Noren hopes for more after EPGA success
WENTWORTH: Sweden’s Alex Noren believes his win in the European PGA Championship at Wentworth on Sunday puts him in with a chance in the season’s three remaining major championships.
Noren shot a 10-under-par 62 to claim the title — coming from seven shots off the pace — to land the European Tour’s flagship event, his fifth win in less than a year.
The 34-year-old missed the cut in the US Masters in April and has only one top-10 finish in a major to his name — ninth in the British Open in 2012 at Royal Lytham.
But Noren, who will move into the top 10 in the world rankings after his win, says his confidence is high heading into next month’s US Open at Erin Hills, Wisconsin.
“This tournament in my mind compares a lot with a major,” he said after his win on Sunday.
“What I wanted to do is play better against a better field and better courses, tougher courses. And I view this as a very difficult course against a very tough field.
“So then this is very close to a major in my mind. So my confidence goes up.
“It’s just work towards your goals and trying to kind of improve on my weaknesses and improve on my strengths, and trying to figure out where I’m losing shots and where I’m gaining shots.
“But overall, a win like this brings your confidence up, and that’s what I’ve always needed, to believe in myself, and then it’s easier to focus on what you need to do.”
Noren was plagued by a wrist injury before winning four tournaments in 11 starts last year but says his biggest battle in golf was keeping the ball on the fairway.
LEADING FINAL ROUND SCORES
(par-72)
277 — Alex Noren (SWE) 68-75-72-62
279 — Francesco Molinari (ITA) 67-70-74-68 280 — Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 71-75-69-65, Henrik Stenson (SWE) 68-71-73-68, Hideto Tanihara (JPN) 76-69-67-68
Selected scores
284 — Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 67-75-71-71 292 — Thongchai Jaidee (THA)72-72-76-72