CASTLE STUART, July 10, 2011 (AFP) - World number one Luke Donald warmed up for this week's British Open in the best way possible with victory in the storm-hit Scottish Open at Inverness on Sunday.
Donald captured his third Tour title this year by four shots with a final round 63 for a 19-under par victory tally in the reduced 54-hole event on the Castle Stuart course.
Donald had commenced the last day in a share of fifth place at one stroke behind four players who led at 11-under par but surged to the front with four birdies in succession from the third hole from where he was never headed.
"It's been a long week with so many delays but conditions were good today for scoring and I took advantage of it," said Donald.
"I holed putts when I needed to, and it's nice to do it when it matters. Certainly I did that today. So it's nice to get another victory, too. I think I can get used to this."
The 33-year-old Chicago-based Briton collected his sixth European Tour success and his 10th worldwide with a round that included nine birdies, four of them in succession from the third hole.
"Some of my other victories have been very close coming down the 18th, and with still four or five holes to go, the goal was to make three birdies," he said.
"I knew that there were still a lot of opportunities for birdies; that someone could go on a run behind me and I needed to keep pressing on. But then when I birdied 15, 16 and the last, I accomplished that goal."
Donald, who has yet to win a Major, was heading straight to Royal St. George's in Kent to prepare for Thursday's start of the 140th British Open.
"I see this win as all positives. I'll be high on confidence. I'm hitting the ball nicely and to do it on a links course is even better.
"That's the one reason why I decided to play in Scotland this year, because of the move here to Castle Stuart, so I'm looking forward to hopefully bringing this game to next week."
Sweden's Frederik Andersson Hed carded a last round of 62 to finish a distant second on 15-under par and in his best finish since winning last year's Italian Open.
Six players shared third place at 14-under par including Argentina's Angel Cabrera (67), Italian Lorenzo Galgi (66), Chilean Mark Tullo (66), South African George Coetzee (67), Belguim's Nicolas Colsaerts (67) and Scotland's Scott Jamieson (69).
But it was Jamieson with one of the biggest smiles.
Despite commencing the final round in a four-way share of the lead at 11-under par, the 27-year old Tour rookie holed a 20-foot birdie putt on 18 in a round of 69 to earn a place in this week's Open.
Cabrera and Colsaerts were already exempt with Jamieson earning the place as his current 205th world ranking was lower than Coetzee (155th), Tullo (232nd) and Gagli (353rd).
However while Jamieson was happy, compatriot Colin Montgomerie ended a run of 21 straight appearances in the British Open by missing out on qualification.
Last year's Ryder Cup-winning captain needed a top-five finish to make the field at Royal St George's, but a double-bogey on the short 11th ultimately cost him. He carded a final day 70 for a share of 31st place at 10-under par.
"I got in a position and it's disappointing," he said. "It was going well and then I sort of ran out of puff. I'm just driving home now and it will sink in then."
"It's very disappointing as I just came up too short, so there you go," he said.
Leading and selected third and final round scores in the Scottish Open on Sunday (par 72; GBR/IRL unless stated):
Note: Tournament reduced to 54 holes after storms prevented any play on Saturday.
197 - Luke Donald 67-67-63
201 - Fredrik Andersson Hed (SWE) 73-66-62
202 - Martin Wiegele (AUT) 69-68-65, Mark Tullo (CHI) 65-71-66, Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 69-66-67, Angel Cabrera (ARG) 71-64-67, George Coetzee (RSA) 66-69-67, Lorenzo Gagli (ITA) 68-68-66, Scott Jamieson 67-66-69
203 - Peter Hanson (SWE) 66-67-70, Robert Coles 70-69-64, Jamie Donaldson 67-68-68, Matt Kuchar (USA) 70-66-67
204 - Robert Jan Derksen (NED) 71-67-66, Retief Goosen (RSA) 67-71-66, Jose Manuel Lara (ESP) 68-66-70, Romain Wattel (FRA) 70-67-67, Justin Rose 69-67-68, Shane Lowry 69-70-65, Paul McGinley 69-69-66, Mark Foster 69-67-68, Lee Westwood 65-71-68, Padraig Harrington 69-67-68, Barry Lane 67-67-70
205 - Carlos Del Moral (ESP) 67-72-66, Paul Lawrie 71-64-70, Ernie Els (RSA) 68-69-68, Alastair Forsyth 70-70-65, David Lynn 70-67-68, Simon Dyson 68-70-67
Selected:
206 - Colin Montgomerie 67-69-70
207 - Graeme McDowell 69-64-74, Jeev Milkha Singh (IND) 70-70-67, Hennie Otto (RSA) 72-67-68
208 - Michael Campbell (NZL) 68-71-69, Edoardo Molinari (ITA) 67-69-72
209 - Phil Mickelson (USA) 73-67-69
211 - Richard Green (AUS) 69-70-72, Darren Clarke 69-67-75