Pablo Martin wins Alfred Dunhill Championship
in tense finish at Leopard Creek
FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Spaniard Pablo Martin created more European Tour history by winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek in South Africa today.
Two years after becoming the first amateur to win on the circuit, the 23-year-old former British boys' open championship is now the only one to capture titles both as an amateur and a professional.
Martin, ranked 488th in the world at the start of the tournament, was in the depths of despair about his game after missing the first seven cuts of this year. He now ends 2009 on a real high after beating home hope and former winner Charl Schwartzel by a single stroke in a tense finish.
It was only on the final day of last season that Martin made sure of keeping his Tour card, but he is now exempt until the end of 2012 - and over £143,000 richer.
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The Malaga golfer had had only one top-10 finish since his triumph at the Portuguese Open, but with a closing three-under-par 69 he held off the charging Schwartzel to win with a 17-under total.
"It's an unbelievable feeling," he said. "I am so happy and there was so much emotion."
While he had the ecstasy, there was agony for several others after the 541yd 18th - one of the toughest finishing holes in golf - claimed yet more victims.
Welshman Sion Bebb, only one behind after an eagle on the 13th, crashed to a sextuple bogey 11 after tangling with trees and then dumping two balls in the water surrounding the green. That dropped him from fifth to 17th and alongside Ernie Els, who after starting the day tied for second shot a miserable 77.
The former Open champion's round ended in a double-bogey 7 on the hole where he took 8 when two in front two years ago, while Ireland's Gareth Maybin also took 7 when lying third and Frenchman Michael Lorenzo-Vera had an 8 to fall from fourth to eighth.
Martin was two ahead of Schwartzel on the tee and, despite a huge drive, chose to lay up short of the lake. Schwartzel, who had had a hat-trick of birdies from the 14th before bogeying the 17th, had to do the same after almost hooking out of bounds, but then piled the pressure on by pitching close. Martin's third short was close to going over the green, but hung on and he two-putted for victory.
Andrew Coltart finished the top Scot on six-under-par 282 with four steady rounds. Alan McLean totalled 283 and Peter Whiteford 289.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
271 Pablo Martin (Spa) 68 63 71 69
272 Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 67 69 68 68
274 Anders Hansen (Den) 68 70 68 68
276 Robert Rock 69 68 70 69, Gareth Maybin 68 70 67 71, Dale Whitnell 70 68 72 66, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 72 66 72 66
277 Damien McGrane 67 70 68 72, Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 71 69 66 71, Shiv Kapur (Ind) 68 71 68 70
278 Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 72 71 65 70
279 Ulrich Van Den Berg (Rsa) 64 72 71 72, Garth Mulroy (Rsa) 68 73 72 66, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 67 70 72 70
280 Pelle Edberg (Swe) 65 71 72 72, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 66 69 72 73
281 James Kingston (Rsa) 68 70 72 71, Sion Bebb 67 70 69 75, Julien Guerrier (Fra) 70 70 74 67, Dawie Van der Walt (Rsa) 68 70 69 74, Michiel Bothma (Rsa) 72 70 67 72, Shane Lowry 67 71 74 69, Ernie Els (Rsa) 68 67 69 77, James Kamte (Rsa) 69 71 68 73
282 Jamie Elson 71 70 72 69, Warren Abery (Rsa) 72 71 72 67, Andrew Coltart 70 72 70 70, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 67 72 67 76
283 Jacques Blaauw (Rsa) 71 68 66 78, Adilson Da Silva (Bra) 71 67 75 70, Alan McLean 67 74 72 70, Ariel Canete (Arg) 68 68 70 77, Andrew Curlewis (Rsa) 71 68 70 74
284 Keith Horne (Rsa) 75 68 72 69
285 Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 70 71 71 73, Joost Luiten (Ned) 70 70 73 72, Markus Brier (Aut) 72 68 71 74, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 69 68 74 74
286 Steve Basson (Rsa) 70 70 71 75, Oliver Bekker (Rsa) 69 74 72 71, David Dixon 70 68 79 69, Vaughan Bradford (Rsa) 69 74 71 72, Deane Pappas (Rsa) 74 69 72 71
287 Dion Fourie (Rsa) 71 70 72 74, Titch Moore (Rsa) 66 73 76 72, Grant Muller (Rsa) 71 71 71 74, Eirik Tage Johansen (Nor) 67 73 75 72, Steven Jeppesen (Swe) 71 70 77 69, Doug McGuigan 70 73 68 76, Michael Hoey 73 69 71 74
288 Tjaart Van der Walt (Rsa) 67 75 71 75, Mark F Haastrup (Den) 72 70 73 73, Benn Barham 68 73 77 70, Richard McEvoy 68 70 76 74, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 72 71 74 71, Charl Coetzee (Rsa) 74 69 68 77
289 Carl Suneson (Spa) 71 68 73 77, Peter Whiteford 69 74 73 73, Kenneth Ferrie 72 68 74 75, Vaughn Groenewald (Rsa) 71 68 71 79
290 Hendrik Buhrmann (Rsa) 72 71 73 74, Richard Finch 69 74 77 70, Louis De Jager (Rsa) 69 73 77 71, James Ruth 72 71 76 71
291 Nic Henning (Rsa) 69 71 77 74
292 Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 69 74 75 74
293 Peter Baker 74 69 76 74, Rhys Davies 71 72 74 76
295 Josh Cunliffe (Rsa) 73 70 75 77
in tense finish at Leopard Creek
FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Spaniard Pablo Martin created more European Tour history by winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek in South Africa today.
