Peter Whiteford joint 6th with best last round of day
Molinari blows it - and Lima steps in to
win Challenge Tour event in Denmark
From Challenge Tour Press Officer Paul Symes
On a day of high drama in Denmark, Portugal’s José-Filipe Lima took advantage of an uncharacteristic late wobble by playing partner Edoardo Molinari of Italy to win the truncated ECCO Tour Championship.
With just two of the 54 holes left to play at a windswept Holstebro GK, in Jutland, Lima trailed the seemingly invincible Italian by three strokes and, by his own admission, had settled for second place.
But when Molinari followed a triple bogey 6 at the short 17th hole, where he found trees off the tee, with a bogey at the last to finish on four under par, Lima suddenly found himself with two putts from 20 feet for a level par round of 72 and a third Challenge Tour title of his career.
Despite leaving his birdie attempt some four feet short, he found the middle of the cup with his second putt to finish on five under par which, in lingering high winds and heavy rain which had caused the cancellation of third day, was an exceptional effort in the circumstances.
Lima, whose two previous titles came at the Aa St Omer Open and Challenge de España in 2004, climbed three places to second in the Rankings with earnings of €116,042 courtesy of his €28,800 winner’s cheque.
Meanwhile Molinari, who would have gained automatic promotion to the European Tour had he held on for his third Challenge Tour title of the season, had to console himself with a runner up cheque for €19,800 which saw him become the first player to break through the €200,000 barrier.
Lima will now head to Toulouse for next week’s Challenge Tour event, before preparing for the Portugal Masters on The European Tour a week later.
He said: “My heart was really beating when I was standing over that putt, because it’s been a while since I’ve won, so I can’t really remember what it feels like. But I’m so happy, because with two holes to play, I was just hoping to stay in second place. Edoardo had been so playing well, but then when he found the trees on the 17th, I knew I had a chance. I felt very sorry for him, but I’m so happy for myself, because I played really well on all three days.
“Today I just missed one drive all day, which was a really good effort in the wind. But I missed so many putts today, and short ones too. I think the longest putt I holed was about from two metres, so I really didn’t think it was going to be my day. But in the end, I got my reward for keeping going.
“I’ll take a lot of confidence from this win, not just for this season but also into next. Hopefully I can play well at the Portugal Masters and finish the Challenge Tour season on a high note by finishing second in the Rankings, then I can look forward to playing again on The European Tour next year.”
Finland’s Roope Kakko finished in third place on two under par after carding a round of 75, with Fredrik Andersson Hed a further two shots back on level par after the Swede signed for a 72.
Peter Whiteford finished joint sixth, thanks to a final-round 70, the best of the day
FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
211 J Lima (Por) 70 69 72
212 E Molinari (Ita) 69 69 74
214 R Kakko (Fin) 70 69 75
216 F Andersson Hed (Swe) 75 69 72
217 J Parry (Eng) 71 69 77
218 C Suneson (Esp) 71 71 76, P Whiteford (Sco) 75 73 70, A Sjöstrand (Swe) 71 71 76, N Colsaerts (Bel) 76 70 72, S Davis (Eng) 71 75 72
220 A Bernadet (Fra) 77 70 73, N Smith (US) 74 74 72, M Haastrup (Den) 75 72 73, C Monasterio (Arg) 73 74 73
221 F Fritsch (Ger) 76 73 72, R McEvoy (Eng) 72 73 76, J Quesne (Fra) 76 70 75, S Manley (Wal) 71 71 79, G Paddison (Nzl) 76 72 73, J Guerrier (Fra) 75 73 73, S Walker (Eng) 74 73 74, A Hartoe (am) (Den) 74 71 76
222 A Gee (Eng) 72 72 78, D Denison (Eng) 76 72 74, F Colombo (Ita) 73 72 77, W Schauman (Swe) 76 72 74, A Kaleka (Fra) 73 76 73, P Gustafsson (Swe) 73 74 75, A Snobeck (Fra) 78 70 74, J Hansen (am) (Den) 71 74 77
223 Å Nilsson (Swe) 78 68 77, G Boyd (Eng) 70 74 79, J Larsen (Nor) 73 75 75, A Tampion (Aus) 73 72 78
224 R Muntz (Ned) 76 74 74, R Davies (Wal) 73 77 74, R Coles (Eng) 75 72 77, M Zions (Aus) 76 71 77
225 M Jurgensen (Den) 73 76 76, L Jensen (Den) 75 74 76, P Baker (Eng) 76 71 78, A Hansen (Den) 75 71 79, T Norret (Den) 72 75 78, S Bebb (Wal) 77 73 75, A Marshall (Eng) 75 75 75, C Moriarty (Irl) 76 72 77, D Lokke (am) (Den) 76 71 78
226 C Gane (Eng) 74 74 78, A Wagner (Arg) 76 72 78, M Higley (Eng) 71 75 80, F Calmels (Fra) 78 71 77, L Bjerregaard (am) (Den) 77 71 78
227 T Olesen (Den) 77 72 78, J Moul (Eng) 72 77 78, F Henge (Swe) 77 73 77, B Wiesberger (Aut) 75 75 77, J McLeary (Sco) 77 73 77, J Bjerhag (Swe) 78 71 78
228 M Wiegele (Aut) 74 76 78, B Akesson (Swe) 73 77 78, C Rodiles (Esp) 75 71 82, F Ohlsson (Swe) 74 76 78, M Thorp (Nor) 79 71 78
229 C Carranza (Arg) 74 74 81, A Andersson (Swe) 75 74 80, B Evans (Eng) 73 75 81
231 K Nielsen (Den) 78 72 81
234 J Wahlqvist (Swe) 77 72 85
win Challenge Tour event in Denmark
From Challenge Tour Press Officer Paul Symes
On a day of high drama in Denmark, Portugal’s José-Filipe Lima took advantage of an uncharacteristic late wobble by playing partner Edoardo Molinari of Italy to win the truncated ECCO Tour Championship.
