McArthur finishes sixth behind
Coles in Moroccan Classic
From Steve Todd, European Challenge Tour Press Officer
stodd@europeantour.com
England’s Robert Coles cruised to his second European Challenge Tour victory after carding a final round 68 to finish four strokes clear of Australian Matthew Zions in the Moroccan Classic today.
Coles, who began the day at Pullman El Jadida Royal Golf and Spa with a three-stroke lead, made the perfect start to his final round with a hat-trick of birdies before dropping a shot on the fourth hole.
He holed a crucial five foot par putt on the next hole to steady the ship and the victory then never looked in doubt when he added further birdies on the seventh and 13th holes to finish on 13 under par 275.
The 36 year old’s comfortable win was his first in six years since his maiden triumph in the BA-CA Golf Open, presented by Telekom Austria in 2003.
“I’m delighted with this,” said Coles, who finished tied eighth in the Tusker Kenya Open. “I got off to a great start and just kept my head down from there.
“I had a good putt on the first and two lovely approach shots on the second and third. On the fourth I thought I hit another but I got the wind wrong and it flew through the back of the green and I bogeyed it but the par putt on the next hole got rid of any negative thoughts and I played as well as I had done all week.
“I was really pleased with my discipline in that I did not get involved with what was going on around me. That was one of the best things I did all week – just concentrate on what I was doing and played it as it happened.
“I was anxious going out there – the bit before going out is the worst – but that start really helped.”
Coles, who has bounced between the Challenge and European Tour in recent years, admitted that the victory would help remove some of his mild self doubts about his playing future, as well as moving him to second in the Challenge Tour Rankings.
“Everyone questions themselves when they don’t win for six years like I haven’t,” he said. “Obviously I am one of the oldest on the Challenge Tour and you do sometimes wonder why you are here.
“Everyone has doubts but this win is sweet. It’s different to my win in Austria as I can from behind then whereas here I’ve been pretty much leading all the way through.
“It’s been a great start to the season for me with a top ten and a win and hopefully I can keep that going.”
Zions fired a superb final round 66 to finish runner up on nine under par – his best Challenge Tour finish – with France’s Julien Quesne third on seven under par.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
275 R Coles (Eng) 69 67 71 68.
279 M Zions (Aus) 71 68 74 66.
281 J Quesne (Fra) 69 71 71 70.
282 B Evans (Eng) 71 70 70 71, A Willey (Eng) 70 75 69 68.
283 A McArthur (Sco) 73 68 69 73.
284 O David (Fra) 72 70 71 71, S Reale (Ita) 74 68 71 71,
285 S Jeppesen (Swe) 70 75 69 71, M Reale (Ita) 72 73 69 71, A Hansen (Den) 70 71 75 69, T Cruz (Por) 70 71 71 73, J Sjöholm (Swe) 69 71 73 72,
286 A Högberg (Swe) 73 71 71 71, J Clément (Sui) 68 74 68 76, J Wahlqvist (Swe) 71 74 66 75,
287 J Moul (Eng) 69 71 75 72, D Griffiths (Eng) 77 71 67 72, T Feyrsinger (Aut) 70 74 71 72, G Murray (Sco) 70 74 71 72.
288 K Sullivan (Wal) 69 76 74 69, J Sköld (Swe) 69 71 71 77, B Teilleria (Fra) 73 68 72 75.
289 T Whitehouse (Eng) 70 74 75 70, D Nouailhac (Fra) 72 69 74 74, J Guerrier (Fra) 73 71 76 69, A Haindl (RSA) 72 72 73 72,
290 B Lecuona (Fra) 73 73 68 76, R Steiner (Aut) 74 71 72 73, L James (Eng) 79 68 71 72, L Richard (Bel) 71 72 72 75, P Kaensche (Nor) 73 73 73 71,
292 B Miarka (Ger) 71 72 76 73, G Davies (Eng) 70 73 72 77, G Boyd (Eng) 71 70 78 73, L Westerberg (Swe) 73 71 76 72, Y El Hassani (Mar) 74 74 69 75, A Marshall (Eng) 74 71 71 76, V Riu (Fra) 71 72 76 73, P Gustafsson (Swe) 75 69 73 75, J McLeary (Sco) 73 73 73 73,
293 M Mills (Eng) 74 74 70 75, A Zanini (Ita) 73 73 73 74, R McEvoy (Eng) 75 72 72 74, P Terreni (Ita) 78 70 69 76, E Molinari (Ita) 72 74 72 75, A Wagner (Arg) 75 73 72 73, P Bocian (Swe) 75 72 76 70,
294 M Korhonen (Fin) 72 74 74 74, J Billot (Fra) 74 71 76 73,
295 M Haastrup (Den) 76 70 75 74, M Delpodio (Ita) 71 72 75 77, J Little (Eng) 74 73 78 70,
296 R Kakko (Fin) 73 74 75 74, M McGeady (Irl) 75 73 74 74, L Kennedy (Eng) 76 72 72 76, J Grillon (Fra) 73 73 74 76, J Axgren (Swe) 71 76 73 76,
297 L Brovold (Nor) 75 73 71 78,
298 F Calmels (Fra) 70 76 75 77, T Schuster (Ger) 71 77 76 74,
299 L Bond (Wal) 71 76 73 79, R Harris (Eng) 73 74 74 78,
300 S Juul (Den) 75 71 77 77, C Gane (Eng) 72 76 79 73, P Del Grosso (Arg) 75 73 74 78,
301 S Saavedra (Arg) 73 75 75 78,
302 A Butterfield (Eng) 73 73 75 81,
303 S Delagrange (Fra) 74 72 78 79,
304 R Diab (Mar) 73 74 80 77,
Coles in Moroccan Classic
From Steve Todd, European Challenge Tour Press Officer
stodd@europeantour.com
England’s Robert Coles cruised to his second European Challenge Tour victory after carding a final round 68 to finish four strokes clear of Australian Matthew Zions in the Moroccan Classic today.
