Sunday, September 17, 2017

Frenchman Romain Wattel scores first 

European Tour win in KLM Open 

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Romain Wattel landed his first European Tour title after a dramatic finish at the KLM Open today.
The Frenchman, who had recorded 25 top-ten finishes in his previous 186 events without tasting victory, was in control for much of the final round but survived a late scare when he missed the green with his approach to the last hole.
He successfully got up and down for par and a closing 69, which gave him a 15 under total.
That was one ahead of fast-finishing Canadian Austin Connelly, with Kiradech Aphibarnrat – Wattel’s main challenger for much of the day - finding water with his second to the 18th and dropping to 12 under with the subsequent double bogey.
Wattel’s victory was all the more remarkable as he had not finished higher than 24th previously this season and came into the week down at 130th in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex.
Thailand’s Aphibarnrat held a one-shot lead overnight but Wattel swiftly passed him with three birdies from close range in his first six holes.
French rookie Joël Stalter leapfrogged Wattel when he birdied the eighth and his compatriot’s par putt from eight feet lipped out. Stalter’s challenge faded with three bogeys on the back nine but Wattel birdied the tenth and, although he bogeyed the next, a run of pars kept him in contention as others stumbled.
Aphibarnrat briefly led whe he birdied the 14th, but he found water at the next and double bogeyed before suffering the same fate at the last as he attempted to put pressure on Wattel by reaching the green at the par five in two.
The 20 year old Connelly had six birdies in a closing 66 to finish second on 14 under 270 with Stalter, German Sebastian Heisele, English pair Eddie Pepperell and Lee Westwood and South Africans George Coetzee and Justin Walters all tied for third a shot further back.

Lee Westwood said: “I played lovely again today. I might have gone as low as I needed to but this has been a really positive week for me. To be honest this is the best I have played for a couple of years in terms of ball-striking and control so I am delighted with what is my best results of the year. There are a lot of positives to take from that and now I can really look forward to playing in and hosting the British Masters.”

FINAL TOTALS
par 284 (4x71)
269 R Wattel  (Fra) 69 67 64 69
270 A Connelly (Canada) 71 67 66 66
271 L Westwood (Eng) 70 65 67 69, J Walters (SAf) 72 67 65 67, E Pepperell (Eng) 69 68 69 65, S Heisele (Ger) 66 68 68 69, G Coetzee (SAf) 69 67 68 67, J Stalter (Fra) 65 67 69 70,
272 B Wiesberger  (Austria) 66 69 71 66, C Wood  (Eng) 70 69 68 65, M Wallace (Eng) 68 68 69 67, K Aphibarnrat (Thailand) 68 65 66 73, J Lagergren (Swe) 67 65 70 70,
273 P Dunne (Ire) 74 68 65 66, C Pigem  (Spn) 72 67 68 66,
274 J Lima  (Portugal) 70 68 69 67
275 R Finch  (Eng) 66 67 72 70, C Berardo (Fra) 69 72 67 67, M Manassero (Ita) 68 68 68 71
276 J Scrivener (Australia) 70 68 70 68, D Stewart (Sco) 71 68 70 67, A Björk (Swe) 73 65 73 65, W Besseling  (Netherlands) 70 69 70 67, T Sinnott (Australia) 68 73 68 67,
277 R Ramsay  (Sco) 70 72 68 67, W Ormsby (Australia) 74 68 66 69, M Ilonen  (Finland) 69 70 68 70, C Hanson (Eng) 68 71 68 70, M Kieffer (Ger) 69 69 72 67, O Fisher  (Eng) 72 68 70 67
278 R Dinwiddie  (Eng) 69 69 73 67, S Manley (Wales) 71 68 68 71, W Ashun (China) 67 68 71 72, R Fisher (Eng) 73 68 68 69, D Frittelli (SAf) 70 69 69 70, B Evans  (Eng) 72 69 67 70, M Carlsson  (Swe) 72 68 67 71
279 D Horsey (Eng) 76 66 68 69, P Hanson (Swe) 70 69 68 72, J Carlsson (Swe) 75 67 67 70, M Pavon (Fra) 68 69 70 72, D Perrier (Fra) 69 70 69 71, T Detry  (Belgium) 75 66 68 70, F Zanotti (Paraguay) 70 70 67 72, D Huizing (Netherlands) 69 71 72 67, M Korhonen (Finland) 67 71 70 71, P Angles  (Spn) 68 70 73 68
280 J Campillo (Spn) 76 66 73 65, J Ahlers (SAf) 72 69 73 66, M Albertus (Netherlands) 69 70 73 68, D Brooks (Eng) 69 71 69 71, F Fritsch  (Ger) 71 70 68 71, D Burmester (SAf) 77 65 68 70, A Otaegui  (Esp) 71 71 70 68,
281 A Wall (Eng) 70 69 74 68, J Suri (USA) 70 68 71 72, P Widegren  (Swe) 68 72 69 72, P Harrington (Ire) 72 70 70 69,
282 M Warren (Sco) 69 67 73 73,
283 R Fox (NZ) 71 71 71 70, A Chesters  (Eng) 70 70 73 70,
284 G Storm  (Eng) 70 72 72 70, A Cañizares  (Spn) 72 70 71 71, R Bland (Eng) 71 67 70 76,
285 S Brazel (Australia) 73 67 74 71, J Fahrbring (Swe) 69 73 70 73,
286 J Edfors (Swe) 68 74 72 72, P Maddy (Eng) 69 69 75 73,
288 N Fasth (Swe) 69 72 73 74,
289 R Miller (Netherlands) 73 69 72 75, S Gros (Fra) 75 66 74 74,

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