SOUTH KOREAN SCORES FIRST EUROPEAN TOUR WIN AT PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
NEWS RELEASE FROM EUROPEAN TOUR
Jin Jeong fought back from a four-putt double bogey on his first hole of the day to overcome Ross Fisher in a play-off and land his first European Tour victory at the ISPS HANDA Perth International.
The 23 year old South Korean started the day one behind home favourite Brody Ninyette, but made a nightmare start to his final round at Lake Karrinyup before recovering to shoot a three under par 69 and match Fisher’s ten under clubhouse target.
Birdies at the fourth and fifth atoned for Jeong’s early blunder, but it was only when Ninyette dropped his first shot of the day at the 13th that the Australian was caught.
Jeong made important clutch putts at the 16th and 17th as Ninyette’s challenge faded, but when Fisher hit his tee shot to within a foot at the 17th and birdied the two were tied and neither could birdie the last.
On their first return trip down the 18th Fisher caught a flyer with his approach and went through the green, leaving Jeong two putts to sew up the title.
“I was nervous, I was shaking but I controlled myself pretty well all day I thought,” said former Amateur Champion Jeong. “I don't know what I've done to be honest.
“I was struggling quite a bit when I was turning pro, but it was going to happen in the learning circuit I guess.
“I had played play-offs in mini tour events, but playing with Ross Fisher, he's one of my heroes. Playing with him in the play-off, it was unbelievable.”
Jeong, who has featured on The Challenge Tour this season, had recently progressed through the First Stage of The European Tour Qualifying School, but now earns a two-year exemption.
“I was going to go back to Q School Second Stage the week after next but I guess I don't have to anymore,” he added.
Western Australia native Ninyette had surged three clear early on after leading by one overnight, with birdies from three feet at the first and 25 feet at the fourth taking him into a commanding lead.
Fisher had pitched to three feet at the first and holed from 12 feet at the third for birdies, although he did hand a shot back at the fifth.
Jeong holed from 12 feet for birdie at the fourth and added an eight footer at the next to remain in the hunt, but at the turn there was little to suggest that Ninyette would be caught, and he strengthened his position by splashing out a greenside bunker to two feet at the long 11th for a birdie.
A wayward drive two holes later saw Ninyette make his first bogey of the day, and when he dropped further shots over the closing stretch Jeong – who had drawn level with birdies at the 11th and 12th – was able to take advantage with a gain at the long 15th.
Former Ryder Cup star Fisher matched Jeong’s gain at the 15th and forced extra holes with his tremendous tee shot at the 17th, but in the end had to console himself with a runner-up cheque that should see him climb into the top 60 of The Race to Dubai and qualify for the DP World Tour Championship.
“Obviously it would have been lovely to have come here and won, but that's golf,” said Fisher, who carded a closing 68.
“Unfortunately I came up a little bit short, but I can be very pleased the way I played today. I hung in there really well; it was always going to be tough.
“There are some good names up t
PETER LAWRIE RELIEVED TO KEEP HIS
EUROPEAN TOUR CARD
After weeks of sleepless nights, Ireland’s Peter Lawrie can finally
relax after securing his European Tour card at the ISPS HANDA Perth
International.
The 2008 Open de España winner started the week 115th on The Race to Dubai, with only the top 110 after the tournament at Lake Karrinyup retaining their playing rights for 2014.
Despite finishing bogey-bogey, Lawrie carded a closing two under par 70 to finish in a share of 18th.
That was enough to move Lawrie into the all-important top 110, but former European Tour winners James Kingston, Oliver Fisher, Fredrik Andersson Hed and Richard Finch were not so lucky.
Kingston was leapfrogged after missing the cut, while top-ten finishes were not enough for Finch or Andersson Hed and Fisher missed out after finishing tied for 18th when he needed to be in the top seven.
They now face a trip to Qualifying School in Spain next month, but Lawrie can rest easy after an exhausting couple of months that saw him miss six cuts in a row before finally reaching the weekend in Perth.
