DRYSDALE LETS IT SLIP OVER CLOSING

HOLES IN NASHUA MASTERS IN S AFRICA

Dunbar's David Drysdale - four over par for the last seven holes - slumped out of contention for a disappointing final position of joint 16th in the Sunshine Tour's Nashua Masters at Wild Coast Sun Country Club, South Africa today.
Drysdale, campaigning in South Africa until he gets further opportunities on the European Tour, finished with a three-over-par 73, birdieing only the third but bogeying the 12th and 14th and running up a disastrous double bogey 6 at the last for a total of seven-under-par 273.
Long-time leader Marc Cayeux (Zimbabwe) doubled bogeyed the 14th on his way to a closing 67 and a total of 264
He was relegated to runner-up by South African Darren Fichardt with a five-birdie, bogey-free last round of 65 for 263.
Glasgow-born Canada-based Alan McLean finished joint 37th on 279 with a final round of 69.

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Darren Fichardt sank a 15-foot birdie putt to win the Nashua Masters by a single shot with a final-round five-under 65 and a total of 17-under 263.
“It felt like a 20-metre putt,” he said after an 18-hole battle with defending champion Marc Cayeux of Zimbabwe, who shot a 67.
Fichardt, who came close to winning at the Africa Open two weeks ago, and was blown away by four great rounds by Deane Pappas at last week’s Dimension Data Pro-Am, wrapped up his first victory since the 2006 Highveld Classic.
“The short stick finally started working,” he said, after complaining all week long that he couldn’t sink a putt, or get a run of birdies going.
“I actually started losing my putting stroke three years ago, and the rest of my swing went with it,” he said. “But I made some changes, took a bit more time over my putts, drew a line on the ball to line it up properly, and it’s slowly been coming back.”
The battle to the wire with Cayeux made the win more satisfying for Fichardt: “I thought I had it won when he got a double bogey on 14 and I opened up a two-shot lead, but then he went and birdied 15 and 16,” he said.
Fichardt also birdied 16 to stay a shot ahead, and after pars for both of them on 17, it was all down to the 18th. Fichardt’s approach spun back to within 15 feet, and Cayeux’s looked to have overshot the green. But he had placed even more spin on it than Fichardt had, and he was left with two feet for a birdie which would have forced a playoff had Fichardt missed his putt.
“It was downhill, and looked as if it was going to swing quite a lot,” recalled Fichardt, but his aim four balls right of the hole was true and the ball went in cleanly for the victory.
The pair was well clear of the rest of the field, with only Branden Grace making a concerted charge at the lead with his eight-under 62. However, he started too far back from four-under, and finished at 12-under 268 in a tie for third with Tyrone van Aswegen and Jaco van Zyl.
Fichardt’s win bumped him up to sixth on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit behind Joburg Open winner Anders Hansen of Denmark who leads.
Mike Green
Leading final totals
Par 280 (4 x 70)
Players from South Africa unless stated
263 Darren Fichardt 66 67 65 65.
264 Marc Cayeux (Zim) 66 66 65 67.
268 Branden Grace 68 70 68 62, Tyrone Van Aswegen 70 66 65 67, Jaco Van Zul 66 70 65 68.
Selected scores
273 David Drysdale (Sco) 67 66 67 73 (jt 16th).
275 Justin Waters (Eng) 68 71 67 69 (jt 23rd).
276 Ricky Lee (Eng) 66 68 75 67 (jt 25th).
279 Alan McLean (Sco) 66 75 69 69 (jt 37th).