Scottish Open: Gary Player, three-time British Open champion and rancher of not insignificant note, has always been a better than average judge of horseflesh. So when the diminutive South African chose his young compatriot Tim Clark as one of his two captain's picks for the International team that would play the United States in the 2003 President's Cup, it should have been clear that the equally short-of-stature Clark - he is 5ft 7in and 10st 10lb - was a golfer of some potential.
Two years on, however, that public tribute from his country's most famous player needs some revision. Tim Clark has now arrived.
Twice a winner of his national title, the 29-year-old from Durban yesterday added the Barclays Scottish Open to his portfolio.
Appropriately for a proud Springbok, he outlasted a large scrum of players down the stretch at Loch Lomond, and his closing 67 took him to 19 under par and a two-shot advantage over Darren Clarke and Maarten Lafeber.
A fast-finishing Ian Poulter, whose six-under-par 65 was the best score of the day, finished fourth.
It was typically gritty stuff from Clark, who arrived in Scotland having finished no lower than 13th in his previous three events, one of which was the US Open, where he tied for third. As, one by one, the challengers fell away or came up short, he was the epitome of steadiness.
Only once did he drop a shot to par, and he rounded things off, as true champions tend to do, with a 25-foot putt for a closing birdie that made him €600,000 richer. Evidence indeed of his prowess with the long putter.
"That was a tough day," he sighed. "I knew it was always going to take a good score to win. But I also knew I had it in me. Coming in, my game was as good as it has been in a long time. All I was trying to do with that last putt was get it close. The last thing I wanted was a ticklish one for the win.
"On quality of field it's my biggest win, but it's always great to win your home title. Maarten played great too and the quality of golf kept us both going."
For the two men in second place there was much in the way of compensation, quite apart from the obvious boost to their bank balances. In particular, Lafeber had a lot to feel good about. His steady 69 secured him a spot in the British Open Championship as the leading non-exempt player here, a feat made more difficult by a 67 from his nearest challenger, Nick Dougherty, who pulled up two shots shy.
Clarke was also beaming at the close. After struggling with his swing earlier in the week, the Dungannon man had located the problem on the range after his third round and struck the ball with authority during a closing 66 which was highlighted by an eagle two at the fourth, where he holed out with a wedge from 139 yards.
"I needed a good start and I got it," he declared. "My caddie, Billy, said to me on the fourth, 'Whatever you do, don't go at this flag'. I didn't listen. But I also needed to hit the ball closer over the last few holes and just couldn't get it done."
For the rest there was only minor-place money to scrap over and swings to work on before the serious business begins in Fife three days.
Phil Mickelson was one of those. At the end of an event he confessed was more about getting over jet lag and practising the various punch shots he thinks will be required on the Old Course, the former Masters champion seemed chuffed with the way things had gone, even if he did finish in a distant tie for 44th.
"It's been a fun week," he claimed. "I love playing in Scotland, especially if you can guarantee me weather like this. Does it ever get bad here? It's just like San Diego."
The new deal with VisitScotland is surely only a matter of time.
Guardian Service
(British unless stated, Irish in bold)
265 - Tim Clark (Rsa) 67 66 65 67 (€400,000).
267 - Darren Clarke (NIre) 67 65 69 66, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 67 63 68 69 (€208,450 each).
268 - Ian Poulter 69 67 67 65 (€120,000).
269 - Nick Dougherty 66 69 67 67, Luke Donald 68 67 67 67, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 64 67 68 70 (85,920 each).
270 - Peter Hedblom (Swe) 67 68 68 67, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 67 69 66 68, Alastair Forsyth 68 64 67 71.
271 - Ernie Els (Rsa) 70 66 67 68.
272 - Gary Orr 68 65 71 68, Adam Scott (Aus) 70 67 64 71.
273 - Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 71 67 69 66, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 74 66 65 68, Francesco Molinari (Ita) 70 66 68 69, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 66 70 67 70.
274 - Anthony Wall 69 66 71 68, Simon Dyson 71 64 70 69, David Lynn 69 68 67 70, Colin Montgomerie 68 69 66 71.
275 - Richard Finch 68 71 68 68, Greg Owen 67 66 72 70, Simon Khan 67 67 70 71.
276 - Richard Bland 69 70 68 69, Lee Westwood 65 69 72 70, David Drysdale 67 69 70 70, Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa) 68 69 69 70, Paul Broadhurst 73 65 65 73.
277 - Phillip Archer 70 67 72 68, Mark Roe 68 71 70 68, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 69 70 69 69, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 65 68 74 70, Tom Lehman (US) 66 69 71 71, Jonathan Lomas 67 65 72 73, Terry Price (Aus) 69 68 67 73, Robert-Jan Derksen (Ned) 69 67 67 74, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 66 69 66 76.
278 - John Bickerton 71 69 72 66, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 71 69 69 69, Christopher Hanell (Swe) 69 69 69 71, Klas Eriksson (Swe) 68 70 68 72, Ben Mason 72 65 68 73.
279 - Robert Allenby (Aus) 68 67 75 69, Phil Mickelson (US) 67 72 71 69, Scott Henderson 72 68 70 69, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 71 67 71 70, Eduardo Romero (Arg) 70 67 71 71, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 69 69 69 72.
280 - Christian Cevaer (Fra) 71 69 72 68, Thomas Levet (Fra) 71 68 71 70, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 66 72 71 71, Philip Golding 70 66 72 72, Garry Houston 70 69 69 72.
281 - Stephen Gallacher 68 70 74 69, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 68 70 72 71.
282 - Simon Wakefield 70 68 67 77.
283 - Jamie Donaldson 71 65 75 72, David Griffiths 69 69 73 72, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 73 67 71 72, Miguel Angel Martin (Spa) 66 73 71 73, Scott Drummond 72 67 71 73, Paul Lawrie 65 71 71 76.
284 - Oliver Wilson 69 69 72 74
285 Peter Gustafsson (Swe) 69 70 72 74.
286 - Jamie Spence 73 67 74 72, Stuart Little 64 73 73 76.
287 - Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 70 70 73 74, Rolf Muntz (Ned) 69 69 73 76, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 72 68 69 78.
288 - Kenneth Ferrie 67 71 79 71.
289 - David Carter 68 68 79 74.
