Sterne steps in to win when Aiken
and Mattiace blow it in 'Dunhill'
FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
South African Richard Sterne stepped in to provide a home winner in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Golf Club, Mpumalangeur after Thomas Aiken and American Len Mattiace threw away their overnight advantages.
Sterne, 27, carded a final round three-under-par 69 today for a total of of 17-under-par 271, making the most of constant lapses from overnight leader Aiken and Mattiace, who ended day four with scores of 75 and 77 respectively.
Englishman Robert Rock finished tied-second with Johan Edfors - the Swede carding a 66 for the best final round score alongside Glasgow-born, Canada-based Alan McLean and 2007 South Open winner James Kingston.
Aiken, who powered his way to a course-record 61 on Saturday and held a one-stroke lead heading into the final day, finished in fourth place with Rafael Cabrera Bello on 15 under par 273, while Scotland's McLean and another home favourite Keith Horne ended a further stroke back.
But the day belonged to Sterne, whose last win on the European Tour came at the Joburg Open at the start of 2008.
The world number 113, who clinched his fifth European title in the process, would have been surprised by the manner at which the leading overnight pair fell away.
Aiken started out well enough with two birdies in his opening four holes and was four shots ahead at one point.
But bogeys on the par-4 ninth, 10th and 18th holes, added to a double bogey on the 11th saw him end his round on three over par, while Mattiace finished on five over par with two bogeys and a pair of triple bogeys.
"I actually only saw the leaderboard on 16 and thought the leaders will probably be on 17 or 18 under," said Sterne. "So I got a bit of a surprise when I was leading by one. I made a good two putt there and I knew that 17 under was probably going to be good enough. But I'm quite happy. "The back nine I gave away two very weak bogeys on 10 and 12, but I came back strong and that's what counts on those last six holes on a Sunday."
COLIN FARQUHARSON'S SCOTSWATCH: Glasgow-born, Canada-based Alan McLean earned the top Scot honours and a cheque for Euros 32,450 for a joint sixth place finish. A second-round 74 cost him at least a play-off for he finished only three shots behind winner Sterne in joint sixth place on 274.
Andrew Coltart has begun his second "life" on the European Tour - he regained his playing privileges at the recent Tour School - with four rounds that could not have been much steadier: 70, 70, 69 and 70 for a share of 27th place on 279. That earned the Thornhill man Euros 9,450 but, almost as important, must have given him a lot of confidence for the months to come.
David Drysdale shot into the title picture with a third-round 66 but he lost his momentum with a final round of 72 for 280 and a share of 29th place. That earned him Euros 8,212.
European Tour debutant Callum Macaulay, the Scottish amateur champion, picked up a cheque for Euros 6,900 for rounds of 72, 69, 71 and 69 which added up to seven-under-par 281. That gave him an idea - if he did not know it already - that you have to play really well to get into the big money on the European Tour.
But the Tulliallan topper is off an running as a European Tour player.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
271 Richard Sterne (Rsa) 68 66 68 69
272 Robert Rock 66 67 69 70, Johan Edfors (Swe) 66 69 71 66
273 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 72 65 61 75, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 66 71 68 68
274 Alan McLean 68 74 66 66, Keith Horne (Rsa) 70 69 65 70
275 Tyrone Mordt (Rsa) 68 67 68 72, Alvaro Velasco (Spa) 68 69 67 71, Robert Dinwiddie 69 70 68 68, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 65 72 70 68, Oskar Henningsson (Swe) 69 64 69 73, David Lynn 68 68 66 73276 Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 68 67 71 70, Len Mattiace (USA) 65 68 66 77
277 John E Morgan 67 68 68 74, Chris Wood 69 70 70 68, David Dixon 70 70 67 70, Lee Westwood 66 70 70 71, Marc Cayeux (Zim) 68 67 72 70
