Staff WriterAfter 182 starts and countless close calls, Connor Syme finally stood on the 18th green at The International in Amsterdam and let out the sort of sigh that only a maiden DP World Tour victory can bring.
The 29-year-old Scot was as steady as a metronome in Sunday’s final round, seeing off playing partner Joakim Lagergren by two shots and etching his name alongside the likes of Montgomerie and Brand Jr as Scottish winners of the KLM Open.
A Match Play Duel for the Trophy
The final day had the feel of a match-play duel, even though Francesco Laporta was along for the ride after weather shuffled the pairings.
Syme started the day two clear and never let Lagergren get closer than that. A birdie at the second from four feet got him rolling, and though Lagergren answered with a 15-footer of his own at seven, the Swede’s slip at the ninth bunker handed the momentum back to the Scot.
Both players matched birdies at 13, but Syme’s first bogey in 33 holes at the next gave Lagergren a glimmer of hope.
That was snuffed out soon after when Lagergren’s chip at 15 brushed the cup but wouldn’t drop—Syme’s three-shot advantage with three to play looked as safe as a Scot’s wallet in a Dutch bar.
Cool Under Pressure
Syme’s calm around the 16th and 17th—an up-and-down for par and then another cool save as Lagergren dropped a shot—gave him a four-shot lead heading to the last.
Even when Lagergren unleashed a last-gasp fairway wood at the 18th that soared straight over the pin and rattled in for eagle, Syme wasn’t about to flinch.
A 70-foot two-putt to seal the deal was the final flourish of a week that was all about composure.
Champagne Moments and Career Milestones
It wasn’t just Syme’s day—Ewen Ferguson provided his own highlight with a hole-in-one at the seventh, a champagne moment that fuelled a final-round 67 and a share of third place alongside Richie Ramsay and Jack Senior.
Jayden Schaper of South Africa finished third outright at four under, his 69 showing once again that this kid’s got game.
Laporta’s bogey at the last dropped him back to two under, sharing that spot with the usual suspects—Nicolai von Dellingshausen, Jorge Campillo, and a smattering of Englishmen who all had their moments but were left chasing Syme’s shadow by day’s end.
The Verdict? Syme Finally Delivers
So, was it worth watching? You bet your putter it was. Syme’s final round was the sort of performance that suggests he’s more than just another name on the leaderboard—he’s a player who knows how to close, how to hold steady when it matters most.
And for a man who’d waited this long, there’s no better way to do it than with the sort of Scottish steel that Montgomerie himself would have applauded.
Here’s to Syme’s first—and the many more that may well follow.
