BRETT RUMGFORD STRIKES AGAIN TO WIN VOLVO CHINA OPEN
NEWS RELEASE
TIANJIN, China, May 5 - Australian Brett Rumford romped to his second title in as many weeks on Sunday with a final round four-under-par 68 that gave him a four-shot victory at the 20 million yuan (U.S. $3.2 million) Volvo China Open at Tianjin Binhai Lake Golf Club.
Rumford added the OneAsia and European Tour co-sanctioned title to
the Ballantine's Championship he won in South Korea last week, capping a
remarkable fortnight that has seen him bank over a million dollars and
soar up the world rankings from 253 to the mid 80s.
The 37-year-old Australian finished at 16 under par, with Finland's
Mikko Ilonen (71) alone in second place and hard-charging Frenchman
Victor Dubuisson (68) third.
"It's surreal," said Rumford. "I'm more than pleased, but its not my doing completely -- I have a great team around me."
Rumford started the day a shot ahead of playing partner Ilonen, and they went at it hammer and tongs until the tournament was effectively settled in a three-hole stretch starting at the 12th.
Rumford made three birdies on-the-trot while Ilonen -- perhaps pushing too hard -- had a pair of bogeys that left him resigned to second place.
"The one on the 12th, well that was one of the best shots of my career," said Rumford, of the tricky up-and-down he had to pull off from the edge of a bunker.
The margin of victory could not have contrasted more with his effort in South Korea, when he broke a near six-year victory drought only after enduring a nail-biting three-way playoff that he forced his way into after a birdie on the last following a 17th hole double bogey.
"Mikko certainly put the pressure on me through the turn there, and obviously he was driving well … but it's amazing this game, how quickly it can turn," said Rumford.
Chinese teenager Dou Zecheng put in another credible effort with a 73 that saw him finish the tournament in the middle of the field at one under par -- the same as defending champion Branden Grace.
The 16-year-old amateur qualifier, the youngest player ever to make the cut in the tournament's 19-year-history, immediately set his sights on even greater glory.
"I want more … I want to play in Majors," he said, three weeks after 14-year-old compatriot Guan Tianlang stunned the golf world by making the cut at the U.S. masters.
On Thursday another qualifier, 12-year-old Ye Wocheng, became the youngest player ever to start a European Tour or OneAsia event -- shattering Guan's record set last year when he was 13. Ye missed the cut by 14 after shooting a pair of 79s.
Rumford started the day a shot ahead of playing partner Ilonen, and they went at it hammer and tongs until the tournament was effectively settled in a three-hole stretch starting at the 12th.
Rumford made three birdies on-the-trot while Ilonen -- perhaps pushing too hard -- had a pair of bogeys that left him resigned to second place.
"The one on the 12th, well that was one of the best shots of my career," said Rumford, of the tricky up-and-down he had to pull off from the edge of a bunker.
The margin of victory could not have contrasted more with his effort in South Korea, when he broke a near six-year victory drought only after enduring a nail-biting three-way playoff that he forced his way into after a birdie on the last following a 17th hole double bogey.
"Mikko certainly put the pressure on me through the turn there, and obviously he was driving well … but it's amazing this game, how quickly it can turn," said Rumford.
Chinese teenager Dou Zecheng put in another credible effort with a 73 that saw him finish the tournament in the middle of the field at one under par -- the same as defending champion Branden Grace.
The 16-year-old amateur qualifier, the youngest player ever to make the cut in the tournament's 19-year-history, immediately set his sights on even greater glory.
"I want more … I want to play in Majors," he said, three weeks after 14-year-old compatriot Guan Tianlang stunned the golf world by making the cut at the U.S. masters.
On Thursday another qualifier, 12-year-old Ye Wocheng, became the youngest player ever to start a European Tour or OneAsia event -- shattering Guan's record set last year when he was 13. Ye missed the cut by 14 after shooting a pair of 79s.
Par 288 (4x72) Yardage 7,667
272 Brett RUMFORD (AUS) 68-67-69-68.
276 Mikko ILONEN (FIN) 69-63-73-71.
277 Victor DUBUISSON (FRA) 71-72-66-68.
278 Robert-Jan DERKSEN (NED) 66-70-73-69.
279 Ricardo SANTOS (POR) 70-72-68-69, Pablo LARRAZABAL (ESP) 71-66-69-73.
280 Andreas HARTO (DEN) 72-71-70-67.
281 Felipe AGUILAR (CHI) 71-73-68-69, Paul CASEY (ENG) 71-68-72-70,
Thomas BJORN (DEN) 70-73-68-70, Joost LUITEN (NED) 73-67-68-73.
282 Ricardo GONZALEZ (ARG) 73-71-67-71, Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 68-67-72-75.
283 Raphael JACQUELIN (FRA) 68-72-75-68, Jeev Milkha SINGH (IND)
72-69-73-69, Andy SULLIVAN (ENG) 74-68-72-69, Aaron TOWNSEND (AUS)
69-70-74-70, Gregory HAVRET (FRA) 72-70-71-70, Lee SLATTERY (ENG)
69-68-74-72, Paul LAWRIE (SCO) 69-72-70-72.
284 Emiliano GRILLO (ARG) 73-71-70-70, Paul WARING (ENG) 72-68-73-71, Steve WEBSTER (ENG) 73-67-71-73.
285 Johan EDFORS (SWE) 73-69-73-70, Mark FOSTER (ENG) 70-69-75-71,
Stephen GALLACHER (SCO) 70-71-71-73, Matthew BALDWIN (ENG) 70-71-70-74,
PARK Sang-hyun (KOR) 69-70-71-75.
286 Tommy FLEETWOOD (ENG) 71-70-72-73, Soren HANSEN (DEN)
72-69-72-73, Richie RAMSAY (SCO) 71-68-73-74, Damien McGRANE (IRL)
73-66-73-74.
287 AN Byeong-hun (KOR) 73-68-74-72, Markus BRIER (AUT)
71-71-73-72, Moritz LAMPERT (GER) 72-72-71-72, Matthew GRIFFIN (AUS)
70-68-76-73, Soren KJELDSEN (DEN) 72-68-74-73, DOU Ze-cheng (am, CHN)
70-72-72-73, Branden GRACE (RSA) 74-67-72-74, Graeme STORM (ENG)
70-68-74-75.
288 Nick CULLEN (AUS) 72-69-78-69, Eddie PEPPERELL (ENG)
75-68-75-70, Richard BLAND (ENG) 72-71-75-70, Estanislao GOYA (ARG)
70-74-74-70, Kristoffer BROBERG (SWE) 74-67-75-72, Edoardo MOLINARI
(ITA) 75-68-73-72, Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 74-69-72-73, Alexander NOREN
(SWE) 70-73-71-74.
289 Andrew DODT (AUS) 72-71-77-69, Magnus A CARLSSON (SWE) 71-73-72-73.
290 Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 76-68-76-70, LIANG Wen-chong (CHN)
74-70-75-71, Fabrizio ZANOTTI (PAR) 71-69-77-73, Rafael CABRERA- BELLO
(ESP) 72-70-72-76.
291 Michael HENDRY (NZL) 74-67-75-75, Richard FINCH (ENG)
71-70-75-75, Terry PILKADARIS (AUS) 69-73-74-75, JB HANSEN (DEN)
73-69-71-78.
292 Niclas FASTH (SWE) 73-68-78-73, Garrett SAPP (USA) 70-74-74-74.
293 Joel SJOHOLM (SWE) 74-65-76-78, Peter WHITEFORD (SCO) 73-69-73-78.
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, May 05, 2013
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