Grace Wins Commercial Bank Qatar Masters

Post by Sports Writer Derek Clements

BRANDEN GRACE finally emerged at the top of a packed leaderboard to win the Qatar Masters. On a perfect day for scoring, the lead changed hands several times but, in the end, Grace held his nerve to secure his sixth European Tour title and his second in five weeks.

The day was notable for the vast number of birdies the players threw at one another, thrilling a decent crowd at Doha Golf Club. There were even a few eagles thrown in for good measure.

On such a day, it was always likely that a mistake might cost somebody the title. Warren birdied his first two holes and looked to be in complete control but a bogey at the fifth and double-bogey at the par-three eighth, where he put his tee shot in the water, appeared to have derailed his challenge.

In days gone by, the Scot might have tumbled down the leaderboard, but not now. Birdies followed at the nintgh, 10th, 14th and 15th as he moved to 16 under par and joined Bernd Wiesberger and Brandon Grace in a three-way tie.

Byeong Hun An, from South Korea, has been tipped by many as a future major winner and surged through the field with a 65 to set the clubhouse target at 15 under. And he was joined on that mark by the exciting young Englishman, Eddie Pepperill, who plays golf with a smile on his face and seems to get better with each passing week. He picked up one birdie on the front nine and added three more, at the 10th, 12th and 16th, to join Ann. With two holes left, could he improve his score further?
He parred the 17th and, pushing to reach the par-five final hole in two, Pepperill duffed a fairway wood, hitting the ball barely 80 yards. But he then produced a superb third shot to set up a birdie opportunity. Pepperill holed the putt to finish on 16 under par.

Grace produced the shot of the championship at the 295-yard, par-four 16th, striking his drive to within eight feet of the hole to set up an eagle opportunity which, if converted, would put him in the driving seat with only two holes left.

Wiesberger - one of three overnight leaders - had appeared to have thrown away his chances when he opened his final round with two bogeys, but the Austrian kept his cool and continued to battle away. Birdies at the fifth and seventh got him back where he started, and when he birdied the 10th, 11th and 12th he was back in the joint lead. But he was unable to maintain the momentum, although he did birdie the 18th.

Warren birdied the 16th to move to 17 under par but was one behind Grace, who converted his eagle chance at the same hole. The Scot then nearly holed his tee shot at the par three 17th, but the birdie he recorded drew him level with Grace at 18 under par.

It all came down to the last hole. Grace produced a wonderful approach shot and holed the putt for a birdie and a round of 66. It took him to 19 under, leaving Warren needing an eagle to win or a birdie to tie. But he could only manage a par.