GREAT SCOTT! JAMIESON FINISHES SIXTH IN JOBURG OPEN
The former Scottish boys' open stroke-play champion, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, who spent four years on the American college circuit as a student at Augusta State University, birdied the fourth, fifth and sixth; had his only bogey of the day at the 10th and then birdies the 11th, 15th, 16th and 17 for 32 home.
It earned Jamieson his biggest pro pay day of 46,020 Euros.
In contrast, Dunbar's David Drysdale, starting the last round in close-up fourth position, nosedived to a share of 13th place with a nightmare final round of 77. He started with a double bogey 6, shed another shot at the third and then had another double bogey 6 at the fourth - five over par for the day after only four holes.
He straightened up momentarily with birdies at the long sixth and seventh to turn in three-over 39. But the magic of his first three rounds had gone. Whereas he had not had a single bogey on the inward half through the first three rounds, today Drysdale bogeyed the 10th, short 12th and 14th without a single birdie for 38 home. Most disappointing to total 276, 11 shots behind the winner, defending champion Charl Schwartzel who finished with a 67.
Marc Warren and Lloyd Saltman finished in joint 20th position on 278, both shooting disappointing 72s when sub-par closing rounds would have earned them much more money. As it is, they each pocketed 14,059 Euros.
Warren birdied the first but bogeyed the second and fourth to turn in 37. On the inward half Marc's only birdie came at the 15th but he gave that shot back with a bogey at the 18th.
Saltman bogeyed the second and third for an outward two-over-par 38. He slipped to four over the round with bogeys at the 10th and 11th but the Lothians man did finish on a high with birdies at the 13th, 15th and 18th for 34 home.
Steven O'Hara, who had a great Sunday last weekend in the Africa Open, could manage only a total of 286 this week. He scored 70, 67, 75 and 74 to finish joint 62nd and earn only 3,510 Euros.
JAMIESON JUST MISSES OUT ON PLACE IN THIS WEEK'S
ABU DHABI CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD
FROM THE SPORT.SCOTSMAN.COM WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
Scott Jamieson secured the biggest pay-day of his career with a storming finish in the Joburg Open yesterday but agonisingly missed out on a place in this week's Abu Dhabi Championship, the first big-money event of the year on the European Tour.
To the delight of the home crowds at Royal Johannesburg and Royal Kensington, Charl Schwartzel made a successful defence of his title in the final event on the South African swing, the 26-year-old closing with a scrappy four-under-par 67 to finish four shots ahead of fellow Springbok Garth Mulroy.
However, it was also a rewarding day for Jamieson,who started the final round in a tie for 38th but shot up the leaderboard with a best-of-the-day 65 to finish sixth on 11-under-par 273.
The 27-year-old, who had seven birdies on his card, earned a career-best cheque for £38,241, with the only tinge of disappointment being that he just missed out on the top-five finish that would have earned him a place in the first of the four events in the Middle East over the next month.
After picking up three birdies in a row from the 16th, Jamieson had a good chance for another one at the par-5 closing hole, only to see his 10ft birdie putt stay above ground after shaving the side of the hole.
Instead of moving on to Abu Dhabi, the Challenge Tour graduate will pay a flying visit home to Glasgow today before heading over to America to spend some time with his girlfriend. He's due back in Scotland for fellow Tour player George Murray's wedding early next month before resuming his rookie campaign, either in Dubai or, failing that, India the following week.
"It was a good round today. I played well in the rain and putted very well," said the former Scottish amateur No 1, who finished 30th in the Alfred Dunhill Championship before Christmas but then missed the cut in the next two events in South Africa.
"I had a good chance of a birdie at the last but it shaved the hole. However, I would definitely have taken a 65 before I went out. I had looked at the leaderboard and knew at that point that I would have gone into the top five if I'd holed that putt.
"I had a good first week, then had a couple of disappointing weeks but this was another good one. I'm just trying to play my own game and plod along really. It's disappointing that I didn't get into Abu Dhabi but I might get into Dubai through my ranking as it's a bigger field there. If not, my next event will be in India."