278 Garry Houston 72 69 67 70, Garth Mulroy (Rsa) 68 69 68 73, David Horsey 72 70 68 68, Jean Hugo (Rsa) 73 69 68 68, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 68 70 73 67, Tc Charamba (Zim) 70 68 70 70
279 Gareth Maybin 72 69 66 72, Andrew Coltart 70 70 69 70
280 Gary Lockerbie 68 71 67 74, Damien McGrane 71 66 70 73, David Drysdale 71 71 66 72, Sam Walker 71 68 69 72, Hennie Otto (Rsa) 69 69 73 69, Alfredo Garcia-Heredia (Spa) 67 70 71 72, Mark Murless (Rsa) 70 70 68 72, Simon Dyson 71 71 70 68
281 Michiel Bothma (Rsa) 69 71 68 73, Callum Macaulay 72 69 71 69, James Kingston (Rsa) 73 69 73 66, Danny Willett 72 70 66 73, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 71 69 70 71
282 Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 70 67 69 76, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 71 69 69 73, Trevor Fisher Jnr (Rsa) 72 70 66 74
283 Jaco Van Zyl (Rsa) 70 67 70 76, George Coetzee (Rsa) 70 70 68 75, Albert Pistorius (Rsa) 71 71 74 67, Deane Pappas (Rsa) 75 66 70 72
284 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 69 69 73 73, Taco Remkes (Ned) 72 70 72 70, Bradford Vaughan (Rsa) 71 71 72 70, Ross McGowan 70 72 69 73
285 Magnus A Carlsson (Swe) 69 68 71 77, Jacques Blaauw (Rsa) 73 67 69 76, Alexandre Rocha (Bra) 71 71 69 74, Branden Grace (Rsa) 70 69 74 72
286 Jonathan Caldwell 70 67 72 77, Neil Cheetham 68 69 73 76, Adilson Da Silva (Bra) 70 68 73 75, Estanislao Goya (Arg) 70 68 75 73, Justin Walters (Rsa) 72 70 76 68
287 Marcus Higley 71 70 73 73, Warren Abery (Rsa) 68 68 77 74, Jake Roos (Rsa) 72 69 76 70
288 Carlos Del Moral (Spa) 71 71 76 70, Iain Pyman 71 69 73 75, Bernd Wiesberger (Aut) 68 74 71 75, Seve Benson 68 74 76 70
290 Jamie Little 72 69 75 74
292 Tyrone Van Aswegen (Rsa) 70 68 78 76
and Mattiace blow it in 'Dunhill'
FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
South African Richard Sterne stepped in to provide a home winner in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Golf Club, Mpumalangeur after Thomas Aiken and American Len Mattiace threw away their overnight advantages.
Sterne, 27, carded a final round three-under-par 69 today for a total of of 17-under-par 271, making the most of constant lapses from overnight leader Aiken and Mattiace, who ended day four with scores of 75 and 77 respectively.
Englishman Robert Rock finished tied-second with Johan Edfors - the Swede carding a 66 for the best final round score alongside Glasgow-born, Canada-based Alan McLean and 2007 South Open winner James Kingston.
Aiken, who powered his way to a course-record 61 on Saturday and held a one-stroke lead heading into the final day, finished in fourth place with Rafael Cabrera Bello on 15 under par 273, while Scotland's McLean and another home favourite Keith Horne ended a further stroke back.
But the day belonged to Sterne, whose last win on the European Tour came at the Joburg Open at the start of 2008.
The world number 113, who clinched his fifth European title in the process, would have been surprised by the manner at which the leading overnight pair fell away.
Aiken started out well enough with two birdies in his opening four holes and was four shots ahead at one point.
But bogeys on the par-4 ninth, 10th and 18th holes, added to a double bogey on the 11th saw him end his round on three over par, while Mattiace finished on five over par with two bogeys and a pair of triple bogeys.
"I actually only saw the leaderboard on 16 and thought the leaders will probably be on 17 or 18 under," said Sterne. "So I got a bit of a surprise when I was leading by one. I made a good two putt there and I knew that 17 under was probably going to be good enough. But I'm quite happy. "The back nine I gave away two very weak bogeys on 10 and 12, but I came back strong and that's what counts on those last six holes on a Sunday."
COLIN FARQUHARSON'S SCOTSWATCH: Glasgow-born, Canada-based Alan McLean earned the top Scot honours and a cheque for Euros 32,450 for a joint sixth place finish. A second-round 74 cost him at least a play-off for he finished only three shots behind winner Sterne in joint sixth place on 274.
