Local lad Vanegas wins in Colombia

By SARAH GWYNN
European Challenge Tour Press Officer
Home favourite David Vanegas produced a dominating final day performance to win the Abierto Internacional de Golf II Copa Antioquia, his first victory since turning professional 14 months ago.
On his home course, the Club Campestre El Rodeo Sede La Macarena, 23-year-old Vanegas carded a 67 in the fourth round to reach 12 under par for the tournament, four shots clear of American Nathan Smith, whose 69 featured a hole in one at the 195yd 11th hole.
Vince Covello, also from the United States, was six shots back in third place at the curtain-raiser for the 2010 Challenge Tour season, which was co-sanctioned with the Tour de las Americas and the Canadian Tour.
Having started the last day with a one-shot lead over Covello, Vanegas started well with a birdie at the first, then had a run of four birdies in five holes from the eighth. He bogeyed the 13th to give the chasing pack a glimmer of hope, but a birdie at the last rubber-stamped a convincing win.
“I can barely contain my tears, this is so emotional! I’m extremely happy to win, but I find it hard to explain how I feel,” said Vanegas, who collected a cheque for US $35,200 and earns playing privileges on the three tours.
“There are many opportunities for me to play internationally after this win and I intend to take full advantage of them. I’m going to enjoy this one and over the following few days I will decide where to play.”
Defending champion Peter Gustafsson closed with a 70 to be the highest-placed European in fourth, while Englishman Robert Dinwiddie took fifth spot.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71)
272 D Vanegas (Col) 67 69 69 67
276 N Smith (USA) 71 65 71 69
278 V Covello (USA) 68 69 69 72
279 P Gustafsson (Swe) 68 74 67 70
280 R Dinwiddie (Eng) 67 73 70 70
281 J Larsen (Nor) 68 72 68 73, J Zapata (Arg) 68 71 71 71, M Tullo (Chi) 69 69 73 70,
282 R Kakko (Fin) 71 68 72 71, B Wiesberger (Aut) 74 70 67 71
283 A Velasco (Esp) 69 69 69 76, R Sanz (Ven) 68 70 74 71, W Besseling (Ned) 71 71 69 72, C Monasterio (Arg) 68 75 69 71
284 J Garrido (Col) 69 70 71 74, J Etulain (Arg) 75 68 69 72, R Blaum (USA) 68 73 73 70, O Alvarez (Col) 71 64 72 77, J Estevez (Arg) 68 71 71 74
285 M Merizalde (Col) 71 71 69 74, F Ojeda Racioppi (Arg) 64 71 75 75, J Clément (Sui) 70 69 74 72, A Bernadet (Fra) 69 71 79 66, J Luna (Col) 73 69 71 72, G Murray (Sco) 74 68 69 74, O Floren (Swe) 76 64 73 72, L Kennedy (Eng) 75 68 71 71, A Snobeck (Fra) 71 69 70 75
286 J Morgan (Eng) 70 74 68 74, M Korhonen (Fin) 70 71 72 73, M Gillis (Can) 69 72 73 72, A Ahokas (Fin) 72 69 73 72, R Gomez (Arg) 73 69 74 70
287 A Gonzales (USA) 70 71 74 72, P Pinto (Arg) 75 68 71 73, F De Vries (Ned) 72 72 73 70, R Gonzalez (Arg) 69 71 72 75, S Tiley (Eng) 75 68 73 71, E Herrera (Col) 71 72 71 73, M Higley (Eng) 67 69 78 73
288 R Thornberry (USA) 72 72 71 73, M Mezei (Can) 69 72 76 71, S Fernandez (Arg) 73 69 76 70, R Yip (Can) 71 72 68 77
289 A Pinedo (Col) 72 70 72 75, J Moul (Eng) 71 72 71 75, D Brooks (Eng) 72 71 76 70, M Garcia (Arg) 73 67 74 75, D Gillespie (Can) 77 67 76 69, S Acevedo (Arg) 72 72 68 77, L Di Marino (Arg) 69 75 74 71, T Olesen (Den) 71 69 74 75
290 M Guzman (Arg) 75 69 75 71, R Steiner (Aut) 73 71 75 71, M Carlsson (Swe) 68 73 74 75, H Leon (Chi) 73 71 74 72
291 J Doherty (Sco) 70 71 74 76, M Rodriguez (Arg) 74 70 69 78, M Molina (Arg) 73 71 76 71, M Quiros (Esp) 72 71 76 72
292 A Adrian (Ven) 72 72 71 77
293 C Costilla (Arg) 72 72 71 78, G Agudelo (Col) 75 69 72 77, S Saavedra (Arg) 69 73 74 77, J Habig (USA) 72 72 75 74
294 E Dominguez (Arg) 73 70 76 75
295 W Murillo (Ven) 70 74 77 74, J Abbate (Arg) 71 72 78 74, B Evans (Eng) 75 68 76 76,
296 R Carter (USA) 72 72 76 76
297 J Xanthopoulos (Fra) 68 76 71 82, P Relecom (Bel) 73 71 78 75
299 B Heaven (Nzl) 72 70 79 78
Disqualified: A Kaleka (Fra) 71 70 75 -.