DAMIEN McGRANE'S FIRST EURO
TOUR WIN ... AND HE DOES IT
IN STYLE BY NINE STROKES
Irishman Damien McGrane coped with tough conditions at the Beijing CBD International Golf Club to secure his maiden title on the European Tour with an impressive nine-stroke victory at the Volvo China Open today.
After clear skies in the previous three rounds, the players took to the course in heavy rain and wind and the tough playing conditions were reflected in the scores with few birdie putts being made.
With the rest of the players seeing their scorecard littered with bogeys, McGrane kept his cool to produce a steady round which yielded two birdies and three bogeys.
The Irishman, who had been knocking on the door of a first victory this season, carded a one-over-par 73 though his victory had looked certain as early as when he had reached the turn with a four-stroke lead.
Playing partner Oliver Wilson was not so fortunate on the wet course as he endured a torrid day, though he still managed to finish with a share of second place at one-under-par.
The 27-year-old from Mansfield had started the final round three strokes behind McGrane but struggled from the offset, bogeying his first two holes.
Wilson was joined by compatriot Simon Griffiths and Michael Lorenzo-Vera of France who had carded a 74 and a 79 respectively.
"The course was extremely difficult," said Griffiths. "I missed one fairway and if you miss fairways you are going to make bogeys. Hitting those fairways was key."
Mark Brown carded a costly triple bogey on the 18th to throw away a potential second place finish and returned to the clubhouse tied for third.
The New Zealander had been steady throughout his round, dropping just two shots, but that all went to waste on the last hole as he finished alongside last year's champion Markus Brier and Graeme McDowell.
Peter Whiteford was top Scot in joint eighth position on one-over-par 289.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
278 Damien McGrane 68 69 68 73
287 Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 67 69 72 79, Oliver Wilson 72 66 70 79, Simon Griffiths 68 72 73 74
288 Graeme McDowell 73 72 68 75, Markus Brier (Aut) 71 69 72 76, Mark Brown (Nzl) 71 71 69 77
289 Seung-yul Noh (Kor) 71 71 74 73, Peter Whiteford 73 72 71 73, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 73 68 73 75, Jason Knutzon (USA) 68 72 72 77
290 Richard Finch 68 69 76 77, John Bickerton 70 76 72 72
291 Joost Luiten (Ned) 68 73 74 76, Scott Strange (Aus) 73 71 66 81, David Bransdon (Aus) 73 72 68 78, Wen Teh Lu (Tpe) 73 71 71 76
292 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 73 74 72 73, Adam Groom (Aus) 73 70 72 77
293 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 73 74 69 77, Paul Lawrie 71 75 72 75, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 74 72 72 75, Miles Tunnicliff 70 74 74 75
294 Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 75 71 70 78, Marcus Both (Aus) 73 73 73 75, Simon Yates 72 72 75 75, Stuart Manley 72 74 74 74
295 Zane Scotland 68 72 74 81, Gaurav Ghei (Ind) 76 69 75 75, David Howell 72 73 71 79, Li Chao (Chn) 68 74 76 77, Phillip Price 74 71 74 76, Ross Bain 73 73 76 73, Rhys Davies 71 74 71 79, Scott Barr (Aus) 73 74 74 74, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 71 71 70 83, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 72 72 72 79, Sam Little 74 73 71 77
296 Antonio Lascuna (Phi) 72 71 72 81, Sam Walker 71 71 73 81, Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 72 74 72 78
297 Wei Chih Lu (Tha) 75 73 72 77, Airil Rizman (Mal) 69 72 72 84
298 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 75 72 73 78, Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) 69 75 73 81, Marcel Siem (Ger) 76 71 73 78, David Frost (Rsa) 76 72 74 76, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 71 76 73 78
299 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 70 71 75 83, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 72 74 72 81, Todd Vernon (Swi) 71 72 74 82, Mardan Mamat (Sin) 72 74 74 79
300 Gavin Flint (Aus) 73 74 76 77, Barry Lane 78 70 71 81, Paul Broadhurst 76 72 73 79
301 Ross Fisher 74 72 74 81, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 75 72 76 78, Keng-chi Lin (Tai) 75 73 77 76
302 Sung Lee (Kor) 73 75 73 81, Simon Wakefield 72 71 78 81
303 Prom Meesawat (Tha) 71 76 74 82, Kangchun Wu (Chn) 70 73 80 80
304 Frankie Minoza (Phi) 73 72 77 82, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind) 74 73 76 81
309 Rafael Echenique (Arg) 69 76 82 82, Mu Hu (Chn) 74 74 77 84, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 75 71 79 84
311 Wei-Huang Wu (Tpe) 73 75 77 86
312 Julio Zapata (Arg) 70 78 80 84
TOUR WIN ... AND HE DOES IT
IN STYLE BY NINE STROKES
Irishman Damien McGrane coped with tough conditions at the Beijing CBD International Golf Club to secure his maiden title on the European Tour with an impressive nine-stroke victory at the Volvo China Open today.