“I'm just glad it's over to be totally honest with you,” he said afterwards. “I've never felt so much pressure as the last eight weeks: can't sleep, can't eat properly, it’s just horrendous. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
“I got off to a great start, so it wasn't that much pressure, but jeepers, just coming down trying to get the job finished without making a mental error or doing something stupid, even finishing bogey, bogey.
“Finishing anywhere in the 20s I reckoned was going to get me to keep my card, but it's not easy, I can tell you that. It is not easy.
“Hopefully fly home and probably sleep for a change. Go home and be with the family and stop being grumpy.”
Jin Jeong fought back from a four-putt double bogey on his first hole of the day to overcome Ross Fisher in a play-off and land his first European Tour victory at the ISPS HANDA Perth International.
The 23 year old South Korean started the day one behind home favourite Brody Ninyette, but made a nightmare start to his final round at Lake Karrinyup before recovering to shoot a three under par 69 and match Fisher’s ten under clubhouse target.
Birdies at the fourth and fifth atoned for Jeong’s early blunder, but it was only when Ninyette dropped his first shot of the day at the 13th that the Australian was caught.
Jeong made important clutch putts at the 16th and 17th as Ninyette’s challenge faded, but when Fisher hit his tee shot to within a foot at the 17th and birdied the two were tied and neither could birdie the last.
On their first return trip down the 18th Fisher caught a flyer with his approach and went through the green, leaving Jeong two putts to sew up the title.
“I was nervous, I was shaking but I controlled myself pretty well all day I thought,” said former Amateur Champion Jeong. “I don't know what I've done to be honest.
“I was struggling quite a bit when I was turning pro, but it was going to happen in the learning circuit I guess.
“I had played play-offs in mini tour events, but playing with Ross Fisher, he's one of my heroes. Playing with him in the play-off, it was unbelievable.”
Jeong, who has featured on The Challenge Tour this season, had recently progressed through the First Stage of The European Tour Qualifying School, but now earns a two-year exemption.
“I was going to go back to Q School Second Stage the week after next but I guess I don't have to anymore,” he added.
Western Australia native Ninyette had surged three clear early on after leading by one overnight, with birdies from three feet at the first and 25 feet at the fourth taking him into a commanding lead.
Fisher had pitched to three feet at the first and holed from 12 feet at the third for birdies, although he did hand a shot back at the fifth.
Jeong holed from 12 feet for birdie at the fourth and added an eight footer at the next to remain in the hunt, but at the turn there was little to suggest that Ninyette would be caught, and he strengthened his position by splashing out a greenside bunker to two feet at the long 11th for a birdie.
A wayward drive two holes later saw Ninyette make his first bogey of the day, and when he dropped further shots over the closing stretch Jeong – who had drawn level with birdies at the 11th and 12th – was able to take advantage with a gain at the long 15th.
Former Ryder Cup star Fisher matched Jeong’s gain at the 15th and forced extra holes with his tremendous tee shot at the 17th, but in the end had to console himself with a runner-up cheque that should see him climb into the top 60 of The Race to Dubai and qualify for the DP World Tour Championship.
“Obviously it would have been lovely to have come here and won, but that's golf,” said Fisher, who carded a closing 68.
“Unfortunately I came up a little bit short, but I can be very pleased the way I played today. I hung in there really well; it was always going to be tough.
