SOUTH AFRICAN KRUGER WINS AVANTHA MASTERS IN INDIA

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR
South African Jbe Kruger claimed his maiden European Tour title with a two-shot victory in the Avantha Masters at DLF Golf and Country Club in New Delhi, India today.
(Image of Kruger with trophy by courtesy of Getty Images(c)
The 25-year-old had a scare with a bogey at the 17th, and wayward shots from the tee and with his second on the 18th provided late drama, but a three under par 69 for a 14-under total of 274 was good enough to finish two shots clear of Germany’s Marcel Siem, who signed for a 70, and Spaniard Jorge Campillo, who had a 67.
Australian Marcus Fraser and Spain’s José Manuel Lara shared fourth place in the event, which is tri-sanctioned by The European Tour, the Asian Tour and the Professional Golf Tour of India.
“I’m just very relieved,” said the diminutive Kruger, who wins €300,000. “It’s a big relief now that I’ve won, but I think I needed all those second place finishes to be able to appreciate it. There was no pressure, even when I made my only bogey of the day on the 17th.”
Jbe Kruger overcame a late wobble to claim his first European Tour victory at the Avantha Masters in New Delhi.
The 25 year old South African looked to be coasting towards the title when, having shaken off the challenge of Spain’s José Manuel Lara, he stood on the 17th tee with a three shot lead.
However, he overcooked his approach and failed to get up and down, the resulting bogey his first for 46 holes.
A wayward drive at the last then struck a camera, and his second went left in to trees, but faced with a daunting third over the water Kruger displayed nerves of steel to stick his approach to ten feet.
He missed the resulting birdie putt, but par was good enough for a round of 69 and 14 under par total at DLF Golf and Country Club.
That was two better than Spain’s Jorge Campillo, whose 67 was the joint-best effort of the day, and German Marcel Siem – who had a sniff of a chance at the last until his third found the bunker, the resulting par leaving him with a 70.
Lara and Australian Marcus Fraser shared fourth on 11 under, two-time winner Lara finding water at the final hole to sink his chances after a brilliant outward 32 had given him a share of the lead.
“I’m very relieved to win for the first time,” said Kruger, who putted beautifully all week. “If you want to win you need to make putts on the final day and I did that today.
“It’s a big relief now that I’ve won but I think I needed all those second-placed finishes to be able to appreciate it. There was no pressure even when I made my only bogey of the day on the 17th.
“I felt that victory was inevitable when I got to the 14th hole. I knew that I had a good chance as I had a comfortable three-shot cushion then. I like to know what’s going on and I’m aware of the movements on the leaderboard.”
Earlier a red-hot putter moved Lara into contention as the 34 year old holed 15 foot birdie putts at the first and third, before curling in a monster 60 footer at the fifth.
Overnight leader Kruger responded with a birdie at the fourth from 12 feet, and both gained a shot on the long sixth, before Lara almost holed-in-one at the par three eighth, leaving a tap-in birdie.
Kruger holed a birdie putt from 20 feet at the eighth to enter the back nine with a one shot lead, and the decisive fourth birdie of the day followed at the par three 11th.
Lara was struggling from the tee by this point, and although he scrambled pars at the ninth, tenth and 12th, he caught a flyer on the 13th and his 25 foot par putt finished a fraction short to leave Kruger three clear.
Lara found water at the last, allowing Campillo snatch a share of second with a chip-in birdie on the same hole, while Siem - fourth last week in Dubai – had six birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey, the highlight coming when the 31 year old struck his approach from the rough to five feet to set up a birdie at the first.
“I started really well and the whole time was up there on the leaderboard,” said Challenge Tour graduate Campillo, who holed a 30 footer on the eighth to complete a hat-trick of gains.
“So it was great fun and very exciting. I just tried to play my best. I played okay on the back nine, not great, but I didn’t make many mistakes and I chipped in on the last for birdie so it was nice to finish strongly.
“It was just very exciting. I knew I was playing well and all of a sudden after eight holes I’m up at the top of the leaderboard. It’s the first time I’ve been in that situation and I think I handled it pretty well. Next time this happens maybe I can just do slightly better on the back nine.”

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72). Prizemoney in Euros
274 Jbe Kruger (S Africa) 70 69 66 69 (300,000)
276 Jorge Campillo (Spain) 72 71 66 67, Marcel Siem (Germany) (156,340 each)
277 Marcus Fraser (Australia) 69 69 69 70, Jose Manuel Lara (Spain) 74 69  64 70 (83,160 each).
278 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (France) 68 69 69 72, Tano Goya (Argentina) 74 70 64 70, Prom Meesawat (Thailand) 72 64 71 71, Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark) 71 67 70 70 (50,580 each).
SCOTS SCORES
285 Marc Warren 72 67 68 78 (T29) (15,210).
293 Scott Jamieson 69 72 77 75, George Murray 70 74 73 76 (T60) (4,950).
296 Ross Bain 74 70 76 76 (T65) (4,050).
Disqualified - Peter Whiteford.