Sunday, August 30, 2009

Hedblom takes title at Gleneagles

FINAL ROUND LEADERBOARD:
-13 P Hedblom (Swe) -12 M Erlandsson (Swe) -10 G Havret (Fra), P Lawrie (Sco) -9 G Orr (Sco) Selected others: -8 S O'Hara (Sco) -6 D Lee (NZ) -1 C Montgomerie (Sco), J-M Olazabal (Spa)


Peter Hedblom salutes the gallery during his final round at Gleneagles
Hedblom held on to claim his third title on the European Tour

Swede Peter Hedblom held his nerve to hole a four-foot par putt on the final green to win the Johnnie Walker Championship by one shot at Gleneagles.

Hedblom, who lost in a play-off at last week's KLM Open, carded a five-under 67 to hold off Martin Erlandsson and claim his third European Tour title.

His fellow Swede birdied nine of the first 12 holes in a sparkling 62.

Scot Paul Lawrie could only manage a 69 to finish in a tie for third place alongside Frenchman Gregory Havret.

The 1999 Open champion was chasing his first win in seven years, but ended three shots adrift.

Hedblom, 39, was relieved he did not require a play-off, having lost all four he has featured in previously, including seven days ago in Holland to England's Simon Dyson.

This time, the former Malaysian and Moroccan Open champion claimed his first success actually on European soil.

I keep taking one step forward and two steps back, but hopefully this will be two steps forward

Peter Hedblom

"That was so tough," Hedblom said. "I thought last week was, but this was even harder. I had to dig so deep but I am so happy.

"What a round Martin played. To shoot 10-under - he should have won. I couldn't believe that, but I just had to plug on.

"This year has been unbelievable. I have played so poorly [not a single top 30 finish] until the last couple of weeks.

"I want to play in big tournaments and majors. I keep taking one step forward and two steps back, but hopefully this will be two steps forward."

World number 365 Erlandsson, joint 20th overnight, had set the clubhouse target with the lowest round of his life, his seven successive birdies from the sixth the best on the Tour this season and only one short of the all-time record.

His 62 would have counted as another course record - he also posted a course record-equalling 63 at the KLM Open - but for the fact that placing of the ball was allowed all week on the wet fairways.

Hedblom reeled off four birdies in a row around the turn but then failed to get up and down from rough left of the 15th green.

That left him requiring one more birdie for victory and it came with a superb pitch to four feet on the long 16th.

Two closing pars - not easy on bumpy greens he reckoned to be the worst of the year - gave him the £233,330 first prize.

Colin Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal finished down in joint-31st place after both carding closing 71s.

Montgomerie then announced that, because of fatigue, he is withdrawing from next week's European Masters in Switzerland.

It will be the first counting event for his Ryder Cup side and he says he will be watching "avidly."

ะพ 7:14 AM

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