Tommy bags third Euro title

– Englishman Tommy Fleetwood (above) fired a bogey-free final round of 66 to win the French Open at Le Golf National by one shot yesterday.

The 26-year-old finished on 12-under-par for the tournament after his five-under closing effort, edging out American Peter Uihlein, whose charge came too late.

It was a third European Tour title for Fleetwood, who finished fourth at the US Open last month.

He will head to the British Open, which starts on July 20 in his hometown of Southport, expecting to significantly improve his record of three straight missed cuts.

Fleetwood also took the lead in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai from Masters champion Sergio Garcia, and on current form looks a good bet to qualify for Thomas Bjorn’s European Ryder Cup team to take on the Americans at the same course to the southwest of Paris next year.

Fleetwood, who began the day a stroke behind joint-overnight leaders Peter Uihlein and Alexander Bjoerk, started well with birdies on the second and third holes to take the lead.

The world No 12 added his third birdie of the day on the par-five ninth, before two more at 13 and 14 opened up a three-shot advantage over Uihlein. He parred his way in to set an imposing clubhouse target.

Uihlein had started poorly in playing the first five holes in two over par, but a run of three birdfrom the 11th gave him an outside chance of a second tour title.

He poured in another on the 17th to head down the difficult last needing a birdie to force a playoff, but failed to hole out from the greenside bunker. – AFP

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