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International News
Miguel Angel Jimenez won the Alstom Open de
France at Le Golf National by beating compatriot Alejandro Cañizares and
Italian Francesco Molinari in sudden death after he had gone in the water
when two clear on the final hole of regulation play. His par at the first
extra hole, the same 18th hole he had just double bogeyed, was enough for
victory and he becomes the oldest winner of continental Europe's oldest golf
title. The win takes him to World Number 32, a jump of 18 place.
Justin Rose won his second PGA Tour tournament in three starts as a final
round of 70 saw him win the AT&T National at Aronimink Golf Club from Ryan
Moore by a single stroke. Rose hit a fantastic 3-wood close for eagle on the
ninth but then three-putted the next two holes. Seven closing pars were
enough for a win which took him to World Number 16, a jump of 19 places on
the week and 54 better than his 2009 year end ranking.
Other winners
that week were Yuta Ikeda at the Toshin Golf Tournament in LakeWood on the
Japan Tour. Jacob Olesen at the The Princess on the Challenge Tour, Michael
Hendry at the Indonesian Open presented by Enjoy Jakarta on the OneAsia Tour
and Dustin Risdon at the ATB Financial Classic Presented by TELUS on the
Canadian Tour |
Italian Edoardo Molinari won the Barclay's Scottish
Open at Loch Lomond. One ahead after his dazzling third round of 63. Edoardo
closed with a 74 in the much tougher conditions and, with a 12 under par
total of 272, took the €601,599 first prize by three strokes from Darren
Clarke. Rafael Jacquelin holed at 40 foot putt for birdie on the 18th for
3rd place alone while Edoardo's brother Francesco, playing with his sibling
in the final group, finished in a tie for fourth place with Stephen
Gallacher and Peter Hedblom. The win took Molinari into the World Top 20
with a 22 place jump to World Number 19.
Steve Stricker successfully
defend his John Deere Classic title in Illinois after a final round of
one-under-par 70 over the TPC Deere Run course. The World number four
Stricker collected the ninth PGA Tour victory of his career to finish at 26
under par and defeat fellow American Paul Goydos, who shot a 59 in the first
round. Stricker remained at World Number Four but the win meant that the
World Number Two spot is within his sights at the upcoming Open Golf
Championship.
Other winners that week were Takashi Kanemoto at the
The Championship by Lexus on the Japan Golf Tour, Peter Tomasulo at the Ford
Wayne Gretzky Championship Presented by Samsung on the Nationwide Tour,
Bernd Wiesberger at the ALLIANZ Golf Open de Lyon on the Challenge Tour and
Will Wilcox at the Dakota Dunes Casino Open on the Canadian Tour.
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South
African Louis Ooshuizen won the 139th Open Golf Championship by seven
strokes from Lee Westwood over the Old Course at St. Andrews. He started the
final day with a four stroke lead which after eight holes had been trimmed
to three, but an eagle at the ninth and a birdie at the twelfth to Paul
Casey’s triple-bogey seven gave Oosthuizen the lead by eight. Westwood
birdied the final hole, after rescuing a five when in trouble at the
seventeenth, which gave him outright second place. Oosthuizen climbs to a
career best as 15th in the Official World Golf Ranking from 54th.
Other winners that week were Matt Bettencourt at the Reno-Tahoe Open on the
PGA Tour, Tommy Gainey at the Chiquita Classic on the Nationwide Tour,
Alessandro Tadini at the Credit Suisse Challenge on the Challenge Tour and
Aaron Goldberg at the The Players Cup on the Canadian Tour.
Sweden’s
Carl Pettersson shot a third round 60 en route to his fourth PGA Tour
victory at the RBC Canadian Open. The 32-year-old’s ten under par Saturday
was a tournament record and propelled him into contention after only making
the cut by a shot. Dean Wilson, playing on a sponsor’s invitation, had led
by four overnight but faltered on the back nine to hand Pettersson victory.
The win sees the Swede jump almost a hundred places on the Official World
Golf Ranking to 109 with a points average of 1.48.
Richard S Johnson
became only the second home player in the last 12 years to win the Nordea
Scandinavian Masters after a 30-foot birdie putt saw him triumph by one over
Rafa Echenique. The Swede, now based in America, has struggled on the greens
all year but a closing 71 was enough to see him delight the home support.
His second European victory has propelled the 33-year-old almost 150 places
up the ranking and inside the top 200 at 189 with an average points total of
0.96.
Mamo Osonai emerged from a three way playoff on Sunday to take
victory at the Sega Sammy Invitational Cup after a three-under-par 69 tied
him at the top of the Leader board. Highly regarded rookie Shunsuke Sonoda
and Korean youngster Min-Gyu Cho were no match for the forty-year-old in
sudden death as Osonai claimed his fourth win on the Japan Golf Tour. The
reward for this victory is a jump of almost 500 places on the ranking to 316
with an average of 0.54.
A Sunday 64 saw DJ Brigman take victory at
the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational seven years after his first
win on the Tour. Setting out on Sunday the American felt he had to get to
10-under if he was to win. His superb Sunday showing saw him achieve just
that. This triumph sees him climb 238 spots on the ranking to 321 with an
average of 0.53.
Australian Daniel Gaunt claimed a one stroke victory
at the inaugural English Challenge after a bogey at 18 saw high-flying
amateur Tommy Fleetwood concede victory. Gaunt was only playing because of
his position on the top of the EuroPro Order of Merit and he took full
advantage becoming the ninth first time winner on the Challenge Tour this
season. This success saw Gaunt take a meteoric jump of over 700 places in
the ranking to 447 with an average points total of 0.32.
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ROSS FISHER - GOLFER PROFILES |
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The big hitting Englishman made
another big impression on the game with his victory in the 3 Irish Open on
Sunday and having moved into the world’s top 20 and well up The Ryder Cup
Points List, the foundations are in place for a great few months.
Firestone Country Club, with its length and tight fairways and premium on
good driving could be right up Fisher’s street as he looks to build on his
success in Killarney. He threatened a sub-60 round on Friday before settling
for a 61 and despite being caught by the home favourite Padraig Harrington,
responded in the manner of a true champion to edge clear. He has the benefit
of the vastly experienced Phil Morbey, aka Wobbly, on his bag now and that
can only help his cause as Wobbly has seen it all having caddied for Ian
Woosnam and José Maria Olazábal, two of Europe’s great champions.
Fisher will not get carried away by his 3 Irish Open victory and signs are
good for him for continued success.
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