CHRIS DOAK WARMS UP FOR KAZAKHSTAN MAJOR WITH 4TH IN RUSSIA

REPORT AND SCORES FROM NEIL AHERN
European Challenge Tour Press Officer
Chris Doak battled back after two early bogeys to card a two under par final round of 70 and finish in tied fourth place at the M2M Russian Challenge Cup and the Greenock man said he is confident mood ahead of the European Challenge Tour’s ‘Major’ in Kazakhstan this coming week.

Doak had a poor start to his final round at the stunning Tseleevo Golf and Polo Club, outside Moscow, with bogeys at the second and fifth holes.

But thereafter he flourished as he saved par with a good up and down at the sixth hole before following that up with a birdie at the seventh and an eagle at the par five eighth hole, where he fired his second shot to eight feet with a rescue club.

A birdie at the tenth moved him to five under par for the tournament and that’s where he stayed thanks to seven pars on the way in as he goes to next week’s Kazakhstan Open on the back of a hugely encouraging tournament in Russia.

“With the rain, and I was rushing to the course, I just got off to a rubbish start,” said the 35 year old. “The sixth hole I had a good up and down from the bunker and then had a birdie and a wee bonus eagle on the eighth.

“From there on I played really well and just couldn’t get the ball in the hole. I hit it close a few times and had birdie opportunities all the way in but maybe I got too excited to hole them.

“I would take that score with the week I've had though because I was three over after the first round and I was struggling to get my Visa for Kazakhstan.

“It’s tough with the greens on the fourth day after a rainy week so I'm happy with the way this tournament has gone.

“I've never played the course for Kazakhstan next week so it will be good to go back there and it’s a big week. If you do well you do well and if you don’t you don’t but my game is in good shape. I've been working with Bob (Torrance) whenever I can and my putting is coming along so I'm happy.”

Alexandre Kaleka, meanwhile, claimed his second European Challenge Tour title as his two under par round of 70 was enough to overcome Alessandro Tadini after a thrilling final day battle.

The Frenchman began the day two shots off the lead held by Alessandro Tadini and, on an intriguing day where the lead was exchanged back and forth, he battled his way back from a double bogey at the 15^th hole to claim his first title in three years.

The win moved him from 12^th in the Challenge Tour Rankings to fifth and means he is now almost certain to earn a card for The European Tour next season.

FINAL TOTALS

 Par  288 (4x72)

281 A Kaleka  (Fra) 69 71 71 70

282 A Tadini (Ita) 67 69 73 73, M Tullo (Chi) 68 70 75 69

283 M Madsen  (Den) 68 72 71 72, J Hansen  (Den) 69 70 76 68, C Doak (Sco) 75 67 71 70

284 A Domingo (Esp) 68 74 71 71

285 P Uihlein  (USA) 69 71 73 72, A Hartø  (Den) 73 73 69 70

286 F Praegant (Aut) 69 70 72 75, M Korhonen (Fin) 70 71 73 72, E Kofstad (Nor) 67 75 74 70

288 B Parker  (Eng) 70 69 73 76, C Lloyd (Eng) 70 68 73 77, J Lando Casanova  (Fra) 71 73 71 73, M Carlsson  (Swe) 68 72 78 70

289 M Delpodio  (Ita) 69 69 79 72, D Vancsik (Arg) 71 75 75 68

290 C Aguilar  (Esp) 75 69 73 73, E De La Riva  (Esp) 69 73 73 75, H Bacher (Aut) 70 74 76 70

291 C Monasterio (Arg) 74 73 74 70, G Lockerbie  (Eng) 70 76 72 73, G Stal  (Fra) 75 72 76 68, P Archer (Eng) 71 73 76 71, M Kieffer (Ger) 71 72 72 76, L Saltman (Sco) 75 67 74 75, A Perrino  (Ita) 75 73 72 71, A Bernadet  (Fra) 70 69 76 76,

292 C Macaulay  (Sco) 73 71 73 75, S Pinckney (USA) 77 70 75 70, L Jensen (Den) 71 71 77 73, V Riu  (Fra) 76 71 72 73, R Russell (Sco) 70 74 73 75, M Glauert (Ger) 73 69 74 76,

293 C Russo (Fra) 71 70 76 76, R Steiner (Aut) 73 75 73 72,

294 R Dinwiddie  (Eng) 72 72 75 75, S Buhl (Ger) 72 74 72 76, J Van Der Vaart (Ned) 69 73 79 73,

295 P Dwyer (Eng) 75 73 75 72, S Wakefield (Eng) 72 74 74 75, P Oriol (Esp) 71 72 75 77, D Brooks (Eng) 73 70 74 78,

296 L Goddard  (Eng) 71 72 76 77, A Levy (Fra) 72 75 71 78, N Bertasio (Ita) 72 75 73 76, B Ritthammer (Ger) 73 75 74 74, S Benson (Eng) 73 75 78 70, E Pepperell (Eng) 69 74 75 78, J Abbott (Eng) 73 74 76 73

297 G Houston (Wal) 71 76 72 78, S Henry  (Sco) 68 73 78 78, N Meitinger  (Ger) 70 72 77 78, B Hafthorsson (Isl) 73 75 76 73

298 M Prihoda (Cze) 73 74 74 77, R Echenique (Arg) 77 71 75 75, S Jeppesen  (Swe) 74 72 76 76, M Crespi  (Ita) 66 77 75 80, R Kakko  (Fin) 75 72 73 78

299 C Paisley  (Eng) 72 72 73 82, I Elvira  (Esp) 73 74 77 75

303 J Huldahl (Den) 72 73 77 81, M Ford (Eng) 70 77 80 76

309 J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 70 72 78 89