 2012 Abu Dhabi Golf Citizen Open.
With the win, McGowan also matched the feat of compatriot Ross Canavan, who had produced the biggest final comeback by a winner when he claimed the 2011 Ras Al Khaimah Open, wiping off a six-shot deficit.
McGowan’s compatriots Stuart Archibald and Jack Hiluta shared the second spot on one under with Morocco’s Faycal Serghini, a three-time runner-up on the tour, settling for a tied third on level par along with Austria’s Manuel Trappel, who started the final round three in front.
“I played really well and got a bit lucky in the end to win the tournament,” said McGowan after receiving the trophy and a winner’s cheque for $9,000 from Hicham Berdai, director of Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, in the presence of Mohamed Juma Buamaim, chairman of the MENA Golf Tour.
“Six behind overnight, I needed a decent start to get the round going. As luck would have it I birdied three of the first five holes and kept the momentum rolling all the way through,” said the Englishman, whose final round contained six birdies, one eagle and three bogeys.
“Making an eagle on the 10th when I hit a hybrid from 235 yards to within eight feet proved to be the turning point as, at five-under, it was just a case of holding on to the advantage.
"I putted solid and that, in the end, made the difference,” said McGowan, the winner of the 2009 Madrid Masters on the European Tour.
Overnight leader Trappel, who closed with four-over 77, said it was a tough day for him.
Well played @RossMcGowan – the first winner on the 2015 @MENAGolfTour at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam Open
— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) April 7, 2015
“This course doesn’t allow mistakes and I made many. There was nothing special about my game and whatever I did right was derailed once I got on the greens.
“I just struggled on the greens despite creating many birdie opportunities. Playing in the final group for the first time was a great learning curve.
"I need to keep doing things what I have been doing. Hopefully, I will get better with experience,” said the 25-year-old.

Morocco’s Serghini had his chance to force his maiden on the tour, but missed out on converting birdie chances.
“I had at least nine solid birdie chances, but putts just refused to go in. Maybe the greens were on the slower side as the final round wore on,” said Serghini, who had the consolation of winning the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation award for being the best professional from the region.