With just two of the 54 holes left to play at a windswept Holstebro GK, in Jutland, Lima trailed the seemingly invincible Italian by three strokes and, by his own admission, had settled for second place.
But when Molinari followed a triple bogey 6 at the short 17th hole, where he found trees off the tee, with a bogey at the last to finish on four under par, Lima suddenly found himself with two putts from 20 feet for a level par round of 72 and a third Challenge Tour title of his career.
Despite leaving his birdie attempt some four feet short, he found the middle of the cup with his second putt to finish on five under par which, in lingering high winds and heavy rain which had caused the cancellation of third day, was an exceptional effort in the circumstances.
Lima, whose two previous titles came at the Aa St Omer Open and Challenge de España in 2004, climbed three places to second in the Rankings with earnings of €116,042 courtesy of his €28,800 winner’s cheque.
Meanwhile Molinari, who would have gained automatic promotion to the European Tour had he held on for his third Challenge Tour title of the season, had to console himself with a runner up cheque for €19,800 which saw him become the first player to break through the €200,000 barrier.
Lima will now head to Toulouse for next week’s Challenge Tour event, before preparing for the Portugal Masters on The European Tour a week later.
He said: “My heart was really beating when I was standing over that putt, because it’s been a while since I’ve won, so I can’t really remember what it feels like. But I’m so happy, because with two holes to play, I was just hoping to stay in second place. Edoardo had been so playing well, but then when he found the trees on the 17th, I knew I had a chance. I felt very sorry for him, but I’m so happy for myself, because I played really well on all three days.
“Today I just missed one drive all day, which was a really good effort in the wind. But I missed so many putts today, and short ones too. I think the longest putt I holed was about from two metres, so I really didn’t think it was going to be my day. But in the end, I got my reward for keeping going.
“I’ll take a lot of confidence from this win, not just for this season but also into next. Hopefully I can play well at the Portugal Masters and finish the Challenge Tour season on a high note by finishing second in the Rankings, then I can look forward to playing again on The European Tour next year.”
Finland’s Roope Kakko finished in third place on two under par after carding a round of 75, with Fredrik Andersson Hed a further two shots back on level par after the Swede signed for a 72.
Peter Whiteford finished joint sixth, thanks to a final-round 70, the best of the day
FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
211 J Lima (Por) 70 69 72
212 E Molinari (Ita) 69 69 74
214 R Kakko (Fin) 70 69 75
216 F Andersson Hed (Swe) 75 69 72
217 J Parry (Eng) 71 69 77
218 C Suneson (Esp) 71 71 76, P Whiteford (Sco) 75 73 70, A Sjöstrand (Swe) 71 71 76, N Colsaerts (Bel) 76 70 72, S Davis (Eng) 71 75 72
220 A Bernadet (Fra) 77 70 73, N Smith (US) 74 74 72, M Haastrup (Den) 75 72 73, C Monasterio (Arg) 73 74 73
221 F Fritsch (Ger) 76 73 72, R McEvoy (Eng) 72 73 76, J Quesne (Fra) 76 70 75, S Manley (Wal) 71 71 79, G Paddison (Nzl) 76 72 73, J Guerrier (Fra) 75 73 73, S Walker (Eng) 74 73 74, A Hartoe (am) (Den) 74 71 76
222 A Gee (Eng) 72 72 78, D Denison (Eng) 76 72 74, F Colombo (Ita) 73 72 77, W Schauman (Swe) 76 72 74, A Kaleka (Fra) 73 76 73, P Gustafsson (Swe) 73 74 75, A Snobeck (Fra) 78 70 74, J Hansen (am) (Den) 71 74 77
223 Å Nilsson (Swe) 78 68 77, G Boyd (Eng) 70 74 79, J Larsen (Nor) 73 75 75, A Tampion (Aus) 73 72 78
224 R Muntz (Ned) 76 74 74, R Davies (Wal) 73 77 74, R Coles (Eng) 75 72 77, M Zions (Aus) 76 71 77
225 M Jurgensen (Den) 73 76 76, L Jensen (Den) 75 74 76, P Baker (Eng) 76 71 78, A Hansen (Den) 75 71 79, T Norret (Den) 72 75 78, S Bebb (Wal) 77 73 75, A Marshall (Eng) 75 75 75, C Moriarty (Irl) 76 72 77, D Lokke (am) (Den) 76 71 78
226 C Gane (Eng) 74 74 78, A Wagner (Arg) 76 72 78, M Higley (Eng) 71 75 80, F Calmels (Fra) 78 71 77, L Bjerregaard (am) (Den) 77 71 78
227 T Olesen (Den) 77 72 78, J Moul (Eng) 72 77 78, F Henge (Swe) 77 73 77, B Wiesberger (Aut) 75 75 77, J McLeary (Sco) 77 73 77, J Bjerhag (Swe) 78 71 78
228 M Wiegele (Aut) 74 76 78, B Akesson (Swe) 73 77 78, C Rodiles (Esp) 75 71 82, F Ohlsson (Swe) 74 76 78, M Thorp (Nor) 79 71 78
229 C Carranza (Arg) 74 74 81, A Andersson (Swe) 75 74 80, B Evans (Eng) 73 75 81
231 K Nielsen (Den) 78 72 81
234 J Wahlqvist (Swe) 77 72 85
Labels: CHALLENGE TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, October 04, 2009
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