Paul Lawrie's last-day 67 makes him top Scot in jt sixth
Quiros is local hero in play-off for Spanish Open
FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Spanish big-hitter Alvaro Quiros received the cheers of his home fans in Seville after beating English rookie James Morrison to become Spanish Open champion.
The 27-year-old from Malaga, who at 35th in the world was the highest-ranked player in the field, won his fourth European Tour title with a par on the first play-off hole.
Morrison, winner in Madeira on his last start three weeks ago, fired a 67 to force sudden death, but then pulled his second shot into the water and double-bogeyed.
He still had plenty to smile about - over £191,000 for a start - but for compatriot Mark Foster disappointment was written all over his face after he missed three-foot putts on the 16th and 18th to lose by one.
==================================
Links to more golf news
Ishikawa wins seventh title
Mayfair maintains leaderboard monopoly
Miyazato back on top
Pelz tips Westwood for major glory
==================================
"I think it's one of the most important things in my life for sure," said Quiros. "To be the winner of your Open is something really, really great - with the Ryder Cup and the World Cup it's the best three things in golf for me."
After going in the water on the long ninth and turning two behind, Quiros told television commentator Howard Clark that he was trying his best to throw the tournament away.
"Mark Foster was playing really well and I knew I had to make birdies," he added.
But Foster bogeyed the short 11th and his birdie on the fourth was the only one he managed all day.
Morrison earned a place on the circuit with only £5,000 to spare by finishing 18th on last season's Challenge Tour, but already in 2010 he has come first, second, fourth and sixth. With his £191,239 runners-up prize he has already earned almost £350,000 and has no reason to regret choosing golf over cricket.
"I'm loving every minute of it," he said. "This start is past my expectations, but you have to believe in yourself. This is the biggest prize I've ever played for. I've been good at not looking at that, but I did have a quick look in the morning."
Paul Lawrie, the 1999 Open champion from Aberdeen, had one of the best final rounds - a 67 - to finish joint sixth on 279. Give him a par 72 instead of a 74 in the opening round and Paul would have been involved in the play-off. That's how close he was to centre stage.
Paul earned 56,200 Euros for his weekend work. Stephen Gallacher was the next best Scot with a payday of 15,000 Euros.
Holed bunker shot at 17th put Paul only a shot off the lead ...
JOCK MacVICAR writes in today's Scottish Daily Express:
For Lawrie this was an enormous boost going into this week's Italian Open after many frustrating weeks, caused by poor putting.
By shooting a closing 67, he equalled his lowest last round on tour since he shot 65 in Abu Dhabi 16 months ago.
Having goine into the £2mllion tournament 163rd in the Race to Dubai and 248th in the world, the former Open champion picked up seven birdies in a 67 to share sixth place, only two behind winner Quiros.
It was Lawrie's highest finish since he was third in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles last August and he attributed his improved performance in the bistering Seville sunshine to a putting tip from his coach, Adam Hunter, a week ago.
For a moment, a first victory on Tour since the Wales Open eight years ago looked possible. A holed bunker shot at the 17th for a 2 suddenly elevated the Aberdonian to withinn a shot of the lead.
"Even though you haven't been in contention up to then, you go into winning mode and I know who to do," Paul told me later.
"Standing on the 18th tee, I knew I needed a birdie to get to 11 under par and to be in with a chance. But the 18th is a really tight drive and I blew it out right into the rough. It was just a poor swing.
"I wedged from 88 yards to three or feet and I hit the putt right side, exactly the way I wanted to, but it didn't move. It's disappointng to finish with a bogey but it's been a good week."
In strictly financial terms, missing that three-footer on the 18th green cost Lawrie some £40,365 but a cheque for £48,364 and more confidence on the greens was fair consolation.
A lesson from Hunter a few days earlier was the key to his best showing on tour this year.
"Adam noticed that I had been aiming left, so I have been working on my alignment and the (putting) stroke feels better," Paul expalined.
"Apart from the last hole, I holed some important putts.
"I've struggled a bit with my long game this week but I've putted well and I always say it's no good being a fantastic striker of the ball and a poor putter. That leads to missing cuts."
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
277 Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 68 72 67 70 (Quiros won at first play-off hole), James Morrison 73 67 70 67
278 Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 71 69 70 68, Mark Foster 69 66 69 74, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 69 67 71 71
279 Stephen Dodd 69 68 71 71, Paul Lawrie 74 67 71 67, Paul Waring 66 75 72 66, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 71 66 72 70 (56,200 Euros each).
