Conor Purcell took the next step in his career with an eagle on the 10th hole and birdie on the 15th to defeat Joakim Lagergren and win his first Challenge Tour title at the Black Desert Northern Ireland Open at Galgorm Castle.
While the performance wasn’t pretty at times, a one-over-par 71 was enough for Purcell to overcome a one-stroke disadvantage and win with the lowest score of thirteen under.
“Overjoyed, don’t know what to say,” said Purcell, who worked his way up from the Alpine Tour and only played his first full Challenge Tour season last year.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long and it’s so great to finally have it happen at home in front of my family and friends.”
Purcell's chances for his first tour title were gone, but the 27-year-old said Saturday that he has learned from those close calls and proved it with a valiant 34 on the back nine.
The Portmarnock player started nervously with bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie, bogey, bogey, before dropping his shot for the fifth time in eight holes to finish on 37, but remarkably he was only one stroke behind, while Raglan struggled to find his 61 and also finished on 37.
Purcell made a beautiful eagle shot on the 10th hole, rolling in from 25 feet to the delight of the crowd. Raglan made birdie to maintain his lead.
“I hit a really bad tee shot on the 8th hole and had a really good bogey, which put me one or two shots behind Joakim, and I knew there was still a chance later, and getting eagle on the 10th hole was a huge momentum shift, and it kept me going.”
After a bogey on the 13th, Purcell took the lead alone for the first time with a crucial birdie on the 15th, while Raglen bogeyed the same hole and the final three pars were enough to get him over the finish line.
“Joakim is a very good player, a proven champion here, and he's won here before, so I knew not to take him lightly. I'm very happy because I had a terrible putt today! But I got the job done.”
Purcell was delighted to win the race on the M1 motorway with family and friends around, and although the K Club’s Irish Challenge begins this week, he still intends to celebrate his breakthrough win.
“It’s amazing, knowing they’re there for you, it gives you a sense of calm, hitting your tee shot on the fairway and they’re rooting for you like crazy and it motivates you to hit some good shots.
“A first birthday has to be celebrated, so I’m looking forward to going home and celebrating with everyone.”
The tournament is hosted by Tom McKibbin and Purcell takes a big step towards joining his compatriots on the DP World Tour next year, with victory moving him up from 24th to 4th in the Road to Mallorca rankings, with a top 20 finish earning a DP World Tour card in November.
McKibbin may have moved on to the PGA Tour by then, but Purcell’s win was a timely boost to his aspirations of reaching the top level in Europe.
Meanwhile, Gary Hurley shot a final-round 75 to tie for 35th at one over, and Jonathan Caldwell shot a 70 to be one shot behind.