Noren pips Hend in play-off to take European Masters
CRANS-MONTANA: A nerveless Alex Noren continued his fine year by winning the European Masters yesterday after pipping overnight leader Scott Hend to the title with a lengthy birdie putt at the first play-off hole.
Swede Noren, who had previously won the European Masters in 2009, started the final day one shot behind Hend, but overtook the Australian after a strong front nine, hitting four consecutive birdies.
They ended the regulation holes level on 17 under and, while Hend shot par in the first extra hole, Noren took the title with a superb 20-metre birdie putt for his second win of the season following his Scottish Open triumph in July.
“It’s unbelievable,” Noren told Sky Sports. “I didn’t really believe this coming into today, (I had a) tough couple of guys hunting me down.
“It’s tough to be in the front.”
England’s Andrew Johnston returned to contention during a fine day’s golf to finish in third on 14 under, while Lee Westwood ended in fourth on 12 under, just ahead of his Ryder Cup teammate Matthew Fitzpatrick on 10 under.
Among the other members of Europe’s Ryder Cup contingent, defending champion and early leader Danny Willett finished 12th on nine under, having been 10 shots off the pace overnight, with Chris Wood in 49th on two under. England’s Andy Sullivan had missed the cut.
Meanwhile, by relinquishing his European Tour card to focus on the U.S. circuit, Paul Casey gave up any chance of making this month’s Ryder Cup team, but the Briton will feel that decision has been vindicated if he wins the Deutsche Bank Championship today.
Briton Casey made his home in the U.S. several years ago and lives in Arizona with his second wife, Pollyanna, and young son, Lex. He gave up his European card for 2015, having been a member since 2001, as he felt he was spreading himself too thin trying to play both tours.
A 13-time winner on the European Tour, Casey played in three Ryder Cups, but was controversially left off the 2010 team despite being one of the world’s top ranked players at the time.
Yesterday, the 39-year-old put himself in pole position for just his second PGA Tour victory in 194 starts when he eagled the final hole to take a three-shot lead in the third round at TPC Boston in Norton.
The Englishman’s approach shot from 235 yards at the parfive landed just in front of the green and rolled up to inside a foot of the hole. He tapped in for a third consecutive 66 and a 15-under 198 total, with American Brian Harmon (68) in second place on 12-under.
“It was more of the same great ball-striking,” Casey told Golf Channel. “Attitude was great, as well.
“I’m loving that I’m in the lead. I’ve had a few events out here and only got one win, so I’d love to double that tally.
“If it doesn’t happen tomorrow, I’m pretty confident it will happen relatively soon.”
Officials brought forward the final-round tee times to early today due to weather concerns over a hurricane that is expected to pass off-shore during the day.
Harmon, who also has one Tour victory, moved into second place with a tidy fourbirdie performance.
Americans Jimmy Walker, Kevin Chappell and Smylie Kaufman are four strokes behind Casey in the second of the PGA Tour’s four FedEx Cup play-off events.
Halfway leader Chappell plodded to a 71 which included a double bogey at the parfour 12th, where he took four strokes to hole out from just off the green.
PGA Championship winner Walker (70) made a poor start with two bogeys in the first three holes, while Kaufman (68) also started slowly with a bogey at the par-five second.
Rory McIlroy came within a whisker of making the first albatross of his career but had to settle for an eagle at the parfive 18th.
McIlroy judged his four-iron approach shot almost perfectly, the ball landing about six feet in front of the pin before rolling up and catching the lip of the hole.
But it stubbornly refused to drop, leaving the Northern Irishman with a three-foot putt which he duly knocked in for a five-under-par 66 at the TPC Boston.
“It would have been my first albatross, or double eagle as you folk call it (in the United States),” the four-time Major champion, who is tied for seventh place, told Golf Channel.
“I had 212 yards back into the wind. It was a great shot. The wind was gusting a little bit. I just hit a four-iron as good as I could and, luckily, the result ended up the way I wanted.”
Well, almost the way he wanted, and it showed that the former world No 1 is not too far away from recapturing his old form, after a relatively quiet year.
Nobody has ever questioned the ball-striking ability of McIlroy, 27, who has been held back at times by an inconsistent putter, slipping to fifth in the world.
He is happier with his stroke after tweaking his grip last week, and will need a hot putter today to have a chance of posting a 12th PGA Tour victory. – Reuters