280 Jamie Donaldson 71 72 66 71, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 69 72 69 70
281 Shane Lowry 71 68 70 72, Carlos Del Morral (Spa) 68 69 70 74
282 David Howell 74 66 73 69, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 70 67 71 74, Johan Edfors (Swe) 70 64 76 72
283 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 73 66 73 71, Damien McGrane 68 71 70 74, Joost Luiten (Ned) 69 70 70 74, Rafael Echenique (Arg) 68 70 73 72, Simon Dyson 68 73 71 71, Gary Boyd 72 71 69 71, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 73 70 71 69, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 72 72 68 71, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 71 69 73 70, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 72 68 71 72
284 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 69 71 69 75, Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 71 70 72 71, Danny Willett 68 68 75 73
285 Anthony Wall 71 68 70 76, Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 68 69 77 71, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 73 69 71 72, Darren Clarke 75 69 72 69
286 Stephen Gallacher 76 68 69 73, Phillip Price 71 71 73 71, Ariel Canete (Arg) 70 67 75 74 (15,000 Euros each).
287 Chris Wood 70 68 73 76, Gary Orr 72 72 70 73, Richie Ramsay 69 72 73 73, Christian Nilsson (Swe) 72 72 72 71, Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 68 73 71 75, Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 74 69 73 71, David Drysdale 70 67 74 76, Oskar Henningsson (Swe) 71 70 72 74, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 73 71 72 71 (12,600 Euros each).
288 Sebastian Garcia-Grout (Spa) 68 67 75 78, James Kingston (Rsa) 72 70 73 73, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 73 71 72 72, Eirik Tage Johansen (Nor) 73 71 76 68, David Horsey 72 70 74 72, Richard Green (Aus) 71 73 73 71, Steven O'Hara 72 71 73 72 (9,400 Euros each).
289 Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 65 79 74 71, Alvaro Velasco (Spa) 72 69 71 77, Richard Finch 69 73 74 73, Colin Montgomerie 71 71 75 72
290 Richard Bland 71 70 75 74, Robert Rock 74 69 74 73, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 69 72 74 75, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 72 72 74 72
291 Jamie Elson 73 69 75 74, Jorge Campillo (Spa) 70 69 77 75, Raul Quiros (Spa) 69 75 76 71, Manuel Quiros (Spa) 71 70 76 74
292 Pedro Linhart (Spa) 74 70 73 75, Nick Dougherty 73 70 74 75, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 73 71 74 74, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 71 73 74 74
293 Alexander Noren (Swe) 72 71 75 75, Luis Claverie (Spa) 74 69 76 74, Pedro Oriol (Spa) 69 71 77 76, Clodomiro Carranza (Arg) 72 71 79 71, Simon Khan 72 72 75 74
294 Peter Whiteford 73 71 73 77, Sion E Bebb 72 71 73 78, Alfredo Garcia-Heredia (Spa) 71 71 76 76 (2,988 Euros each).
296 Sam Hutsby 71 72 78 75, Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 74 69 79 74
297 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 71 73 79 74, Marc Warren 71 73 78 75 (2900 Euros each).
298 Thomas Levet (Fra) 73 70 78 77
300 Carl Suneson (Spa) 71 72 78 79
303 Fredrik Ohlsson (Swe) 73 70 79 81
FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Spanish big-hitter Alvaro Quiros received the cheers of his home fans in Seville after beating English rookie James Morrison to become Spanish Open champion.
The 27-year-old from Malaga, who at 35th in the world was the highest-ranked player in the field, won his fourth European Tour title with a par on the first play-off hole.
Morrison, winner in Madeira on his last start three weeks ago, fired a 67 to force sudden death, but then pulled his second shot into the water and double-bogeyed.
He still had plenty to smile about - over £191,000 for a start - but for compatriot Mark Foster disappointment was written all over his face after he missed three-foot putts on the 16th and 18th to lose by one.
==================================
Links to more golf news
Ishikawa wins seventh title
Mayfair maintains leaderboard monopoly
Miyazato back on top
Pelz tips Westwood for major glory
==================================
"I think it's one of the most important things in my life for sure," said Quiros. "To be the winner of your Open is something really, really great - with the Ryder Cup and the World Cup it's the best three things in golf for me."
After going in the water on the long ninth and turning two behind, Quiros told television commentator Howard Clark that he was trying his best to throw the tournament away.
"Mark Foster was playing really well and I knew I had to make birdies," he added.
But Foster bogeyed the short 11th and his birdie on the fourth was the only one he managed all day.
Morrison earned a place on the circuit with only £5,000 to spare by finishing 18th on last season's Challenge Tour, but already in 2010 he has come first, second, fourth and sixth. With his £191,239 runners-up prize he has already earned almost £350,000 and has no reason to regret choosing golf over cricket.
"I'm loving every minute of it," he said. "This start is past my expectations, but you have to believe in yourself. This is the biggest prize I've ever played for. I've been good at not looking at that, but I did have a quick look in the morning."
Paul Lawrie, the 1999 Open champion from Aberdeen, had one of the best final rounds - a 67 - to finish joint sixth on 279. Give him a par 72 instead of a 74 in the opening round and Paul would have been involved in the play-off. That's how close he was to centre stage.
Paul earned 56,200 Euros for his weekend work. Stephen Gallacher was the next best Scot with a payday of 15,000 Euros.
Holed bunker shot at 17th put Paul only a shot off the lead ...
JOCK MacVICAR writes in today's Scottish Daily Express:
For Lawrie this was an enormous boost going into this week's Italian Open after many frustrating weeks, caused by poor putting.
By shooting a closing 67, he equalled his lowest last round on tour since he shot 65 in Abu Dhabi 16 months ago.
