Two bad drives in his final round at the Seville Open cost Stephen Gallacher a stab at glory.
He ended up bogeying the 15th and saving par at the next for a four-under 68 to finish joint second behind Argentine Ricardo Gonzalez at the Real Club yesterday.
But it could have been so different for Gallacher, who was chasing his first victory in eight years on the European Tour, had he not strayed off target at two key holes.
The 29-year-old from Bathgate snap-hooked his drive into the trees at the 15th and at the par-five 16th his drive finished behind a tree. That cost him any chance of doing better than par on a hole where he needed a birdie at worst to keep the pressure on.
Gallacher, who was playing his first tournament in four weeks following the birth of his second child, said: 'The two bad drives were the only bad shots I hit all day.
'I was just trying to keep a bogey off my card because I knew if I did that I had a chance on the par fives.
'The15th is probably the hardest hole we play all year. It's a fantastic golf hole.
'The 16th is not easy either especially when you're behind a tree.
'It's hard to hold the green, even with a lob wedge. The pin was right on the front, the hardest pin on the course.'
Gallacher felt he had not played all that well after starting the week aiming simply to ease himself back into competitive action after his break.
He added: 'I felt I was coming from behind all the time, chasing all the way. I began three back and shot four under and I was still behind. There was nothing more I could do. I did my best.
'But I enjoyed it. I spoke to my coach, Adam Hunter, and psychologist, John Pats, and they helped.'
Gallacher birdied the fourth hole from 15 feet, the eighth from20 feet and the ninth with two putts.
At the long 13thhe struck a fine drive but his two-iron second found a greenside bunker.But he chipped out to three feet and holed for birdie.
Gonzalez's victory after a final round of 69 was the third of his career, the others coming in the2001European Masters in Switzerland and the Madrid Open last year. He did it despite a week of poor driving in which he hit only one fairway in his third round on Saturday and just four yesterday. Crucially they were the last four on the course.
Gonzalez said: 'That's the best finish of my life. And I think this will open the door to the top 50 in the world.That is my objective this year.'
Gallacher shared second place with Ayrshire-based Englishman Jonathan Lomas, whose 66 included a hole in one at the 168-yard third.
Alan McLean, the nomadic Scot who was raised in South Africa and now lives in Canada, led briefly after three birdies over the first five holes but faded with four bogeys for a 73 to share ninth place.
Motherwell's Steven O'Hara carded a 71 to finish joint 10th, a fine showing after missing the halfway cut in his previous three events.
He said: 'I didn't play great but I hung in. It was a good week, except for that second-round 76. Even if I'd managed level-par I would have been right up there. But it was a good performance and I hope I can build on it.'