TO READ THE REST OF MARTIN DEMPSTER'S REPORT
ON THE SPORT.SCOTSMAN.COM WEBSITE:
CLICK HERE
Schwartzel's short game sees him through
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel ground out a four-shot win to successfully defend his Joburg Open title.
The World No 32 was never at his best from tee to green in his final round 67, but some remarkable up-and-downs helped him finish 19 under par, four ahead of compatriot Garth Mulroy.
Another South African, Thomas Aiken, saw his challenge for a maiden European Tour title fade on the back nine as he finished third on 14 under, with England’s Jamie Elson a shot further back in fourth.
Jean-Baptiste Gonnet from France finished with a one over 72 - a 12 under total - while Scott Jamieson from Scotland completed his week a further shot back on 11 under.
The 26 year old Schwartzel, whose previous scores this week have been 68, an immaculate 61 and 69, hit just one fairway on the back nine but still did enough to clinch a sixth European Tour title with a final total of 265, 19 under.
Tied for the lead overnight with Aiken and Mulroy, Schwartzel quickly raced two shots clear on Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club’s East Course with birdies at the first and third.
But he found trouble on the fourth, failing to get up-and-down from damp greenside rough and bogeying in wet conditions.
Mulroy and Aiken – both looking for a maiden European Tour title in the event co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour – both parred their first four holes to remain one back.
Aiken drew level at the par three sixth with a magnificent tee shot to within five feet, but Schwartzel was back in front when he gained a shot at the par five next.
Schwartzel produced a string of outrageous up-and-downs to remain at 17 under, and when Mulroy and Aiken both bogeyed the 11th, his lead was up to two.
While Schwartzel’s radar from both the tee and the fairway seemed to have gone awry, there was nothing wrong with his short game and he pitched in from a bunker at the 13th to go to 18 under.
Neither Aiken nor Mulroy converted their birdie putts, leaving Schwartzel three clear with five to play.
And having once again driven into trouble at the par five last, Schwartzel produced a magnificent third that almost spun into the hole. That set up a closing birdie that left him as the toast of Johannesburg on a day that began with grey skies, followed by rain and then saw him playing his closing holes under bright sunshine.
“Thomas and Garth probably outplayed me on the back nine by quite a bit, but I just managed to keep getting the ball in the hole," he said afterwards.
"For me I didn't really play well on those last nine holes, but I just kept telling myself 'you've got a good short game and you can do it' and my putting along with the short game came to the rescue.
"It sounds easy, but I've been working really hard on my pitch shots, bunker play and chipping and it helped me when I needed it most today."
Schwartzel, who became only the third South African after Ernie Els and Trevor Immelman to successfully defend a European Tour title, admitted it was the front nine holes that won him the tournament, although a bogey on the ninth did give his challengers hope.
The Vereeniging-based golfer added: "I got off to an absolutely perfect start today, I got my nose ahead.
"Coming down the ninth, I hit it slightly too hard and it went over the back. It was a bad bogey for me and things started getting a bit shaky for me.
"I had to really dig deep there on the back nine and managed to make a score. I'm really pleased that all my hard work has paid off."
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71)
Players from S Africa unless stated
265 Charl Schwartzel 68 61 69 67 (206,050 Euros).
269 Garth Mulroy 65 64 69 71 (149,500 Euros).
270 Thomas Aiken 64 66 68 72 (89,960 Euros).
271 Jamie Elson (England) 65 64 71 71 (64,830 Euros).
272 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (France) 67 66 67 72 (53,690 Euros).
273 Scott Jamieson (Scotland) 70 66 72 65 (46,020 Euros).
OTHER SCOTS' TOTALS
276 David Drysdale 67 65 67 77 (jt 13th) (18,590 Euros).
278 Marc Warren 67 66 73 72, Lloyd Saltman 71 66 69 72 (jt 20th) (14,059 Euros each).
286 Steven O'Hara 70 67 75 74 (jt 62nd) (3,510 Euros).
TO READ ALL THE FINAL TOTALS ON THE EUROPEAN
TOUR WEBSITE AND CHECK THE INDIVIDUAL CARDS
CLICK HERE
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, January 16, 2011
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