SCOT'S EUROPEAN TOUR WIN
WARREN TRIUMPHS IN SCANDINAVIAN
MASTERS' PLAY-OFF
Just when we were bemoaning the lack of success of Scottish tour professionals in the men's and women's (British) Opens, up pops Marc Warren to claim his first European Tour title.
The 25-year-old from Cambuslang birdied three of the last six holes for a last-round 69 which tied him at 10 under par with the home favourite Robert Karlsson, who had led by one with two holes to play.
Warren then parred the second hole of a sudden-death play-off to win the £182,000 first prize, the unfortunate Karlsson having run up a double-bogey 6 with two visits to the trees.
Warren, whose two play-off victories last year helped him top the Challenge Tour rankings and gave him a place on the European Tour, has already decided what to do with his winner's cheque.
"I think a flat of my own could be on the agenda now," he revealed. "I still live at home with my mum and dad. Every Sunday I fly home and give my mum a load of dirty washing so I'm sure she'll be glad to see the back of me!"
Victory also gives Warren an exemption until the end of the 2008 season and lifts him from 129th in the Order of Merit to 53rd.
"It's a great feeling to have that exemption behind me because I was running out of tournaments to keep my card," admitted Warren, who holed the winning putt in the Walker Cup in 2001 and joins GB&I team-mates Luke Donald, Nick Dougherty and Graeme McDowell in the winner's circle - McDowell also made the Scandinavian Masters his first tour victory in 2002.
"It's been a tough year but this more than makes up for everything that's gone before. I'd missed the last four cuts in a row but had been working hard with Bob Torrance and he kept telling me there was nothing wrong with my swing; it was just a matter of me taking it out on the course."
Warren looked to have dropped out of contention after three-putting the sixth and seventh but almost holed his tee-shot on the par-3 eighth to get back on track and also birdied the 13th, 16th and 18th to set the clubhouse target.
Karlsson had been as many as four shots clear after seven holes after recovering from a bogey at the first with three birdies in his next four holes. A bogey at the 11th gave the chasing pack some hope, but even after Warren's superb finish drew him level, the 6ft 5in Swede birdied the 16th to edge ahead after finding a path through the trees following a wayward drive.
He was not so lucky after a similar drive on the 17th, however, and in the end did well to scramble a bogey 5 to drop back alongside Warren.
It was Warren's turn to scramble a bogey on the first play-off hole - the 18th - as Karlsson failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker.
When the players returned to the 18th again it was Karlsson's turn to hit a poor tee shot and when his attempted recovery hit a tree and rebounded into further trouble Warren was left to seal an unexpected triumph.
"I tried to keep saying to myself it was no different to the Challenge Tour, even though I was up against a player the calibre of Robert," added Warren. "I know pressure can make people make mistakes and I had my fingers crossed I would get another chance.
"I really enjoy being in pressure situations, I don't really have any fear about what can go wrong. I just try to picture myself holding the trophy.
"I have a belief that when I'm under pressure I can conjure something up when it matters."
Karlsson insisted he had "no regrets" despite missing out on becoming only the fourth player to win back-to-back tournaments on the European Tour in the last ten years.
"If you had asked me on Tuesday if I would take second place I would have said 'yes'. Any time you finish second in a tournament the week after winning you can't complain," said Karlsson, who at least had the consolation of securing his place in the Ryder Cup team, barring a miraculous set of circumstances.
+Look out for our daily coverage from the boys' home internationals at Lossiemouth this week. The three-day event starts on Tuesday but we'll have a preview from the Moray Golf Club venue on this site later today.
MASTERS' PLAY-OFF
Just when we were bemoaning the lack of success of Scottish tour professionals in the men's and women's (British) Opens, up pops Marc Warren to claim his first European Tour title.
The 25-year-old from Cambuslang birdied three of the last six holes for a last-round 69 which tied him at 10 under par with the home favourite Robert Karlsson, who had led by one with two holes to play.
Warren then parred the second hole of a sudden-death play-off to win the £182,000 first prize, the unfortunate Karlsson having run up a double-bogey 6 with two visits to the trees.
Warren, whose two play-off victories last year helped him top the Challenge Tour rankings and gave him a place on the European Tour, has already decided what to do with his winner's cheque.
"I think a flat of my own could be on the agenda now," he revealed. "I still live at home with my mum and dad. Every Sunday I fly home and give my mum a load of dirty washing so I'm sure she'll be glad to see the back of me!"
Victory also gives Warren an exemption until the end of the 2008 season and lifts him from 129th in the Order of Merit to 53rd.
"It's a great feeling to have that exemption behind me because I was running out of tournaments to keep my card," admitted Warren, who holed the winning putt in the Walker Cup in 2001 and joins GB&I team-mates Luke Donald, Nick Dougherty and Graeme McDowell in the winner's circle - McDowell also made the Scandinavian Masters his first tour victory in 2002.
"It's been a tough year but this more than makes up for everything that's gone before. I'd missed the last four cuts in a row but had been working hard with Bob Torrance and he kept telling me there was nothing wrong with my swing; it was just a matter of me taking it out on the course."
Warren looked to have dropped out of contention after three-putting the sixth and seventh but almost holed his tee-shot on the par-3 eighth to get back on track and also birdied the 13th, 16th and 18th to set the clubhouse target.
Karlsson had been as many as four shots clear after seven holes after recovering from a bogey at the first with three birdies in his next four holes. A bogey at the 11th gave the chasing pack some hope, but even after Warren's superb finish drew him level, the 6ft 5in Swede birdied the 16th to edge ahead after finding a path through the trees following a wayward drive.
He was not so lucky after a similar drive on the 17th, however, and in the end did well to scramble a bogey 5 to drop back alongside Warren.
It was Warren's turn to scramble a bogey on the first play-off hole - the 18th - as Karlsson failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker.
When the players returned to the 18th again it was Karlsson's turn to hit a poor tee shot and when his attempted recovery hit a tree and rebounded into further trouble Warren was left to seal an unexpected triumph.
"I tried to keep saying to myself it was no different to the Challenge Tour, even though I was up against a player the calibre of Robert," added Warren. "I know pressure can make people make mistakes and I had my fingers crossed I would get another chance.
"I really enjoy being in pressure situations, I don't really have any fear about what can go wrong. I just try to picture myself holding the trophy.
"I have a belief that when I'm under pressure I can conjure something up when it matters."
Karlsson insisted he had "no regrets" despite missing out on becoming only the fourth player to win back-to-back tournaments on the European Tour in the last ten years.
"If you had asked me on Tuesday if I would take second place I would have said 'yes'. Any time you finish second in a tournament the week after winning you can't complain," said Karlsson, who at least had the consolation of securing his place in the Ryder Cup team, barring a miraculous set of circumstances.
+Look out for our daily coverage from the boys' home internationals at Lossiemouth this week. The three-day event starts on Tuesday but we'll have a preview from the Moray Golf Club venue on this site later today.
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Monday, August 07, 2006
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