Laycock, who fired a bogey-free round of six-under on Tuesday, finished the Championship at ten-under par to claim victory by three shots over Queensland’s TJ King and New-South Welshman, Jayden Cripps.

The second time he has won the Dan Cullen Cup, Laycock’s complete performance in blustery afternoon conditions formed only part of the story on Tuesday afternoon, as he demonstrated remarkable humility just minutes after holing his Championship-winning putt.

With an exemption into the 2022 Fortinet Australian PGA Championship provided to the top two finishers, both Cripps and King – who finished tied at seven-under – birdied their first play-off hole for the position, before Laycock intervened – shaking hands with the pair and congratulating them on earning their places at Royal Queensland – as he forfeited his own exemption.

“They both played well, good luck to them, I’m sure they’ll go a long way in their golf,” Laycock smiled. “It’s great to give these guys the chance to get up there and progress their careers.”

A striking show of generosity, it was gratefully received by King, who roared home, finishing birdie, birdie, eagle just to earn his place in the play-off.

“I didn’t think I was in the picture there to be honest,” explained King. “I don’t have the words to describe what Scott’s just done. He’s been there and done it all, so for him to do that for two young blokes is just incredible.”

Equally, Cripps was overcome by Laycock’s offer, wrapping him in a big bear hug as the news sunk in on the eighteenth green.

“I can’t believe it. I’ve just met Scott today and for him to do that for us is really amazing.”

A particularly popular winner, Laycock’s victory was almost assured from the first hole, as he made a nerveless six-footer for birdie to tie the lead. From there, he only vacated the top spot briefly, as he plotted his way around sensibly, and regularly gave himself the chance to score.

A crucial par-save on the par-five ninth got him moving, as Royal Hobart’s teaching professional went on an exceptional four-under run through the first five holes of the back nine.

“I pride myself on my ability to control my ball flight in tough conditions,” explained Laycock who has a range of playing experience both at home and overseas. “I wasn’t pleased with how I’d played that (ninth) hole, so to make that putt for par was really pleasing.

“From there I almost knocked it in on the (par three) eleventh, hit it to five feet on the twelfth and hit the flagstick on fourteen as well, so that little stretch was great.”

The second time he has won the PGA Professionals Championship, Laycock claimed victory in 2018 and was runner-up in 2019. Proud to return to the top of the podium, he also notes the value of giving PGA Professionals the chance to perform in tournament conditions like they faced at Yarra Yarra.

“I think it’s really important that we get the chance to play events like this,” Laycock explained. “That’s why we get into the game, because we love it. We love playing and now we are fortunate enough to make a living out of it in one way or another.

“For me, I’ve been playing for a lot of years and I still get the juices flowing and get competitive, it’s a wonderful event.”

Composed down the stretch, Laycock finished with four straight pars as the chasing pack fought for places in the top ten.

Michael Moore shot a second-round sixty-nine, enough to tie fourth place with Victoria’s Bradley McLellan at five-under par. McLellan himself enjoyed a fast finish, making five straight birdies in his back nine to earn a place at the top end of the leader board.

Similarly, Ben Bunny played the back nine in three-under to secure his place in the top-ten, while Manly’s William Flitcroft backed-up yesterday’s strong showing with a steady round of seventy-one, to finish at four-under.

For Laycock, who will be getting married in November, victory means a great deal and he knows it will be warmly received back in Tasmania.

“The Royal Hobart members love to follow Matt Docking (Head Professional) and myself,” he said. “We regularly play with them as best we can, and they do support us a lot.”

To view the final standings from the 2022 PGA Professionals Championship, CLICK HERE