SCOT DRYSDALE FINISHES JOINT SIXTH TO EARN 48,675 euros
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Branden Grace, pictured above with the trophy (by courtesy of Getty Images(c), produced a commanding, final-round display to complete a comprehensive wire-to-wire victory at
the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa and capture a fifth European Tour title.
The South African, who won all four of his previous European Tour titles during a remarkable 2012 season, had been five clear at the halfway stage after following a sparkling opening 62 with a round of 66.
However, a third round 72 kept him 16 under par and saw Dane Lucas Bjerregaard close to within one of the lead.
The anticipated charge from the chasing pack never materialised, however, as a four under par 68 gave Grace a 20 under total of 268 and the 237,750 euros first prize by a comprehensive seven-stroke margin over compatriot Louis Oosthuizen, the former Open champion.
Last year’s Challenge Tour Number One from North Middlesex, Andrew Johnston, 25, the 2014 Scottish Hydro Challenge winner at Aviemore, was third on 11 under 277, with Nedbank Challenge winner Danny Willett and Trevor Fisher Junior tied for fourth. a whopping ten shots behind the winner.
Grace, who becomes the first player to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, said: “It’s been a phenomenal week.
“It’s been a long year, a hard, year but now it’s a fairytale ending just before Christmas.
“One of the main things this week has been the driving; I just put a new driver in the bag in Dubai and that’s been the key this week.”
Grace swiftly doubled his overnight advantage when Bjerregaard bogeyed the first after finding a greenside bunker, and Grace birdied the second after an excellent pitch to tap-in range to pull further clear.
A birdie from five feet at the fourth was followed by a gutsy par save from sand at the short fifth, but Bjerregaard up-and-down for birdie at the driveable sixth to close to within three strokes.
However, the 23 year old Dane was dealt a major setback at the short seventh when he found the water and ran up a triple bogey 6, and his afternoon unravelled from that point as he took 50 shots on the back nine to tumble down the leaderboard with a round of 17-over-par 89 for a total of 290 and a T49 finish - a spectacular fall from grace, one might say.
Grace failed to get up-and-down at the seventh and sporadically came under pressure from Oosthuizen, Willett and Johnston.
The 26 year old kept them at arm’s length by getting up-and-down at the driveable 11th for birdie and two-putting the long 13th and 15th for further gains.
A poor bunker shot at the 16th led to bogey, but nearest challenger Willett dropped six shots in the last three holes and Oosthuizen found water at the last to alleviate any lingering pressure.
Johnston earned 103,800 euros for his third-place finish. He would have been much closer to the winner but for a final round of 73 after earlier efforts of 69, 67 and 68.
Willett had a disastrous last round of 76.
SCOTSWATCH: David Drysdale, pictured below, earned 48,675 euros for his second highest European Tour
finish - joint sixth on nine-under-par 279 with scores of 71, 68, 71 and 69. Drysdale was joint fourth in the Handa Perth International in Australia at the end of October.
Craig Lee signed off with a 74 for T28 on 286. He earned 13,400 euros.
Scott Jamieson went off the rails with a final round of seven-over 79, which dropped him to T43 on 289. He earned 8,400 euros.
British amateur champion Bradley Neil from Blairgowrie, having made the cut with a one-under-par performance through the first 36 holes, sagged to eight-over-par for the third and fourth rounds (77-75). He finished T63 on seven-over 295 - still a very good effort for a teenage amateur in a European Tour event.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Leopards Creek, Malelane South AfricaThe South African, who won all four of his previous European Tour titles during a remarkable 2012 season, had been five clear at the halfway stage after following a sparkling opening 62 with a round of 66.
However, a third round 72 kept him 16 under par and saw Dane Lucas Bjerregaard close to within one of the lead.
The anticipated charge from the chasing pack never materialised, however, as a four under par 68 gave Grace a 20 under total of 268 and the 237,750 euros first prize by a comprehensive seven-stroke margin over compatriot Louis Oosthuizen, the former Open champion.
Last year’s Challenge Tour Number One from North Middlesex, Andrew Johnston, 25, the 2014 Scottish Hydro Challenge winner at Aviemore, was third on 11 under 277, with Nedbank Challenge winner Danny Willett and Trevor Fisher Junior tied for fourth. a whopping ten shots behind the winner.
Grace, who becomes the first player to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, said: “It’s been a phenomenal week.
“It’s been a long year, a hard, year but now it’s a fairytale ending just before Christmas.
“One of the main things this week has been the driving; I just put a new driver in the bag in Dubai and that’s been the key this week.”
Grace swiftly doubled his overnight advantage when Bjerregaard bogeyed the first after finding a greenside bunker, and Grace birdied the second after an excellent pitch to tap-in range to pull further clear.
A birdie from five feet at the fourth was followed by a gutsy par save from sand at the short fifth, but Bjerregaard up-and-down for birdie at the driveable sixth to close to within three strokes.
However, the 23 year old Dane was dealt a major setback at the short seventh when he found the water and ran up a triple bogey 6, and his afternoon unravelled from that point as he took 50 shots on the back nine to tumble down the leaderboard with a round of 17-over-par 89 for a total of 290 and a T49 finish - a spectacular fall from grace, one might say.
Grace failed to get up-and-down at the seventh and sporadically came under pressure from Oosthuizen, Willett and Johnston.
The 26 year old kept them at arm’s length by getting up-and-down at the driveable 11th for birdie and two-putting the long 13th and 15th for further gains.
A poor bunker shot at the 16th led to bogey, but nearest challenger Willett dropped six shots in the last three holes and Oosthuizen found water at the last to alleviate any lingering pressure.
Johnston earned 103,800 euros for his third-place finish. He would have been much closer to the winner but for a final round of 73 after earlier efforts of 69, 67 and 68.
Willett had a disastrous last round of 76.
SCOTSWATCH: David Drysdale, pictured below, earned 48,675 euros for his second highest European Tour
finish - joint sixth on nine-under-par 279 with scores of 71, 68, 71 and 69. Drysdale was joint fourth in the Handa Perth International in Australia at the end of October.
Craig Lee signed off with a 74 for T28 on 286. He earned 13,400 euros.
Scott Jamieson went off the rails with a final round of seven-over 79, which dropped him to T43 on 289. He earned 8,400 euros.
British amateur champion Bradley Neil from Blairgowrie, having made the cut with a one-under-par performance through the first 36 holes, sagged to eight-over-par for the third and fourth rounds (77-75). He finished T63 on seven-over 295 - still a very good effort for a teenage amateur in a European Tour event.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72) Players from South Africa unless stated
268 Branden Grace 62 66 72 68 (237,750 euros)
275 Louis Oosthuizen 69 69 68 69 (172,500 euros)
277 Andrew Johnston (England) 69 67 68 73 (103,800 euros)
278 Trevor Fisher junior 73 67 69 69, Danny Willett (England) 66 69 67 76 (67,800 euros each).
279 David Drysdale (Scotland) 71 68 71 69 (48,675 euros)
OTHER TOTALS
286 Craig Lee (Scotland) 68 72 72 74 (T28) (13,400 euros)
289 Scott Jamieson (Scotland) 68 70 72 79 (T43) (8,400 euros)
290 Lucas Bjerregaard (Denmark) 68 67 66 89 (T49)
295 Bradley Neil (amateur) 73 70 77 75 (T63)
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, December 14, 2014
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