Two years after becoming the first amateur to win on the circuit, the 23-year-old former British boys' open championship is now the only one to capture titles both as an amateur and a professional.
Martin, ranked 488th in the world at the start of the tournament, was in the depths of despair about his game after missing the first seven cuts of this year. He now ends 2009 on a real high after beating home hope and former winner Charl Schwartzel by a single stroke in a tense finish.
It was only on the final day of last season that Martin made sure of keeping his Tour card, but he is now exempt until the end of 2012 - and over £143,000 richer.
=============================
More Golf News
Tiger 'more normal now' - Montgomerie
Nike stand by Woods
European Tour's official website
=============================
The Malaga golfer had had only one top-10 finish since his triumph at the Portuguese Open, but with a closing three-under-par 69 he held off the charging Schwartzel to win with a 17-under total.
"It's an unbelievable feeling," he said. "I am so happy and there was so much emotion."
While he had the ecstasy, there was agony for several others after the 541yd 18th - one of the toughest finishing holes in golf - claimed yet more victims.
Welshman Sion Bebb, only one behind after an eagle on the 13th, crashed to a sextuple bogey 11 after tangling with trees and then dumping two balls in the water surrounding the green. That dropped him from fifth to 17th and alongside Ernie Els, who after starting the day tied for second shot a miserable 77.
The former Open champion's round ended in a double-bogey 7 on the hole where he took 8 when two in front two years ago, while Ireland's Gareth Maybin also took 7 when lying third and Frenchman Michael Lorenzo-Vera had an 8 to fall from fourth to eighth.
Martin was two ahead of Schwartzel on the tee and, despite a huge drive, chose to lay up short of the lake. Schwartzel, who had had a hat-trick of birdies from the 14th before bogeying the 17th, had to do the same after almost hooking out of bounds, but then piled the pressure on by pitching close. Martin's third short was close to going over the green, but hung on and he two-putted for victory.
Andrew Coltart finished the top Scot on six-under-par 282 with four steady rounds. Alan McLean totalled 283 and Peter Whiteford 289.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
271 Pablo Martin (Spa) 68 63 71 69
272 Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 67 69 68 68
274 Anders Hansen (Den) 68 70 68 68
276 Robert Rock 69 68 70 69, Gareth Maybin 68 70 67 71, Dale Whitnell 70 68 72 66, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 72 66 72 66
277 Damien McGrane 67 70 68 72, Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 71 69 66 71, Shiv Kapur (Ind) 68 71 68 70
278 Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 72 71 65 70
279 Ulrich Van Den Berg (Rsa) 64 72 71 72, Garth Mulroy (Rsa) 68 73 72 66, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 67 70 72 70
280 Pelle Edberg (Swe) 65 71 72 72, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 66 69 72 73
281 James Kingston (Rsa) 68 70 72 71, Sion Bebb 67 70 69 75, Julien Guerrier (Fra) 70 70 74 67, Dawie Van der Walt (Rsa) 68 70 69 74, Michiel Bothma (Rsa) 72 70 67 72, Shane Lowry 67 71 74 69, Ernie Els (Rsa) 68 67 69 77, James Kamte (Rsa) 69 71 68 73
282 Jamie Elson 71 70 72 69, Warren Abery (Rsa) 72 71 72 67, Andrew Coltart 70 72 70 70, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 67 72 67 76
283 Jacques Blaauw (Rsa) 71 68 66 78, Adilson Da Silva (Bra) 71 67 75 70, Alan McLean 67 74 72 70, Ariel Canete (Arg) 68 68 70 77, Andrew Curlewis (Rsa) 71 68 70 74
284 Keith Horne (Rsa) 75 68 72 69
285 Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 70 71 71 73, Joost Luiten (Ned) 70 70 73 72, Markus Brier (Aut) 72 68 71 74, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 69 68 74 74
286 Steve Basson (Rsa) 70 70 71 75, Oliver Bekker (Rsa) 69 74 72 71, David Dixon 70 68 79 69, Vaughan Bradford (Rsa) 69 74 71 72, Deane Pappas (Rsa) 74 69 72 71
287 Dion Fourie (Rsa) 71 70 72 74, Titch Moore (Rsa) 66 73 76 72, Grant Muller (Rsa) 71 71 71 74, Eirik Tage Johansen (Nor) 67 73 75 72, Steven Jeppesen (Swe) 71 70 77 69, Doug McGuigan 70 73 68 76, Michael Hoey 73 69 71 74
288 Tjaart Van der Walt (Rsa) 67 75 71 75, Mark F Haastrup (Den) 72 70 73 73, Benn Barham 68 73 77 70, Richard McEvoy 68 70 76 74, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 72 71 74 71, Charl Coetzee (Rsa) 74 69 68 77
289 Carl Suneson (Spa) 71 68 73 77, Peter Whiteford 69 74 73 73, Kenneth Ferrie 72 68 74 75, Vaughn Groenewald (Rsa) 71 68 71 79
290 Hendrik Buhrmann (Rsa) 72 71 73 74, Richard Finch 69 74 77 70, Louis De Jager (Rsa) 69 73 77 71, James Ruth 72 71 76 71
291 Nic Henning (Rsa) 69 71 77 74
292 Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 69 74 75 74
293 Peter Baker 74 69 76 74, Rhys Davies 71 72 74 76
295 Josh Cunliffe (Rsa) 73 70 75 77
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, December 13, 2009
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