EUROPEAN TOUR: Australian Scott Strange admitted his second European Tour victory was laden with emotion following a one-shot triumph in the Volvo China Open yesterday.
Strange fired a four-under-par final round of 68 at Beijing CBD International GC to finish eight under, one stroke ahead of Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and two clear of overnight leaders Richard Finch, Ashley Hall and Mark Brown.
The 32-year-old broke his European duck at the Celtic Manor Wales Open last June while playing under great emotional stress with his sister Natalie battling cervical cancer.
It was a fight she was to lose shortly afterwards and, understandably, golf took a back seat. But victory in the Chinese capital has gone some way to helping the healing process.
“It means a lot,” Strange said. “It means I’m still there, I’m still me and even though my sister’s not here, I’m still here and I’m still playing golf. I lost that for six months straight after Wales so to do this now, it’s put the ship back on course.
After a disappointing 75 in the third round Paul McGinley got back on the birdie trail to finish in a tie for eighth place on four-under-par 284.
Four birdies in five holes from the fourth hole saw the Dubliner reach the turn in 31 and he came home in level par with his only dropped shot at the 15th being cancelled out with a birdie at the 18th. Gareth Maybin shot 72 for a level-par total of 288 while Damien McGrane carded a four-under-par 68 for a four-over-par total of 292.
Strange began the day four behind Finch, but birdies at the fifth and eighth saw him reach the turn in two under.
A bogey at the 12th proved a temporary setback as birdies at the 14th, 15th and 17th ultimately sealed the golden jacket and a place at the Volvo World Matchplay in Malaga in September.
Strange also revealed he had no idea that he was leading until he parred the last.
“I had a peek on the board on 12 and I knew there was a log jam there. I didn’t really know if I’d won when I holed that putt at the last,” he said.
Fernandez-Castano needed a birdie at the last to claim a second consecutive runners-up spot following a final round of 72.
Finch, meanwhile, was left to rue three bogeys on his outward nine as he carded a closing 74.
“I’m a little disappointed, 74 is not the final round I was looking for at all,” Finch admitted.
EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR: Gary Boyd carded a final round 69 to triumph in the Tusker Kenya Open on the European Challenge Tour.
The 22-year-old Englishman finished on a 13 under par total of 271 at the Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi, three shots ahead of his fellow countrymen Andrew Butterfield and Philip Golding. South African’s David Hewan finished fourth while Frenchman Victor Riu took fifth.
Boyd could not have gotten off to a better start, winning on his first outing of the year to immediately take over at the top of the rankings with €28,800 to his name. “It still hasn’t quite sunk in what I have achieved today but that will probably come when I go home next week and meet up with my friends and family there,” he said. “I’m sure we’ll manage to have a celebration.
Gareth Shaw was best of the Irish on two-over-par 286 after a final round of 72. Alan Murray shot 71 for 292 while an out of form Peter O’Keeffe shot 75 for a 302 total.
VERIZON HERITAGE: Paul Casey produced his best golf of the week yesterday, but it was too late to stop Brian Gay from closing in on victory at the Verizon Heritage.
As the tournament reached a climax at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, England’s Casey was in the clubhouse with a five-under-par 66 for his final round.
That left him at six under for the tournament and in with a chance of a top-10 finish but still way off Gay’s lead as the American stayed on course for his second career US PGA Tour victory.
Gay, who won his maiden title at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico last year, began his round at 13 under, three shots clear of second-placed Tim Wilkinson of Australia and a further stroke ahead of two-time US Open champion Lee Janzen with former Open winner Todd Hamilton five shots in arrears at eight under.
The leader birdied the par-four first and then eagled the par-five second to move to 16 under and a six-stroke lead after Wilkinson parred the same holes.
By the 14th Gay was 18 under, with Briny Baird and Lee Janzen on 10 under. Todd Hamilton, Luke Donald and Wilkinson were all one shot further back on 9 under.
Rory McIlroy finished at two over par for the tournament after closing with a level-par 71, an eighth consecutive round of 70 or above.
