Weekly Tour Wrap-Up #22nd April

This week, the PGA and European Tours suffered no post-Masters hangovers as enthralling tournaments on both circuits had to be settled by extra holes.

In America, a popular Northern Irishman came through a play-off with a past major champion to claim his first victory as a full PGA Tour member.

In Spain, a Frenchman won for the fourth time on the European Tour after triumphing in a record-equaling play-off.

Jubliant Jacquelin wins Open de Espana

Raphael Jacquelin defeated Felipe Aguilar and Max Kieffer in a nine-hole play-off to claim the Open de Espana at Parador de El Saler in Valencia after all three players finished on five-under-par.

The play-off was the joint-longest since the European Tour’s inception in 1972, matching the 1989 Dutch Open.

Aguilar made a good start to the tournament, shooting a four-under-par 68 to sit in a tie for first alongside little-known duo of Gary Stal and Morten Orum Madsen.

They led an eight-strong group, including home hope Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, by one shot after the conclusion of round one.

After Thursday’s play, 22 players were separated by just two shots, and the leaderboard remained clustered on day two.

Building on a solid opening 70, former American amateur champion Peter Uihlein rose to the top of the leaderboard after a 68 took him to six-under-par.

He sat one clear of Aguilar (71), Sweden’s Rikard Karlberg and Jacquelin, who carded six birdies and one birdie for a best-of-day 66.

At the end of day two, 42 players were within six shots of the lead.

On Saturday, the wind blew and conditions continued to get harder and harder, but that didn’t stop Marc Warren from surging to the top of the leaderboard.

After a pair of 70s, the Scotsman controlled his ball superbly in tough conditions en route to a four under 68 that took him two clear of the field.

His compatriot Craig Lee sat alone in second place after a 70, with the English due of Paul Waring and David Horsey – who compiled a brilliant 66 in the morning – just three off the lead.

On Sunday, conditions were as tough as they had been all week, and Aguilar, Jacquelin and Kieffer, who shot 70, 71 and 71 respectively, found themselves with the clubhouse lead after a treacherous day on the course.

They all trailed Warren by one, though, and the Scotsman needed two pars on the last two holes to secure victory.

But he three-putted both the 17^th and the 18^th for bogey and the tied trio headed back down the 18^th.

They all made pars twice before Kieffer holed a 30-footer at the third time of asking to extend the play-off after Jacquelin tapped in for an easy birdie.

The Frenchman and the German exchanged a further five pars before heading back to the 18th tee for the 10th time of the day.

Seizing the tournament by the scruff of the neck, Jacquelin knocked a wedge to five feet and holed the putt to claim his first European Tour title since the 2011 Sicilian Open.

Masterful McDowell triumphs at Harbour Town

Graeme McDowell defeated current US Open champion Webb Simpson in a play-off to win the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Links and claim his first non-major PGA Tour title.

Both McDowell and Simpson completed 72 holes in nine-under-par after 20-30 mps winds swept through the coastal Carolina course.

The final-round conditions played havoc with the field, a real contrast to the sunny, benign atmosphere on day one.

Englishman Brian Davis – who called a penalty on himself during a play-off for the title in 2010 – took full advantage, mixing eight birdies with two bogies to make his way to the top of the leaderboad.

He led American the duo of Charley Hoffman and Tampa Bay champion Kevin Streelman – who both offset one bogey with six birdies – by one shot after round one.

Australians Jason Day and Marc Lieshman showed no signs of Masters hangovers as they opened up with four-under-par 67s.

On Friday, windy conditions took their toll on Davis, and he slipped outside the top 10 with a second-round 74.

He was replaced atop the leaderboard by Hoffman, Streelman (both 70s) and their compatriot Steve LeBrun, who returned a second consecutive 68.

Luke Donald – who hadn’t finished outside the top three in his last three visits to Harbour Town – was lurking ominously on five under, with McDowell a stroke further back.

But Hoffman took no notice, and moved serenely into the outright lead on 11-under-par with a brilliant, bogey-free 66. Remarkably, he needed just 21 putts on Saturday.

With one round remaining, he led Simpson – whose 66 was the lowest round of the day – by two shots.

Streelman sat alone in third place on eight under after a 68, with McDowell and Zimbabwean Brendon de Jonge tied for fourth one shot further back.

On Sunday, the wind picked up, and only three sub-70 scores were recorded.

One of those came from McDowell, who was four under for his round and one clear of the field on ten under standing on the 72^nd tee.

But he made his only bogey of the day at the tough 18^th to fall into a play-off with Simpson, who shot a final-round 71.

Luke Donald had four birdies in five holes from the third to reach nine under, but a two-over-par back nine put paid to his chances.

In the play-off, McDowell enjoyed a change in fortunes. This time, his approach on the 18^th found the middle of the green and he two-putted for his first PGA Tour win since the 2010 US Open.

Overnight leader Hoffman stumbled to a six over 77 and fell back into a three-strong group in a tie for sixth on five under.

Next week, the PGA Tour stays in the south for the prestigious Zurich Classic of New Orleans, while the European Tour heads to Korea for the Ballantine’s Championship.