“There are some good names up t
Complete Fourth Round Scores:
278 J Jeong (Kor) 68 72 69 69; R Fisher (Eng) 72 67 71 68;
280 D Willett (Eng) 72 71 68 69; D Papadatos (Aus) 69 71 72 68; B Ninyette (Aus) 72 69 67 72;
281 B Rumford (Aus) 71 73 65 72;
282 J Hansen (Den) 70 73 66 73; J Sjöholm (Swe) 71 73 67 71; R Finch (Eng) 72 69 69 72;
283 P Hedblom (Swe) 68 69 75 71; F Andersson Hed (Swe) 69 73 68 73;
284 J Younger (Aus) 70 70 73 71; J
Nitties (Aus) 68 73 69 74; R Haller (Aus) 72 70 74 68; S Hansen (Den) 71
69 72 72; D Johnson (USA) 69 74 75 66; E Kofstad (Nor) 71 73 72 68;
285 F Zanotti (Par) 75 68 72 70; D
McKenzie (Aus) 75 68 71 71; M Hoey (Nir) 73 69 69 74; G Paddison (Nzl)
74 69 71 71; M Fraser (Aus) 72 70 71 72; B Van Pelt (USA) 70 71 71 73; D
Popovic (Aus) 72 74 69 70; O Fisher (Eng) 72 72 69 72;
J Walters (RSA) 76 69 73 67; P Lawrie (Irl) 73 70 72 70;
286 W Ormsby (Aus) 73 72 71 70; N
Cullen (Aus) 69 73 71 73; C Lee (Sco) 73 71 72 70; J Scrivener (Aus) 75
67 68 76; N O'Hern (Aus) 69 73 72 72; A Kaleka (Fra) 74 69 72 71;
287 A Bland (Aus) 72 72 73 70; R Blizard (Aus) 70 74 72 71;
288 R Bland (Eng) 75 71 72 70; M
Brown (Nzl) 70 72 74 72; C Campbell (Aus) 71 71 73 73; R McEvoy (Eng)
76 70 73 69; S Henry (Sco) 74 72 70 72; C Doak (Sco) 72 73 72 71; G
Havret (Fra) 73 73 73 69;
289 J Morrison (Eng) 73 72 73 71; T
Bond (Aus) 71 73 74 71; S Jones (Aus) 74 72 71 72; P Spargo (Aus) 72 71
73 73; T Cox (Aus) 75 70 72 72; S Kjeldsen (Den) 76 68 73 72; B Grace
(RSA) 73 73 69 74;
290 S Dartnall (Aus) 74 71 72 73;
291 J Wade (Aus) 76 70 74 71; M
Korhonen (Fin) 73 71 72 75; J McLean (Aus) 76 68 73 74; M Tullo (Chi) 75
71 75 70; D Bransdon (Aus) 71 73 74 73;
292 D Drysdale (Sco) 72 74 75 71; S
Little (Eng) 69 75 71 77; C Rice (Aus) 68 72 75 77; D Higgins (Irl) 73
72 74 73; C Parry (Aus) 72 74 74 72; A Brown (Aus) 70 75 76 71;
293 B Åkesson (Swe) 69 77 77 70; R McGowan (Eng) 71 72 74 76;
294 S Jeffress (Aus) 76 70 74 74;
295 P Wilson (Aus) 72 71 73 79; S Wakefield (Eng) 72 74 68 81;
296 L McKechnie (Aus) 74 72 72 78; P Cooke (Aus) 72 73 74 77;
302 N Basic (Aus) 72 74 78 78;
PETER LAWRIE RELIEVED TO KEEP HIS
EUROPEAN TOUR CARD
The 2008 Open de España winner started the week 115th on The Race to Dubai, with only the top 110 after the tournament at Lake Karrinyup retaining their playing rights for 2014.
Despite finishing bogey-bogey, Lawrie carded a closing two under par 70 to finish in a share of 18th.
That was enough to move Lawrie into the all-important top 110, but former European Tour winners James Kingston, Oliver Fisher, Fredrik Andersson Hed and Richard Finch were not so lucky.
Kingston was leapfrogged after missing the cut, while top-ten finishes were not enough for Finch or Andersson Hed and Fisher missed out after finishing tied for 18th when he needed to be in the top seven.
They now face a trip to Qualifying School in Spain next month, but Lawrie can rest easy after an exhausting couple of months that saw him miss six cuts in a row before finally reaching the weekend in Perth.
“I'm just glad it's over to be totally honest with you,” he said afterwards. “I've never felt so much pressure as the last eight weeks: can't sleep, can't eat properly, it’s just horrendous. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
“I got off to a great start, so it wasn't that much pressure, but jeepers, just coming down trying to get the job finished without making a mental error or doing something stupid, even finishing bogey, bogey.
“Finishing anywhere in the 20s I reckoned was going to get me to keep my card, but it's not easy, I can tell you that. It is not easy.
“Hopefully fly home and probably sleep for a change. Go home and be with the family and stop being grumpy.”
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, October 20, 2013
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