Robert MacIntyre fires Sunday 64 to win Cyprus Showdown

Bangor native Jonathan Caldwell finished eight shots back in unique Sunday shootout

Robert MacIntyre of Scotland lifts the trophy after winning the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown in Paphos, Cyprus. Photo: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
Robert MacIntyre of Scotland lifts the trophy after winning the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown in Paphos, Cyprus. Photo: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre produced a brilliant finish to claim his first European Tour title in the Cyprus Showdown.

Jonathan Caldwell was well-placed after his first two holes when he started with consecutive birdies but followed those with back-to-back bogeys and ended up signing for a one over par round of 72.

MacIntyre birdied four of his last six holes at Aphrodite Hills to card a seven-under-par 64 and finish a shot ahead of Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura.

The 24-year-old from Oban was inches away from a hole-in-one on the 17th and tapped in for birdie to briefly take the outright lead before Kawamura birdied the 18th to complete a 65.

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That left MacIntyre needing to birdie the last to win and the left-hander followed a perfect drive with a solid approach before safely two-putting from 20 feet to secure victory.

An emotional MacIntyre told Sky Sports: “It’s what I’ve been working for. It’s been a difficult few months for me, only my family know what’s gone on.

“I can’t believe it.”

Collated final scores in the European Tour Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown, Aphrodite Hills Resort, Paphos, Cyprus (British unless stated, par 71):

64 Robert Macintyre

65 Masahiro Kawamura (Jpn)

66 Jorge Campillo (Spa)

67 Callum Shinkwin, Johannes Veerman (USA), Thomas Detry (Bel)

68 Gavin Green (Mal, Alexander Levy (Fra)

69 Steven Brown, Matthew Jordan, Niklas Lemke (Swe), Louis De Jager (Rsa), Bernd Ritthammer (Ger

70 Marcus Armitage

71 James Morrison

72 Richard Bland, Jonathan Caldwell (NIrl)

73 Sami Valimaki (Fin)

75 Jamie Donaldson