Andrew Coltart has begun his second "life" on the European Tour - he regained his playing privileges at the recent Tour School - with four rounds that could not have been much steadier: 70, 70, 69 and 70 for a share of 27th place on 279. That earned the Thornhill man Euros 9,450 but, almost as important, must have given him a lot of confidence for the months to come.
David Drysdale shot into the title picture with a third-round 66 but he lost his momentum with a final round of 72 for 280 and a share of 29th place. That earned him Euros 8,212.
European Tour debutant Callum Macaulay, the Scottish amateur champion, picked up a cheque for Euros 6,900 for rounds of 72, 69, 71 and 69 which added up to seven-under-par 281. That gave him an idea - if he did not know it already - that you have to play really well to get into the big money on the European Tour.
But the Tulliallan topper is off an running as a European Tour player.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
271 Richard Sterne (Rsa) 68 66 68 69
272 Robert Rock 66 67 69 70, Johan Edfors (Swe) 66 69 71 66
273 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 72 65 61 75, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 66 71 68 68
274 Alan McLean 68 74 66 66, Keith Horne (Rsa) 70 69 65 70
275 Tyrone Mordt (Rsa) 68 67 68 72, Alvaro Velasco (Spa) 68 69 67 71, Robert Dinwiddie 69 70 68 68, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 65 72 70 68, Oskar Henningsson (Swe) 69 64 69 73, David Lynn 68 68 66 73276 Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 68 67 71 70, Len Mattiace (USA) 65 68 66 77
277 John E Morgan 67 68 68 74, Chris Wood 69 70 70 68, David Dixon 70 70 67 70, Lee Westwood 66 70 70 71, Marc Cayeux (Zim) 68 67 72 70
278 Garry Houston 72 69 67 70, Garth Mulroy (Rsa) 68 69 68 73, David Horsey 72 70 68 68, Jean Hugo (Rsa) 73 69 68 68, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 68 70 73 67, Tc Charamba (Zim) 70 68 70 70
279 Gareth Maybin 72 69 66 72, Andrew Coltart 70 70 69 70
280 Gary Lockerbie 68 71 67 74, Damien McGrane 71 66 70 73, David Drysdale 71 71 66 72, Sam Walker 71 68 69 72, Hennie Otto (Rsa) 69 69 73 69, Alfredo Garcia-Heredia (Spa) 67 70 71 72, Mark Murless (Rsa) 70 70 68 72, Simon Dyson 71 71 70 68
281 Michiel Bothma (Rsa) 69 71 68 73, Callum Macaulay 72 69 71 69, James Kingston (Rsa) 73 69 73 66, Danny Willett 72 70 66 73, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 71 69 70 71
282 Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 70 67 69 76, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 71 69 69 73, Trevor Fisher Jnr (Rsa) 72 70 66 74
283 Jaco Van Zyl (Rsa) 70 67 70 76, George Coetzee (Rsa) 70 70 68 75, Albert Pistorius (Rsa) 71 71 74 67, Deane Pappas (Rsa) 75 66 70 72
284 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 69 69 73 73, Taco Remkes (Ned) 72 70 72 70, Bradford Vaughan (Rsa) 71 71 72 70, Ross McGowan 70 72 69 73
285 Magnus A Carlsson (Swe) 69 68 71 77, Jacques Blaauw (Rsa) 73 67 69 76, Alexandre Rocha (Bra) 71 71 69 74, Branden Grace (Rsa) 70 69 74 72
286 Jonathan Caldwell 70 67 72 77, Neil Cheetham 68 69 73 76, Adilson Da Silva (Bra) 70 68 73 75, Estanislao Goya (Arg) 70 68 75 73, Justin Walters (Rsa) 72 70 76 68
287 Marcus Higley 71 70 73 73, Warren Abery (Rsa) 68 68 77 74, Jake Roos (Rsa) 72 69 76 70
288 Carlos Del Moral (Spa) 71 71 76 70, Iain Pyman 71 69 73 75, Bernd Wiesberger (Aut) 68 74 71 75, Seve Benson 68 74 76 70
290 Jamie Little 72 69 75 74
292 Tyrone Van Aswegen (Rsa) 70 68 78 76
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, December 14, 2008
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