Scottish golfer gets call from Trump after winning DP World Tour title

Scotland’s Scott Jamieson ended a wait of almost 14 years to claim his second DP World Tour title, on the Tour staged under the banner of the “Race to Dubai”, after winning the Nexo Championship at Trump International in Aberdeenshire.

Jamieson’s success was made even more significant as he also secured the honorary title of this season’s Closing Swing Champion, with the season entering its final stretch this week ahead of the start of the Back 9, before the grand global finale in the UAE, with events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, respectively, in November.

But what really capped off the Scot’s success was a video call with US President Donald Trump following his win. 

"He (Trump) was very complimentary and it sounds like he was actually watching it," Jamieson told BBC Sport. "He said he was following along, so it was really cool... I mean he is the President of the United States."

Jamieson produced an impressive performance on the final day, carding a 67 to finish the tournament at 11 under par. He earned 585 points, climbing 93 places to 42nd in the latest Race to Dubai Rankings released on Monday, with a season total of 802 points.

"Fourteen years, that's wild," said Jamieson. "It's just so tough, so hard to win. I was so patient all day... just can't believe I've won."

The Scot’s strong performances in the Closing Swing, during which he accumulated 604 points, also earned him an additional $200,000 bonus, taking his total prize money for the weekend to more than $700,000 when combined with his prize for winning the Nexo Championship.

The 42-year-old Jamieson has enjoyed a long career on the DP World Tour, with the tournament marking his 421st appearance on the Tour.

The Scottish event also saw Adrian Otaegui continue his steady progress towards qualifying for the season-ending playoffs and becoming the first UAE player to achieve the historic feat, after finishing tied 16th with a tournament total of two under par.

Otaegui moved up three places following the result to sit 32nd in the Race to Dubai Rankings, with a season total of 891 points.

The top 70 players in the Race to Dubai Rankings qualify for the DP World Tour Play-Offs, beginning with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links from November 5 to 8. The top 50 players will then qualify for the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 12 to 15, where the season champion will be crowned.

Alongside the Closing Swing, the current season has featured the Opening Swing, International Swing, International Swing and Asian Swing, while the Back 9 begins this week.

American Patrick Reed currently leads the Race to Dubai Rankings with 2,889 points, closely pursued by Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, the defending season champion, who currently has 2,552 points.

The current season features 42 tournaments around the world.