Agony and Ecstasy on the European Tour

Post by Sports Writer, Derek, Clements

It was a day of agony and ecstasy in Perth on the final day of the regular European Tour season.

Ecstasy for Thorbjorn Olesen, who won the ISPS Handa Perth International after surviving a stuttering spell in the middle of his round, thus winning his second title at the age of 24. He saw a three-shot lead whittled down to a single stroke after 12 holes, but battled back with late birdies to beat Victor Dubuisson by three shots.

The top 111 in the Race to Dubai would keep their cards. And that meant ecstasy, too, for Matthew Nixon. He began the week in 111th place and was rewarded for making his 12th cut in 15 events by climbing to 110th, with Anthony Wall taking the final spot.

But the most relieved man of all was Scotland’s David Drysdale, who holed a 30 foot birdie at the last to move into a tie for fourth and climb from 116th to 103rd.

There was plenty of agony suffered too, none more so than by Italy’s Andrea Pavan, whose double bogey on the 18th cost last year’s Challenge Tour No1 his card.

Sihwan Kim and Peter Whiteford had threatened to turn their seasons around earlier in the week, but Korea’s Kim paid the price for a triple bogey at the eighth and a closing 75 saw him fall short of the third-place finish he required. Halfway leader Whiteford, who also needed to be in the top two, endured a difficult weekend with rounds of 75 and 78 to fall short.

England’s Lee Slattery, who missed the cut on Friday, suffered the greatest agony of all, however, as he slipped two places to 112th. For all of them, then, it is back to Tour School, their hopes and dreams in tatters for another year.

Olesen, whose previous win came in Sicily two years ago, started the day three clear but saw that advantage reduced to one after a jittery start to the back nine.
With Dubuisson setting the clubhouse mark at 14 under par, Olesen responded with birdies at the 13th and 15th to restore his advantage and claim the €198,300 prize with a 17 under par total.

“It was tough – they were not easy conditions today,” said Olesen.“I missed a few short putts today in the middle of the round, but I was just thinking about getting my round back to under par, keeping focussed, and seeing if I could make a few birdies coming in.

“It was a tough day but it was worth it – that walk down 18 was beautiful. My driving and a couple of three woods were off line which made it tricky, but I made some great putts coming in.

“It’s been a couple of years since I won last time, so this gives me a lot of confidence and belief for the last bit of the season, this has been a great week and I’ve really enjoyed being here.”

Olesen two-putted the long third for his first birdie of the day, but handed it back at the sixth after driving into trees and running up a bogey.

The Dane, whose performance ensures his participation in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai at the end of the upcoming Final Series, was wayward off the tee again at the seventh but recovered with a two-putt birdie on the par five to turn in 35.
A shaky start to the back nine saw Olesen miss a ten footer for par at the tenth, and when he missed the green at the 12th and over-hit his second shot it looked like Dubuisson’s closing 66 might be enough to sneak at least a play-off.

But Olesen responded by firing his approach to 15 feet at the 13th and holing the putt, before converting from similar range at the 15th.

Derek Clements is a sports journalist with a particular passion for golf with over 12 years of experience covering golf and other sports including Chief Sub-Editor on the sports desk of The Sunday Times. To contact Derek email direct via [email protected]