Coles, who began the day at Pullman El Jadida Royal Golf and Spa with a three-stroke lead, made the perfect start to his final round with a hat-trick of birdies before dropping a shot on the fourth hole.
He holed a crucial five foot par putt on the next hole to steady the ship and the victory then never looked in doubt when he added further birdies on the seventh and 13th holes to finish on 13 under par 275.
The 36 year old’s comfortable win was his first in six years since his maiden triumph in the BA-CA Golf Open, presented by Telekom Austria in 2003.
“I’m delighted with this,” said Coles, who finished tied eighth in the Tusker Kenya Open. “I got off to a great start and just kept my head down from there.
“I had a good putt on the first and two lovely approach shots on the second and third. On the fourth I thought I hit another but I got the wind wrong and it flew through the back of the green and I bogeyed it but the par putt on the next hole got rid of any negative thoughts and I played as well as I had done all week.
“I was really pleased with my discipline in that I did not get involved with what was going on around me. That was one of the best things I did all week – just concentrate on what I was doing and played it as it happened.
“I was anxious going out there – the bit before going out is the worst – but that start really helped.”
Coles, who has bounced between the Challenge and European Tour in recent years, admitted that the victory would help remove some of his mild self doubts about his playing future, as well as moving him to second in the Challenge Tour Rankings.
“Everyone questions themselves when they don’t win for six years like I haven’t,” he said. “Obviously I am one of the oldest on the Challenge Tour and you do sometimes wonder why you are here.
“Everyone has doubts but this win is sweet. It’s different to my win in Austria as I can from behind then whereas here I’ve been pretty much leading all the way through.
“It’s been a great start to the season for me with a top ten and a win and hopefully I can keep that going.”
Zions fired a superb final round 66 to finish runner up on nine under par – his best Challenge Tour finish – with France’s Julien Quesne third on seven under par.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
275 R Coles (Eng) 69 67 71 68.
279 M Zions (Aus) 71 68 74 66.
281 J Quesne (Fra) 69 71 71 70.
282 B Evans (Eng) 71 70 70 71, A Willey (Eng) 70 75 69 68.
283 A McArthur (Sco) 73 68 69 73.
284 O David (Fra) 72 70 71 71, S Reale (Ita) 74 68 71 71,
285 S Jeppesen (Swe) 70 75 69 71, M Reale (Ita) 72 73 69 71, A Hansen (Den) 70 71 75 69, T Cruz (Por) 70 71 71 73, J Sjöholm (Swe) 69 71 73 72,
286 A Högberg (Swe) 73 71 71 71, J Clément (Sui) 68 74 68 76, J Wahlqvist (Swe) 71 74 66 75,
287 J Moul (Eng) 69 71 75 72, D Griffiths (Eng) 77 71 67 72, T Feyrsinger (Aut) 70 74 71 72, G Murray (Sco) 70 74 71 72.
288 K Sullivan (Wal) 69 76 74 69, J Sköld (Swe) 69 71 71 77, B Teilleria (Fra) 73 68 72 75.
289 T Whitehouse (Eng) 70 74 75 70, D Nouailhac (Fra) 72 69 74 74, J Guerrier (Fra) 73 71 76 69, A Haindl (RSA) 72 72 73 72,
290 B Lecuona (Fra) 73 73 68 76, R Steiner (Aut) 74 71 72 73, L James (Eng) 79 68 71 72, L Richard (Bel) 71 72 72 75, P Kaensche (Nor) 73 73 73 71,
292 B Miarka (Ger) 71 72 76 73, G Davies (Eng) 70 73 72 77, G Boyd (Eng) 71 70 78 73, L Westerberg (Swe) 73 71 76 72, Y El Hassani (Mar) 74 74 69 75, A Marshall (Eng) 74 71 71 76, V Riu (Fra) 71 72 76 73, P Gustafsson (Swe) 75 69 73 75, J McLeary (Sco) 73 73 73 73,
293 M Mills (Eng) 74 74 70 75, A Zanini (Ita) 73 73 73 74, R McEvoy (Eng) 75 72 72 74, P Terreni (Ita) 78 70 69 76, E Molinari (Ita) 72 74 72 75, A Wagner (Arg) 75 73 72 73, P Bocian (Swe) 75 72 76 70,
294 M Korhonen (Fin) 72 74 74 74, J Billot (Fra) 74 71 76 73,
295 M Haastrup (Den) 76 70 75 74, M Delpodio (Ita) 71 72 75 77, J Little (Eng) 74 73 78 70,
296 R Kakko (Fin) 73 74 75 74, M McGeady (Irl) 75 73 74 74, L Kennedy (Eng) 76 72 72 76, J Grillon (Fra) 73 73 74 76, J Axgren (Swe) 71 76 73 76,
297 L Brovold (Nor) 75 73 71 78,
298 F Calmels (Fra) 70 76 75 77, T Schuster (Ger) 71 77 76 74,
299 L Bond (Wal) 71 76 73 79, R Harris (Eng) 73 74 74 78,
300 S Juul (Den) 75 71 77 77, C Gane (Eng) 72 76 79 73, P Del Grosso (Arg) 75 73 74 78,
301 S Saavedra (Arg) 73 75 75 78,
302 A Butterfield (Eng) 73 73 75 81,
303 S Delagrange (Fra) 74 72 78 79,
304 R Diab (Mar) 73 74 80 77,
Labels: CHALLENGE TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, May 03, 2009
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