MCARTHUR'S HIGHEST FINISH OF CHALLENGE TOUR SEASON
FROM NEIL AHERN
Challenge Tour Press Officer
Andrew McArthur claimed his highest finish of the 2012 European Challenge Tour season at the English Challenge after a two under par round of 70 left him in tied 29th spot on four under par.
The 33 year old Glasgow man had a steady two under par back nine to thank after reaching the turn in level par, courtesy of two birdies and two bogeys, before birdies on the 14th and 16th helped him finish as the best placed Scot at Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf and Spa, near Colchester, Essex.
Raymond Russell was a shot further behind after a one over par 73 left him in tied 44th while Paul Doherty finished tied 57th after a three over par final round of 75.
Chris Paisley, meanwhile, claimed his maiden Challenge Tour title as a one under par final round of 71 left the Englishman two shots clear of compatriot
Francis McGuirk on 16 under par.
The 26 year old entered the final day with a three-shot lead after an incredible third round in which an albatross two at the par five 16th put him into pole position and for a brief period during the final day it looked like the victory might slip from his grasp.McGuirk gained four shots in as many holes midway through his front nine to join Paisley at the top and pile the pressure on the Newcastle man but the 38 year old immediately followed that purple patch with a double bogey at the seventh, after the first of two play suspensions due to lightning.
Paisley then proceeded to birdie the ninth and tenth holes to increase the gap at the top to four and, while he dropped a shot each at the 11th and 12th, he pulled himself together to birdie the 14th and 16th holes.
The 33 year old Glasgow man had a steady two under par back nine to thank after reaching the turn in level par, courtesy of two birdies and two bogeys, before birdies on the 14th and 16th helped him finish as the best placed Scot at Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf and Spa, near Colchester, Essex.
Raymond Russell was a shot further behind after a one over par 73 left him in tied 44th while Paul Doherty finished tied 57th after a three over par final round of 75.
Chris Paisley, meanwhile, claimed his maiden Challenge Tour title as a one under par final round of 71 left the Englishman two shots clear of compatriot
Francis McGuirk on 16 under par.
The 26 year old entered the final day with a three-shot lead after an incredible third round in which an albatross two at the par five 16th put him into pole position and for a brief period during the final day it looked like the victory might slip from his grasp.McGuirk gained four shots in as many holes midway through his front nine to join Paisley at the top and pile the pressure on the Newcastle man but the 38 year old immediately followed that purple patch with a double bogey at the seventh, after the first of two play suspensions due to lightning.
Paisley then proceeded to birdie the ninth and tenth holes to increase the gap at the top to four and, while he dropped a shot each at the 11th and 12th, he pulled himself together to birdie the 14th and 16th holes.
McGuirk effectively played his way out of the title chase with a bogey at the 11th and a double bogey at the 13th, despite clawing his way back to within four shots with a birdie at the 15th and an eagle at the
16th.
Paisley still had the luxury of bogeying the final two holes as the sun reared its head for one final time on a day which had blazing sunshine as well as heavy thunderstorms, and the former Walker Cup player expressed his delight at his first victory.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x70)
272 C Paisley (Eng) 68 68 65 71
274 F McGuirk (Eng) 66 71 67 70
276 E Kofstad (Nor) 70 68 67 71
277 N Dougherty (Eng) 70 69 69 69
278 M Nixon (Eng) 69 68 70 71, J Busby (Eng) 69 68 67 74
280 P Uihlein (USA) 73 68 70 69, J Grillon (Fra) 67 70 74 69, J Walters (RSA) 73 71 70 66, R Dinwiddie (Eng) 65 65 77 73, M Korhonen (Fin) 70 69 72 69, B Koepka (USA) 72 66 67 75, M Haines (Eng) 68 69 69 74,
16th.
Paisley still had the luxury of bogeying the final two holes as the sun reared its head for one final time on a day which had blazing sunshine as well as heavy thunderstorms, and the former Walker Cup player expressed his delight at his first victory.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x70)
272 C Paisley (Eng) 68 68 65 71
274 F McGuirk (Eng) 66 71 67 70
276 E Kofstad (Nor) 70 68 67 71
277 N Dougherty (Eng) 70 69 69 69
278 M Nixon (Eng) 69 68 70 71, J Busby (Eng) 69 68 67 74
280 P Uihlein (USA) 73 68 70 69, J Grillon (Fra) 67 70 74 69, J Walters (RSA) 73 71 70 66, R Dinwiddie (Eng) 65 65 77 73, M Korhonen (Fin) 70 69 72 69, B Koepka (USA) 72 66 67 75, M Haines (Eng) 68 69 69 74,
281 S Wakefield (Eng) 70 72 72 67, C Lloyd (Eng) 74 68 74 65, S Manley (Wal) 65 68 70 78, B Åkesson (Swe) 71 71 71 68,
282 S Tiley (Eng) 72 70 71 69, G Lockerbie (Eng) 73 67 69 73, J Huldahl (Den) 74 67 69 72, D Gaunt (Aus) 72 65 72 73,
283 S Brown (Eng) 73 69 69 72, D Whitnell (Eng) 69 69 71 74, G Houston (Wal) 74 69 68 72, J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 71 68 71 73, T Hatton (Eng) 72 70 75 66, J Lima (Por) 70 72 70 71, B Stow(am) (Eng) 74 69 67 73,
284 A McArthur (Sco) 70 73 71 70, S Benson (Eng) 72 68 69 75, J Hansen (Den) 73 67 70 74, M Glauert (Ger) 69 70 75 70, A Hartø (Den) 71 71 72 70, M Eliasson (Swe) 71 70 75 68,
285 E Pepperell (Eng) 70 71 70 74, C Monasterio (Arg) 74 70 72 69, L Goddard (Eng) 71 69 72 73,
286 J Abbott (Eng) 72 69 69 76, J Little (Eng) 68 72 76 70, J Senior (Eng) 73 71 72 70, D Vancsik (Arg) 75 69 68 74, B Chapellan (Fra) 74 69 68 75, P Archer (Eng) 72 72 66 76,
287 B Barham (Eng) 73 69 69 76, D Küpper (Ger) 75 69 72 71, R Wallis (Eng) 74 70 73 70, R Russell (Sco) 70 71 73 73, P Reed (Eng) 74 70 72 71,
288 F Delamontagne (Fra) 69 71 70 78,
289 S Lilly (Eng) 73 70 72 74, D Brooks (Eng) 73 70 70 76, R Wingardh (Swe) 70 70 72 77, C Moriarty (Irl) 70 69 68 82, J Wahlqvist (Swe) 73 69 71 76, S Grant (Irl) 69 73 72 75,
290 K Eriksson (Swe) 74 68 75 73,
293 P Doherty (Sco) 74 70 74 75, T Whitehouse (Eng) 76 68 73 76, A Snobeck (Fra) 69 74 72 78, A Hortal (Esp) 75 69 74 75, L Canter (Eng) 78 66 71 78,
** A Ahokas (Fin) 72 72 RT 0,
Labels: CHALLENGE TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, July 29, 2012
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