‘Tiger played on a broken leg, what’s a blister?’
PABLO LARRAZÁBAL and Clandeboye’s Jonny Caldwell completed memorable comebacks in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek.
Struggling with a blister on his big toe, the Spaniard (36) recovered from a six-over-par front nine to hobble to victory for the first time since 2015 thanks to three birdies in his last four holes.
It was almost as memorable for Qualifying School graduate Caldwell (35) who notched his career-best finish more than a decade after making his European Tour debut.
He closed with a one-under 71 to tie for 14th on level par, earning €20,550 to lie 12th in the Race to Dubai.
Larrazábal turned in 41 as he struggled to walk but birdied the 15th and 16th to go to the par-five 18th tied with the Netherlands’ Will Besseling and clubhouse leader Joel Sjoholm of Sweden.
Besseling made six after finishing against rocks behind the green, however, and Larrazábal laid up and pitched to tap-in distance to clinch his fifth European Tour win.
“I woke up and I didn’t think I was going to play, I couldn’t put my shoe on,” said the Barcelona native, who shot 75 to win by a shot from Sjoholm.
“I said to myself going to 10... ‘If Tiger can win a US Open with a broken leg, what is a blister?’
Struggle
“It’s been a long road. I struggled the last four years and this is where I want to be. To be a winner means so much.”
On the Ladies European Tour, Leona Maguire (25) completed a memorable season when she tied for 13th after a closing 69 in the Andalucia Costa del Sol Open de España.
Meanwhile, Conor Purcell (22) closed with a 70 to tie for 29th on seven-under-par on his professional debut in the NSW Open in Sydney.