Paul Dunne makes the British Masters his first European Tour victory
Paul Dunne with the British Masters championship trophy. Picture by courtesy of Getty Images
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Paul Dunne produced a fantastic closing 61 to hold off a late charge from Rory McIlroy and win his first European Tour title at the British Masters supported by Sky Sports.
The Irishman turned in 30 to lead by three at Close House Golf Club and looked to be cruising to victory before World Number Six McIlroy birdied five of his last seven holes in a 63 to get to 17 under.
That gave Dunne a one-shot lead with two to play but a birdie on the 17th eased the pressure and the 24 year old chipped in on the last for a 20 under par total and a three-shot victory.
Swede Robert Karlsson rolled back the years to finish third on 16 under, two shots ahead of countryman David Lingmerth, local favourite Graeme Storm and German Florian Fritsch.
Dunne had a stellar amateur career, playing in the Walker Cup and leading the 2015 Open Championship after 54 holes but this is his first professional win in his 51st European Tour event after losing out in a play-off to Edoardo Molinari at the Trophée Hassan II in April.
He started in brilliant fashion, chipping in for a birdie on the first, and after another gain at the fourth he produced a beautiful tee-shot to birdie the par three fifth.
A fantastic second shot into the par five sixth brought an eagle and Dunne got an incredible stroke of luck on the 11th as his approach hit a sprinkler head and bounced to within four feet for another gain.
He took advantage of the par five 13th for the fourth time this week and despite McIlroy applying the pressure, he held his nerve as he nearly drove the short penultimate hole and book-ended the lowest round of his European Tour career with another chip-in on the par three last.
McIlroy made the most of the par five sixth, holed a long putt on the seventh and got a nice bounce off the bank for a third birdie in a row on the eighth but when he missed good opportunities on the ninth and tenth and bogeyed the 11th, his race looked to be run.
Nice approaches into the 12th and 14th sandwiched a gain on the par five 13th for another hat-trick and while he missed a good chance on the next, a good approach to the 16th and chip on the 17th piled the pressure on Dunne.
Karlsson, 48, bogeyed the fourth but gains on the fifth, ninth, 11th, 13th and 17th gave him a 66 and his best result of the season.
Fritsch - 155th in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex - boosted his chances of keeping his card with a closing 66 while Lingmerth signed for a 66 and Storm carded a 67.
Ireland's Shane Lowry also recorded a 67 to finish at 13 under, a shot ahead of Dane Lucas Bjerregaard, England's Tyrrell Hatton and Scot Richie Ramsay.
TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS AND THE PRIZEMONEY DISTRIBUTION
CLICK HERE
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Paul Dunne produced a fantastic closing 61 to hold off a late charge from Rory McIlroy and win his first European Tour title at the British Masters supported by Sky Sports.
The Irishman turned in 30 to lead by three at Close House Golf Club and looked to be cruising to victory before World Number Six McIlroy birdied five of his last seven holes in a 63 to get to 17 under.
That gave Dunne a one-shot lead with two to play but a birdie on the 17th eased the pressure and the 24 year old chipped in on the last for a 20 under par total and a three-shot victory.
Swede Robert Karlsson rolled back the years to finish third on 16 under, two shots ahead of countryman David Lingmerth, local favourite Graeme Storm and German Florian Fritsch.
Dunne had a stellar amateur career, playing in the Walker Cup and leading the 2015 Open Championship after 54 holes but this is his first professional win in his 51st European Tour event after losing out in a play-off to Edoardo Molinari at the Trophée Hassan II in April.
He started in brilliant fashion, chipping in for a birdie on the first, and after another gain at the fourth he produced a beautiful tee-shot to birdie the par three fifth.
A fantastic second shot into the par five sixth brought an eagle and Dunne got an incredible stroke of luck on the 11th as his approach hit a sprinkler head and bounced to within four feet for another gain.
He took advantage of the par five 13th for the fourth time this week and despite McIlroy applying the pressure, he held his nerve as he nearly drove the short penultimate hole and book-ended the lowest round of his European Tour career with another chip-in on the par three last.
McIlroy made the most of the par five sixth, holed a long putt on the seventh and got a nice bounce off the bank for a third birdie in a row on the eighth but when he missed good opportunities on the ninth and tenth and bogeyed the 11th, his race looked to be run.
Nice approaches into the 12th and 14th sandwiched a gain on the par five 13th for another hat-trick and while he missed a good chance on the next, a good approach to the 16th and chip on the 17th piled the pressure on Dunne.
Karlsson, 48, bogeyed the fourth but gains on the fifth, ninth, 11th, 13th and 17th gave him a 66 and his best result of the season.
Fritsch - 155th in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex - boosted his chances of keeping his card with a closing 66 while Lingmerth signed for a 66 and Storm carded a 67.
Ireland's Shane Lowry also recorded a 67 to finish at 13 under, a shot ahead of Dane Lucas Bjerregaard, England's Tyrrell Hatton and Scot Richie Ramsay.
TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS AND THE PRIZEMONEY DISTRIBUTION
CLICK HERE
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, October 01, 2017
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