Grant Forrest misses out on maiden Challenge Tour title after final heartache

Lothians star Grant Forrest fell at the final hurdle in his bid to land a maiden victory on the Challenge Tour in Spain.

Grant Forrest

The Craigielaw player lost to Liam Johnston in an all-Scottish final in the Andalucia-Costa del Sol Match Play 9 at Valle Romano in Estepona.

The pair had been room-mates for the event and found themselves battling it out for the title after a series of nine-hole knockout matches.

“It was obviously tough as I’ve known Grant for a long time,” said Johnston, a 25-year-old from Dumfries.

“But it’s golf and you have just got to hope it works out in the end. It did make it a bit tougher as you want him to do well as well. But, one once it’s down to one versus one, you have to get on with it.”

Forrest, who beat Stuart Manley of Wales in his semi-final, picked up just under £20,000 as his consolation prize, lifting the Craigielaw player to 12th in the Road to Ras Al Khaimah.

On the European Tour, David Drysdale finished third after losing to the eventual winner, Spaniard Adrian Otaegui, in the Belgian Knockout at Rinkven International Golf Club in Antwerp.

The effort, which came on the back of six consecutive missed cuts for the normally consistent Cockburnspath man, earned Drysdale just under £55,000, lifting from outside the top 200 to 116th in this season’s Race to Dubai.