EUROPEAN TOUR: German Martin Kaymer won the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond yesterday to complete a brilliant eight-day double worth more than €1.1 million.
After beating Lee Westwood in a play-off for the French Open, the 24-year-old came from behind on the final day again to defeat France’s Raphael Jacquelin and overnight leader Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano by two.
Kaymer, who began his run of form in Paris last week with a course record 62, needed ‘only’ a two-under-par 69 after starting the day a stroke behind Fernandez-Castano.
The gap doubled when he bogeyed the 455-yard second, but once he had birdied three of the next six holes he had top spot and never let go. “To win at the home of golf is always something very special,” he said.
Fernandez-Castano’s hopes of a fifth Tour win – this was Kaymer’s fourth – nosedived when he did not manage a single birdie until the 13th.
But running up a bogey six following a wild drive on the hole before that had given him a deficit he could not make up.
Jacquelin came through to be joint runner-up with a 66 and Australian Adam Scott matched that best-of-the-day effort to take a share of fourth with Dane Soren Kjeldsen.
Disappointing on the final day were both Lee Westwood and Retief Goosen. Westwood had oozed confidence after middle rounds of 66 and 64, but closed with a level-par 71 for eighth spot along with fellow Englishman Ross Fisher.
BRITISH OPEN:Australian Rod Pampling and American Steve Marino both received call-ups to the British Open yesterday.
First Marino replaced Shingo Katayama after the Japanese player withdrew with an upper back injury. Then Pampling, the next highest-ranked player in the world to have entered the Open, took the place that became vacant when no non-exempt player finished in the top five of the Scottish Open.
US TOUR: Zach Johnson fired a final round 66 to take the clubhouse lead in the John Deere Classic in Illinois yesterday.
Johnson was one clear of Matt Jones who was alone in second place at 268 after a final round 68.
On the course Steve Stricker was one clear at 18-inder-par through 12 holes.
US WOMEN'S OPEN: Candie Kung from Taiwan and Cristie Kerr were tied for the lead after nine holes of the final round in the US Women's Open. Kung reached the turn in 34 while overnight leader Kerr took 38.
CHALLENGE TOUR: Colm Moriarty ended the Allianz EurOpen de Lyon as the leading Irishman but finished well down the field as French rookie Alexandre Kaleka took the title.
Moriarty closed with a two-under-par 69 after just surviving the halfway cut right on the mark, finishing in a share of 36th place on three-under-par 281.
Michael McGeady, who now turns his attention to defending the SWALEC Wales Challenge, the next event on the Challenge Tour schedule, closed with a one-under-par 70 for one-over-par total of 285 and joint 56th.
Noel Fox, who played so well to make the cut on the mark with his second round 65, shot a final round of 74 to finish tied 66th on three-over 287.
Victory went to Kaleka, who was celebrating success just six days after joining the paid ranks after a wire-to-wire triumph.
The 22-year-old, who last week was playing for the French team in the European Amateur Team Championships in Wales, shot a final round three-under-par 68 to finish on 16-under-par 268 at Golf du Gouverneur, one clear of playing partner Anders Schmidt Hansen.
It was quite a debut for the young man from Orleans, Paris, as he becomes only the seventh player to win on his Challenge Tour debut, a select group that includes, most recently, Edoardo Molinari and Martin Kaymer.
AMATEUR:Ireland disappointed in the European Women's Team Championship at Bled, Slovenia, finishing 17th after losing to Iceland while in the Boys Championship at Golf Club De Pan in the Netherlands the Irish beat the Portugese yesterday 3-2 to end up in 11th spot.
Germany won the women’s championship beating England in the final while Denmark were crowned boys’ champions after defeating Germany.
