Straits shooter
Stenson boosts Ryder Cup hopes with stunning finish in Switzerland
HENRIK STENSON is making European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington’s job a lot easier with a stunning return to form.
The Swede produced a sensational final round in Switzerland yesterday to clinch his second topfour finish in a row at the Omega European Masters.
Fivetime Ryder Cup player Stenson stormed to a string of birdies in a final round 63 to set the clubhouse pace at 11 under at Crans-Montana.
That wasn’t enough to win but he finished third behind Dane Rasmus Hojgaard and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger.
It’s a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for Stenson, who hadn’t had a top-10 finish this year on the PGA Tour.
But returning to Europe a fortnight ago appears to be just what he needed as he grabbed fourth place at the Czech Masters in Prague last week then third this week.
That won’t be enough for him to be an automatic selection for the Europe team to face Steve Stricker’s USA stars at Whistling Straits next month – but it boosts the 45-year-old’s chances of being one of Harrington’s four wild card picks.
Stenson said: “I didn’t see this round coming but then when I pitched in from 25 yards from the right rough at the first, I thought this could be the start of something special and it was.
“I think my round today would have made Seve proud.
“I played some good golf when I was out with Padraig for the first two days last week in Prague and I hope that I showed him that I am eager and trying hard.
“Now in Crans I had two really strong rounds and I will take the positives and move on now to the Italian Open and we can keep on getting better.”
While
Stenson has helped his selection cause, Wiesberger handed Harrington a selection dilemma with a woeful finish to hand victory to 20-year-old Hojgaard.
The gutted 35-year-old led by one playing the last and would have moved into the automatic selection zone with a win, but he double bogeyed the last and quickly made his exit from the course.
Hojgaard, meanwhile, was showered with champagne by pals after collecting a third Tour victory in just his 38th event – and the red winners’ jacket.
He said: “At the moment it’s a bit surreal knowing I have won. I knew I needed a birdie at the last to have a chance of making a play-off, so I made a birdie but then it was a strange ending.
“I’m very proud to win and to join some of the greats of the game with my name on the trophy. It is very special and I can’t wait to come back and defend.”
I hope that I showed Padraig that I am eager and I am trying hard HERNIK STENSON HAS SIGHTS ON RYDER CUP CALL
Calum Hill was the best of the two Scots from a starting contingent of nine to make the cut and closed with four birdies over his last five holes in a round of 66 for a nine-under par total and a share of seventh. Scott Jamieson started the week with a pair of 67s but stalled over the weekend with a pair of 72 for his two-under tally.