Having goine into the £2mllion tournament 163rd in the Race to Dubai and 248th in the world, the former Open champion picked up seven birdies in a 67 to share sixth place, only two behind winner Quiros.
It was Lawrie's highest finish since he was third in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles last August and he attributed his improved performance in the bistering Seville sunshine to a putting tip from his coach, Adam Hunter, a week ago.
For a moment, a first victory on Tour since the Wales Open eight years ago looked possible. A holed bunker shot at the 17th for a 2 suddenly elevated the Aberdonian to withinn a shot of the lead.
"Even though you haven't been in contention up to then, you go into winning mode and I know who to do," Paul told me later.
"Standing on the 18th tee, I knew I needed a birdie to get to 11 under par and to be in with a chance. But the 18th is a really tight drive and I blew it out right into the rough. It was just a poor swing.
"I wedged from 88 yards to three or feet and I hit the putt right side, exactly the way I wanted to, but it didn't move. It's disappointng to finish with a bogey but it's been a good week."
In strictly financial terms, missing that three-footer on the 18th green cost Lawrie some £40,365 but a cheque for £48,364 and more confidence on the greens was fair consolation.
A lesson from Hunter a few days earlier was the key to his best showing on tour this year.
"Adam noticed that I had been aiming left, so I have been working on my alignment and the (putting) stroke feels better," Paul expalined.
"Apart from the last hole, I holed some important putts.
"I've struggled a bit with my long game this week but I've putted well and I always say it's no good being a fantastic striker of the ball and a poor putter. That leads to missing cuts."
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
277 Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 68 72 67 70 (Quiros won at first play-off hole), James Morrison 73 67 70 67
278 Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 71 69 70 68, Mark Foster 69 66 69 74, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 69 67 71 71
279 Stephen Dodd 69 68 71 71, Paul Lawrie 74 67 71 67, Paul Waring 66 75 72 66, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 71 66 72 70 (56,200 Euros each).
280 Jamie Donaldson 71 72 66 71, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 69 72 69 70
281 Shane Lowry 71 68 70 72, Carlos Del Morral (Spa) 68 69 70 74
282 David Howell 74 66 73 69, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 70 67 71 74, Johan Edfors (Swe) 70 64 76 72
283 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 73 66 73 71, Damien McGrane 68 71 70 74, Joost Luiten (Ned) 69 70 70 74, Rafael Echenique (Arg) 68 70 73 72, Simon Dyson 68 73 71 71, Gary Boyd 72 71 69 71, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 73 70 71 69, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 72 72 68 71, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 71 69 73 70, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 72 68 71 72
284 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 69 71 69 75, Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 71 70 72 71, Danny Willett 68 68 75 73
285 Anthony Wall 71 68 70 76, Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 68 69 77 71, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 73 69 71 72, Darren Clarke 75 69 72 69
286 Stephen Gallacher 76 68 69 73, Phillip Price 71 71 73 71, Ariel Canete (Arg) 70 67 75 74 (15,000 Euros each).
287 Chris Wood 70 68 73 76, Gary Orr 72 72 70 73, Richie Ramsay 69 72 73 73, Christian Nilsson (Swe) 72 72 72 71, Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 68 73 71 75, Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 74 69 73 71, David Drysdale 70 67 74 76, Oskar Henningsson (Swe) 71 70 72 74, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 73 71 72 71 (12,600 Euros each).
288 Sebastian Garcia-Grout (Spa) 68 67 75 78, James Kingston (Rsa) 72 70 73 73, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 73 71 72 72, Eirik Tage Johansen (Nor) 73 71 76 68, David Horsey 72 70 74 72, Richard Green (Aus) 71 73 73 71, Steven O'Hara 72 71 73 72 (9,400 Euros each).
289 Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 65 79 74 71, Alvaro Velasco (Spa) 72 69 71 77, Richard Finch 69 73 74 73, Colin Montgomerie 71 71 75 72
290 Richard Bland 71 70 75 74, Robert Rock 74 69 74 73, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 69 72 74 75, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 72 72 74 72
291 Jamie Elson 73 69 75 74, Jorge Campillo (Spa) 70 69 77 75, Raul Quiros (Spa) 69 75 76 71, Manuel Quiros (Spa) 71 70 76 74
292 Pedro Linhart (Spa) 74 70 73 75, Nick Dougherty 73 70 74 75, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 73 71 74 74, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 71 73 74 74
293 Alexander Noren (Swe) 72 71 75 75, Luis Claverie (Spa) 74 69 76 74, Pedro Oriol (Spa) 69 71 77 76, Clodomiro Carranza (Arg) 72 71 79 71, Simon Khan 72 72 75 74
294 Peter Whiteford 73 71 73 77, Sion E Bebb 72 71 73 78, Alfredo Garcia-Heredia (Spa) 71 71 76 76 (2,988 Euros each).
296 Sam Hutsby 71 72 78 75, Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 74 69 79 74
297 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 71 73 79 74, Marc Warren 71 73 78 75 (2900 Euros each).
298 Thomas Levet (Fra) 73 70 78 77
300 Carl Suneson (Spa) 71 72 78 79
303 Fredrik Ohlsson (Swe) 73 70 79 81
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, May 02, 2010
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