WELSHMAN'S FIRST EUROPEAN TITLE SINCE 2011
Ian Woosnam with the Dutch Senior Open trophy. Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)
WOOSNAM LEARNS HIS LESSON - WINS
DUTCH SENIOR OPEN BY FIVE SHOTS
FROM THE EUROPEAN SENIOR TOUR WEBSITE
Ian Woosnam had his great friend D J Russell to thank as he closed with a five under par 68 to win the Dutch Senior Open at The International, in style.
Russell persuaded Woosnam to get a lesson from Jacques Rivet at the European Tour Performance Institute at Terre Blanche, ahead of last week’s event in France, and it paid dividends as the former Ryder Cup captain came from one shot back to finish five shots ahead of Russell, overnight leader Phil Golding and George Ryall on eleven under par 208.
A ten foot birdie putt on the ninth gave the Welsh Major Champion the lead for the first time, and the 29-time European Tour winner went on to close with three more birdies over his last four holes, to claim his first European Senior Tour title since 2011.
“I guess I owe DJ (Russell) a few drinks tonight. Speaking to Jacques (Rivet) has made a massive difference to me and I can’t thank both them enough.
“It has given me the confidence to stand there and hit it, rather than worrying about my swing.
“I feel like I can take to the course like I used to and I’m hitting it miles again. It’s pitching about 275 yards and I haven’t been doing that for a long time.
“Look out Rory (McIlroy). He might have to start thinking about me again once we get to next year’s Masters.”
Golding won last week’s French Riviera Masters at Terre Blance, but seven days later had to settle for a tie for second place, after closing with a one over par 74.
Ryall birdied the last to equal his best European Senior Tour finish since winning the 2010 Van Lanschot Senior Open in The Netherlands, but it was Russell who produced most of the fireworks on an afternoon where 19 out of the top 20 finishers carded level par rounds or better, largely thanks to six birdies on his front nine.
“I don’t think I have ever had a start to a round like that and I can honestly say it might have been better because I lipped out from about 30 feet on the fourth.
“It was crazy. I chipped in on the sixth and holed from about 12 feet on the second and seventh, but apart from that the longest putt I holed during that stretch was about from four feet.
“I’m also going to claim a few beers from Ian (Woosnam) tonight though, because it was me who persuaded him to go and see the biomechanics guy in France last week.
“I could see what he was doing wrong and I knew Jacques sort him out. I actually said to him that I’d pay for the lesson if he didn’t like it but I saw him hand over the cash so I knew he’d taken on board what he’d been told.
“Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut because if I’d not said nothing I might have been collecting the winner’s cheque instead of him. It’s great seeing him doing well again.”
Further down the leaderboad former Ryder Cup player Ronan Rafferty closed with a three under par 70 to share fifth place with Spain’s Pedro Linhart on five under par, while Angel Franco, Santiago Luna, Gordon Manson and Greg Rusnak finished in a tie for seventh place one shot further behind.
TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS
CLICK HERE
Ian Woosnam had his great friend D J Russell to thank as he closed with a five under par 68 to win the Dutch Senior Open at The International, in style.
Russell persuaded Woosnam to get a lesson from Jacques Rivet at the European Tour Performance Institute at Terre Blanche, ahead of last week’s event in France, and it paid dividends as the former Ryder Cup captain came from one shot back to finish five shots ahead of Russell, overnight leader Phil Golding and George Ryall on eleven under par 208.
A ten foot birdie putt on the ninth gave the Welsh Major Champion the lead for the first time, and the 29-time European Tour winner went on to close with three more birdies over his last four holes, to claim his first European Senior Tour title since 2011.
“I guess I owe DJ (Russell) a few drinks tonight. Speaking to Jacques (Rivet) has made a massive difference to me and I can’t thank both them enough.
“It has given me the confidence to stand there and hit it, rather than worrying about my swing.
“I feel like I can take to the course like I used to and I’m hitting it miles again. It’s pitching about 275 yards and I haven’t been doing that for a long time.
“Look out Rory (McIlroy). He might have to start thinking about me again once we get to next year’s Masters.”
Golding won last week’s French Riviera Masters at Terre Blance, but seven days later had to settle for a tie for second place, after closing with a one over par 74.
Ryall birdied the last to equal his best European Senior Tour finish since winning the 2010 Van Lanschot Senior Open in The Netherlands, but it was Russell who produced most of the fireworks on an afternoon where 19 out of the top 20 finishers carded level par rounds or better, largely thanks to six birdies on his front nine.
“I don’t think I have ever had a start to a round like that and I can honestly say it might have been better because I lipped out from about 30 feet on the fourth.
“It was crazy. I chipped in on the sixth and holed from about 12 feet on the second and seventh, but apart from that the longest putt I holed during that stretch was about from four feet.
“I’m also going to claim a few beers from Ian (Woosnam) tonight though, because it was me who persuaded him to go and see the biomechanics guy in France last week.
“I could see what he was doing wrong and I knew Jacques sort him out. I actually said to him that I’d pay for the lesson if he didn’t like it but I saw him hand over the cash so I knew he’d taken on board what he’d been told.
“Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut because if I’d not said nothing I might have been collecting the winner’s cheque instead of him. It’s great seeing him doing well again.”
Further down the leaderboad former Ryder Cup player Ronan Rafferty closed with a three under par 70 to share fifth place with Spain’s Pedro Linhart on five under par, while Angel Franco, Santiago Luna, Gordon Manson and Greg Rusnak finished in a tie for seventh place one shot further behind.
TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS
CLICK HERE
Labels: Pro seniors
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, October 12, 2014
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