Golf:Dutchman Joost Luiten claimed a maiden European Tour title with a one-shot victory from Daniel Chopra at the Iskandar Johor Open. Trailing overnight leader Chopra by four shots at the start of the day, Luiten compiled a six-under-par 65 to fend off the Swede with a winning score of 15-under-par.
After the tournament had been reduced to 54 holes due to yesterday's rain at Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club, Chopra could only produce a final round of 70 and needed a birdie at the last to ensure he finished alone in second on 14 under.
Pádraig Harrington, James Morrison and Rhys Davies ended in a tie for third on 13 under. Harrington and Morrison both signed for closing 69s while Davies carded an impressive 65 to climb the leaderboard.
Luiten, who finished fifth in Singapore last week, began his final round with ground to make up on Chopra but five birdies over his opening nine holes saw the 25-year-old soon move to the top of the leaderboard.
Another birdie came at the 11th before a string of pars saw him close out a superb final round and edge out Chopra to lift the trophy. The win also confirmed Luiten's place at the season-ending Dubai World Championship.
"It's been an awesome week. To be first in, it's unbelievable. I don't believe it yet," he told the European Tour website.
"I think when you're in position to win, you always have some nerves but I think that's normal. I knew I was two ahead and I just had to make pars and let the other guys catch me.
"At the end it was enough, just pars, and of course I was a little bit nervous but my caddie said to me when we had four holes left to play, 'the only guy you're going to lose to is yourself' and I think he was right.
"I just had to play my game and let the other guys chase me. If they do chase me, well done, we come back but it was good enough so I'm really happy.
"I was four behind when we started, so I just knew I had to make some early birdies to get the pressure on and that's what happened. I started with three straight birdies and that got me right back in the fight for the trophy.
"I've won two times on the Challenge Tour, but of course it gets the pressure off. You've been close a few times, you made a few mistakes and then finally when you win one, I think it takes the pressure off, and it will make it easier when I'm in the same situation next time."
Chopra, meanwhile, began his final round solidly enough as a birdie at the fifth lifted him to 14 under but a double-bogey six at the seventh proved a major setback.
The veteran Swede's struggles continued with another bogey at the 10th and three subsequent birdies were not enough to overhaul Luiten.
"My putting was fantastic. I'm happy with being able to manage my game, even though I didn't have much control in my long game," he said. "I was able to play and work around that with my experience.
"I was very disappointed (with the double bogey), because I hit the ball really nicely."
Davies collected six birdies in his strong closing effort to join Harrington and Morrison on 13 under par.
"I played well. I was really happy with that. I hadn't had a great deal of form of late, but felt my game was coming along all the time," he said.
"I actually hit the ball really well today, hit just about every shot where I was looking, and that's super encouraging. I holed some good putts as well. I feel like I'm rolling the putter a lot better, and my ball-striking was really on, so that's nice."
Harrington, winner last year when the event was on the Asian Tour, reached the turn two under after birdies on eight and nine. However, consecutive bogeys at the 11th and 12th halted his progress and, although he picked up two more shots at the next two holes, he ultimately fell short.
Morrison built on his eighth place at the Singapore Open with another strong finish as three birdies and a bogey secured a tie for third.
Frenchman Gregory Bourdy was sixth on 12 under following a 70 and Dane Soren Kjeldsen ended a shot further back in seventh after a 67.
Ross Fisher finished eight under thanks to a closing 65 while Colin Montgomerie's 66 saw the former Ryder Cup captain tied for 23rd on seven under.
Harrington was content with his week's work, if not the final result. "I was happy with a lot of things this week," said the Irishman on the European Tour's website. "I'm happy with my form, I'm happy with the way I'm playing, and most of all I'm happy with where my head was at. I'm just a little disappointed with the finished result, but you can't win them all.
"When you get that close, put yourself in contention, you want to pull it off. But it's not always possible, and Joost obviously played very well today. At least it gives me a lot of confidence for the last couple of events."
Collated final round scores & totals in the European Tour Iskandor Johor Open, Horizon Hills G&CC, Johor, Malaysia
Note: Due to weather interruptions tournament is decided over 54 holes
(Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 71):
198Joost Luiten (Ned) 63 70 65
199Daniel Chopra (Swe) 64 65 70
200Rhys Davies (Wal) 70 65 65, James Morrison (Eng) 66 65 69, Pádraig Harrington (Irl) 64 67 69
201Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 64 67 70
202Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 71 64 67
203Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 69 67 67, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 68 67 68, Darren Beck (Aus) 70 65 68, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 64 70 69, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 67 67 69
204Marcel Siem (Ger) 69 67 68, Soren Hansen (Den) 68 67 69
205Shiv Kapur (Ind) 70 68 67, Charlie Wi (Kor) 66 72 67, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 69 69 67, Brett Rumford (Aus) 71 64 70, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 69 65 71, Christian Nilsson (Swe) 67 67 71, Siddikur (Ban) 67 67 71, Ross Fisher (Eng) 71 69 65
206Kwanchai Tannin (Tha) 69 69 68, Anthony Kim (USA) 68 69 69, Sam Walker (Eng) 70 67 69, Rikard Karlberg (Swe) 70 66 70, Jason Knutzon (USA) 71 69 66, Colin Montgomerie (Sco) 69 71 66
207Anthony Wall (Eng) 70 68 69, Miguel Tabuena (Phi) 71 67 69, Anthony Kang (USA) 72 66 69, Steve Webster (Eng) 69 68 70, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 69 70 68, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 73 66 68, Christian Cevaer (Fra) 67 72 68, Peter Lawrie (Irl) 69 71 67, Bradley Dredge (Wal) 74 66 67
208Juvic Pagunsan (Phi) 71 67 70, Richie Ramsay (Sco) 68 69 71, Gary Orr (Sco) 72 66 70, Mardan Mamat (Sin) 69 68 71, Michael Hoey (NIrl) 69 67 72, Jamie Mcleary (Sco) 66 70 72, Peter Karmis (Rsa) 70 66 72, Chapchai Nirat (Tha) 65 71 72, Scott Barr (Aus) 69 71 68, Manny Villegas (Col) 72 63 73
209Oliver Fisher (Eng) 70 68 71, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 67 71 71, Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) 69 70 70, Andrew Tampion (Aus) 72 68 69, Ross Bain (Sco) 69 71 69, Thomas Levet (Fra) 74 66 69
210Nicolas Meitinger (Ger) 66 72 72, Stephen Gallacher (Sco) 68 70 72, Lu Wei-Chih (Tpe) 67 71 72, Danny Willett (Eng) 69 68 73, Guido Van Der Valk (Ned) 69 68 73, Mars Pucay (Phi) 70 70 70
211Chinnarat Phadungsil (Tha) 68 70 73, Rahil Gangjee (Ind) 69 70 72, Kunal Bhasin (Aus) 72 68 71, Gregory Havret (Fra) 68 72 71, Scott Hend (Aus) 70 70 71, Steven O Hara (Sco) 68 72 71
212Panupol Pittayarat (Tha) 69 69 74, Camilo Villegas (Col) 69 70 73, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 71 69 72
213Julien Clement (Swi) 71 67 75, Elmer Salvador (Phi) 72 68 73, Lee Sung (Kor) 71 69 73
216Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spa) 72 68 76
