The Auld Grey Toun was certainly that yesterday as the heavily-laden clouds perched menacingly above St Andrews delivered the kind of regular and ferocious downpours that would’ve had a panic-stricken Noah scampering across the West Sands and louping on to his Ark.

By the time Matthew Jordan got his hands on the St Andrews Links Trophy, though, the weather gods had relented and gave him his moment in the sun. The 21-year-old from Hoylake posted final day cards of 69 and 70 on the Old Course for an 11-under 277 and a one shot win over Ireland’s John Ross Galbraith.

Twenty years after Justin Rose won this same title, Jordan, who landed the prestigious Hampshire Hog at Rose’s home course of North Hants last year, was savouring his breakthrough triumph on the international stage.

You could say this victory was coming. On the amateur circuit in recent weeks, Jordan has finished seventh in the Lytham Trophy, fourth in the Irish Open, fifth at the Brabazon Trophy and second in the Scottish Open Strokeplay. “I’ve been putting myself up there and it doesn’t come much bigger than this,” said Jordan, whose grandfather, Anthony, was a distinguished Commonwealth Games badminton player for England back in the day and is a member of the Royal & Ancient. There may have been a few celebratory measures being poured in the Big Room of the R&A’s grand clubhouse last night.

On a tough day over the ancient links, Jordan battled manfully and hauled himself into a share of the 54-hole lead by picking up birdies at the 17th and 18th in his third round of 69.

He covered his first 12 holes of his final round in five-under to open up a commanding lead but the Old Course can always bite you coming home and he leaked a shot on the 13th before stumbling to back-to-back bogeys on 17 and 18.

All of a sudden, things were decidedly tight as the last couple of players tried to reel him in. Ben Ferguson of Australia birdied 16 and the tough 17th and needed to birdie the last to tie at the top but he got “too cute” with his pitch to the green and his hopes died in the Valley of Sin as he made bogey to finish on nine-under. Galbraith stole in with a birdie on the last to grab second, a shot behind the victorious Jordan. “I needed a big win to help my Walker Cup hopes and hopefully the selectors are noticing me now,” he added.

Liam Johnston, fresh from winning the Scottish Open Strokeplay Championship last week, couldn’t quite produce his Sunday best yesterday but the Dumfries man was happy enough with a solid seventh place on a six-under 282 after a 69 and a 71. “I wasn’t quite firing on all cylinders so given I wasn’t playing my best, I’m happy enough with the result,” said the Walker Cup hopeful.

On the female front, meanwhile, it’s onwards and southwards for Connie Jaffrey as she heads down the road to Wales for this week’s British Ladies Amateur Championship at Pyle & Kenfig. The 20-year-old Troon Ladies member will travel with a sizeable spring in her step after winning the Scottish Ladies Amateur Championship at a dreich Royal Aberdeen on Saturday. Jaffrey, a runner-up in the championship three years ago, staved off the menacing late advances of the 2015 champion Clara Young in the 18-hole final to win by two holes.

Jaffrey had been five-up after 10 but Young mounted a rousing recovery and won five holes in a row from the 11th to square a topsy-turvy tussle before Jaffrey edged herself over the finishing line. “The key to my success was definitely my short game and putting,” said Jaffrey. “Hopefully I can maintain my performances going into the British this week. I’m extremely proud as the Scottish has been a title I have chasing for some time.”

Jaffrey will defend her crown next season at Blairgowrie, which will host the championship for the first time in the event’s 104 year history