ERIC RAMSAY TIES FOR THIRD PLACE BEHIND
WESTERBERG IN KAZAKHSTAN OPEN

From Michael Gibbons
Challenge Tour Press Officer

Sweden's Leif Westerberg completed the “greatest day of my career” to win the richest European Challenge Tour event in history at the Kazakhstan Open and, as a result, secure his place on The 2008 European Tour.
Westerberg stood firm during a final round filled with drama and intensity to make a vital par 4 at the Nurtau Golf Club’s testing 18th hole to post a level par 72 for a nine under winning total of 279 and a one stroke victory over playing partner Ross McGowan from England.
By picking up a cheque for €52,800, Westerberg made a huge leap at the business end of the Challenge Tour Rankings, moving to third place with season’s earnings of €96,138 to guarantee his place among the top 20 players who will be handed a European Tour card at the season- ending Apulia San Domenico Grand Final in four weeks.
Playing alongside McGowan and Carnoustie's Eric Ramsay – who would finish the week in a tie for third place alongside Welshman Jamie Donaldson to earn 21,450 Euros each – Westerberg held his nerve under the most intense scrutiny.
One behind McGowan at the start of the final round, the 33 year old Swede took the lead by turning in one under 35 to McGowan’s 37.
McGowan then suffered a horrible double bogey 7 on the par-5 13th as Westerberg birdied to establish a four-shot lead, but there was more drama to unfold as Westerberg dropped a shot on the 14th and McGowan continued to fight back with a birdie on the 16t to cut the Swede’s lead to two strokes.
Both players negotiated the treacherous par-5f 17th nervously, with Westerberg pulling his second shot into the trees on the left, and McGowan finding the greenside bunker with his third shot.
Westerberg had no option but to hack out of the trees, and his failure to get up and down, coupled with McGowan’s brilliant recovery as he chipped in for par, meant that the lead was cut to one coming down the 18th.
Both players hit fine drives under pressure, with Westerberg standing firm to knock his approach onto the green, some 20 feet short of the flag. McGowan drew a great second shit pin high, 12 feet left of the cup, but after Westerberg tapped in for par the Englishman could not hole his birdie chance, leaving the Swede to celebrate a momentous victory.
“This is the greatest achievement of my career, without a doubt,” said Westerberg. “When my ball went into the bushes on 17 I was having all sorts of disastrous thoughts in my mind.
“I was very nervous coming through it all, but it was the same on the 18th and I managed to hold it together there and play a really solid approach, which was good enough to win.
“I am just so happy to have this tournament. With the prize money on offer here, the Kazakhstan Open is the tournament that I think every Challenge Tour player wants to win most, so I am delighted to have come through.
“It means so much to me to have secured my European Tour card for next year. Now I have the chance to go on from here and maybe even win the Rankings if I can keep playing well. That’s the new goal.”
Aberdeen's Richie Ramsay came with a last-round charge, a five-under-par 67, to share fifth place on 282, only three shots behind the winner. Richie, who failed to get past the recent Stage 1 of the European Tour Qualifying School process, earned his biggest pro pay check yet - 12,375 Euros, giving him a running total of 16,840 Euros and 75th position on the current Challenge Tour rankings.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72). 7,338yd
279 Leif Westerberg Swe 64 71 72 72.
280 Ross McGowan Eng 68 71 67 74.
281 Eric Ramsay Sco 70 68 70 73, Jamie Donaldson Wal 70 71 71 69.
282 Alvaro Salto Esp 71 73 69 69; Raphaël Eyraud Fra 69 70 71 72; Richie Ramsay Sco 74 69 72 67; Richard Treis Ger 68 71 71 72.
283 Fabrizio Zanotti Par 68 74 73 68; Andrew Butterfield Eng 70 72 70 71; Peter Whiteford Sco 67 71 75 70.
284 Jan-Are Larsen Nor 73 69 73 69; Tim Dykes Wal 69 71 72 72; Joost Luiten Ned 75 70 70 69.
285 Chris Gane Eng 72 68 70 75; Magnus Persson Swe 74 71 69 71; Iain Pyman Eng 72 71 74 68; Scott Henderson Sco 73 69 73 70; Fredrik Widmark Swe 68 73 71 73; Pontus Ericsson Swe 68 69 75 73.
286 Magnus A Carlsson Swe 71 71 74 70; Martin Wiegele Aut 72 73 68 73 ; Klas Eriksson Swe 77 68 70 71; Gareth Paddison Nzl 71 73 73 69; Jeppe Huldahl Den 74 71 72 69;
287 Carlos Del Moral Esp 75 68 73 71; George Murray Sco 74 69 71 73; Paul Dwyer Eng 67 74 73 73;
288 Phil Worthington Eng 76 69 72 71; Mikko Korhonen Fin 76 69 74 69; Robert Coles Eng 72 72 70 74; John E Morgan Eng 73 67 74 74; Gareth Wright Wal 70 72 71 75; Hernan Rey Arg 68 68 75 77.
289 Roope Kakko Fin 68 76 73 72; Alvaro Velasco Esp 71 72 76 70; Fredrik Ohlsson Swe 74 71 71 73; Carlos Cardeza Arg 72 67 80 70; Mikael Lundberg Swe 72 71 72 74; Sébastien Delagrange Fra 75 70 72 72.
290 Pablo Del Grosso Arg 71 69 77 73; Paul Waring Eng 79 65 69 77; Michael Lorenzo-Vera Fra 70 70 75 75.
291 Stuart Manley Wal 72 72 75 72; Kieran Staunton Eng 72 73 75 71; John Mellor Eng 74 70 73 74; Benoit Teilleria Fra 72 69 77 73; Nicolas Vanhootegem Bel 74 71 71 75.
292 Stuart Davis Eng 73 69 79 71; Pablo Larrazabal Esp 72 72 73 75.
293 André Bossert Sui 74 71 74 74; Philip Golding Eng 70 74 77 72; Martin Maritz Rsa 73 71 78 71.
294 Juan Abbate Arg 73 71 75 75.
296 Gustavo Acosta Arg 72 72 74 78; Jamie Little Eng 71 71 77 77.
298 Anthony Snobeck Fra 70 72 76 80.
299 Adam Gee Eng 76 69 77 77; Felipe Aguilar Chi 70 75 76 78;
300 Inder Van Weerelt Ned 71 74 83 72;
302 Matthew Richardson Eng 75 70 79 78;