Weber wins Mountain Creek Open

korat — Lionel Weber completed a comprehensive wire-to-wire victory at the Mena Tour’s Mountain Creek Open by Golf Citizen as the anticipated charge from the chasing pack never materialised at the Seve Ballesteros-designed course on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old Frenchman hardly put a foot wrong as he signed for a solid 66 to finish at 17-under for the tournament, beating his nearest rival Luke Joy of England by a staggering seven shots.

Switzerland’s Dubai-based amateur Michael Harradine closed with a level-par 72 that left him sharing a creditable third with England’s Jamie Elson and James Byrne of Scotland on six under.

On a day when lightning forced suspension of play for 60 minutes, Weber enjoyed some vintage highs, rolling in seven birdies, including four in his last six holes, against a lone bogey to stamp his authority on the tournament, becoming the second Frenchman after Edouard Espana to win a Mena Tour event.

“It was great to be able to play my A game. I had a good final round and I am really pleased to have my first win as a professional here in Thailand. It will give me a lot more confidence for the future,” said Weber.

Harradine, a 33-year-old Swiss national team representative, was two under through 11, but a double bogey on the par-4, 15th undermined his efforts.

His tally of six-under, however, was enough to land him the best amateur title, well ahead of Thailand’s Worathon Zeng, who finished on level-par 216, as India’s Rayhan Thomas settled for third on three over after returning a final round 76.

“I struggled on the first seven holes, but things started to click thereafter and I played a bit more solid. Unfortunately, I lost a ball in the jungle on the 15th and then made a birdie on 16. Finished on level par. You are never happy when you finish the round badly, but overall it was a good week,” said Harradine.