After clear skies in the previous three rounds, the players took to the course in heavy rain and wind and the tough playing conditions were reflected in the scores with few birdie putts being made.
With the rest of the players seeing their scorecard littered with bogeys, McGrane kept his cool to produce a steady round which yielded two birdies and three bogeys.
The Irishman, who had been knocking on the door of a first victory this season, carded a one-over-par 73 though his victory had looked certain as early as when he had reached the turn with a four-stroke lead.
Playing partner Oliver Wilson was not so fortunate on the wet course as he endured a torrid day, though he still managed to finish with a share of second place at one-under-par.
The 27-year-old from Mansfield had started the final round three strokes behind McGrane but struggled from the offset, bogeying his first two holes.
Wilson was joined by compatriot Simon Griffiths and Michael Lorenzo-Vera of France who had carded a 74 and a 79 respectively.
"The course was extremely difficult," said Griffiths. "I missed one fairway and if you miss fairways you are going to make bogeys. Hitting those fairways was key."
Mark Brown carded a costly triple bogey on the 18th to throw away a potential second place finish and returned to the clubhouse tied for third.
The New Zealander had been steady throughout his round, dropping just two shots, but that all went to waste on the last hole as he finished alongside last year's champion Markus Brier and Graeme McDowell.
Peter Whiteford was top Scot in joint eighth position on one-over-par 289.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
278 Damien McGrane 68 69 68 73
287 Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 67 69 72 79, Oliver Wilson 72 66 70 79, Simon Griffiths 68 72 73 74
288 Graeme McDowell 73 72 68 75, Markus Brier (Aut) 71 69 72 76, Mark Brown (Nzl) 71 71 69 77
289 Seung-yul Noh (Kor) 71 71 74 73, Peter Whiteford 73 72 71 73, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 73 68 73 75, Jason Knutzon (USA) 68 72 72 77
290 Richard Finch 68 69 76 77, John Bickerton 70 76 72 72
291 Joost Luiten (Ned) 68 73 74 76, Scott Strange (Aus) 73 71 66 81, David Bransdon (Aus) 73 72 68 78, Wen Teh Lu (Tpe) 73 71 71 76
292 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 73 74 72 73, Adam Groom (Aus) 73 70 72 77
293 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 73 74 69 77, Paul Lawrie 71 75 72 75, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 74 72 72 75, Miles Tunnicliff 70 74 74 75
294 Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 75 71 70 78, Marcus Both (Aus) 73 73 73 75, Simon Yates 72 72 75 75, Stuart Manley 72 74 74 74
295 Zane Scotland 68 72 74 81, Gaurav Ghei (Ind) 76 69 75 75, David Howell 72 73 71 79, Li Chao (Chn) 68 74 76 77, Phillip Price 74 71 74 76, Ross Bain 73 73 76 73, Rhys Davies 71 74 71 79, Scott Barr (Aus) 73 74 74 74, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 71 71 70 83, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 72 72 72 79, Sam Little 74 73 71 77
296 Antonio Lascuna (Phi) 72 71 72 81, Sam Walker 71 71 73 81, Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 72 74 72 78
297 Wei Chih Lu (Tha) 75 73 72 77, Airil Rizman (Mal) 69 72 72 84
298 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 75 72 73 78, Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) 69 75 73 81, Marcel Siem (Ger) 76 71 73 78, David Frost (Rsa) 76 72 74 76, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 71 76 73 78
299 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 70 71 75 83, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 72 74 72 81, Todd Vernon (Swi) 71 72 74 82, Mardan Mamat (Sin) 72 74 74 79
300 Gavin Flint (Aus) 73 74 76 77, Barry Lane 78 70 71 81, Paul Broadhurst 76 72 73 79
301 Ross Fisher 74 72 74 81, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 75 72 76 78, Keng-chi Lin (Tai) 75 73 77 76
302 Sung Lee (Kor) 73 75 73 81, Simon Wakefield 72 71 78 81
303 Prom Meesawat (Tha) 71 76 74 82, Kangchun Wu (Chn) 70 73 80 80
304 Frankie Minoza (Phi) 73 72 77 82, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind) 74 73 76 81
309 Rafael Echenique (Arg) 69 76 82 82, Mu Hu (Chn) 74 74 77 84, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 75 71 79 84
311 Wei-Huang Wu (Tpe) 73 75 77 86
312 Julio Zapata (Arg) 70 78 80 84
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, April 20, 2008
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