Wiesberger wins again as Danny Lee claims maiden victory

Post by Sports Writer, Derek Clements

European Tour - French Open

BERND Wiesbergerproduced a stunning final round of 65 to win the French Open at Golf National, near Paris. It was the 29-year-old Austrian's first victory for almost three years and caps what has been a wonderfully consistent run this season.

Wiesberger negotiated the course without dropping a shot all day, to beat his playing partner, James Morrison, by three shots after holing a 25-foot birdie putt on the final green. Morrison was also bogey-free and finished with a 67.

The Austrian's winning total was 13 under par, 271. Martin Kaymer had been in contention but came to grief at the final hole. He hit his drive into thick rough, pitched into the fairway and then put his approach at the par four into the lake. He eventually holed out for a double-bogey six that saw him finish on seven under.

Jaco van Zyl, the 54-hole leader, finished in third place, enough to secure himself a place in The Open along with Morrison and Rafa Cabrera Bello, of Spain. Cabrera Bello, who has enjoyed a terrific run of form recently, went to the turn in 40 but then raced home in an astonishing 29 shots.

PGA Tour - Greenbrier Classic

The Greenbrier Classic finished with four players tied for the lead - Kevin Kisner, Danny Lee, David Hearn and Robert Streb, a winner already this season. It was at this tournament where Stuart Appleby won with a final round of 59, but the scoring was not quite as spectacular this time. Remarkably, this was the 14th playoff this season.

Highlights from the final days play at the Greenbrier Classic 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU2XxCvJszU

Hearn, from Toronto, should have won in regulation play after putting his tee-shot at the par-three 18th just 12 feet from the hole. His putt was bang on line but he left it half an inch short.

For Kisner, who is having a stellar season, this was his third playoff of the season. He had missed out on the other two. Would it be third time lucky? Could Danny Lee finally start to deliver on the amazing promise he showed as a teenage amateur? Would Streb become the latest multiple winner of the season? He broke his putter when throwing it away in disgust and putted with his wedge for the rest of the final round, but was allowed to take a replacement putter with him in the playoff. Or would Hearn change his life with a victory from nowhere?

They all went back to the 181-yard 18th. Kisner and Streb both finished in rough at the back of the green, Hearn left the ball in the same spot from where he missed in regulation and Lee did precisely the same thing. Kisner's hopes died when he twice failed to move the ball more than a couple of inches, Streb ran his pitch six feet past and then Lee holed for a birdie. It meant Hearn had to hole to extend the playoff, and he duly drained it.

So Lee and Hearn headed for the 17th, a par five that neither could reach in two. Both players hit wild drives, and Hearn compounded that mistake by putting his second into a horrendous spot in a fairway bunker before hitting his fourth shot over the back of the green. A par for 24-year-old turned out to be good enough.

"All I can say is wow!" said Lee afterwards. "I have come close a few times, but now I know what it takes to win, and now I know what it feels like to win. It is just amazing."

There were several spots in The Open up for grabs and one of them was taken by Greg Owen, of England, who finished joint sixth.

European Senior Tour - Swiss Seniors Open 

Gordon Manson secured his maiden European Senior Tour title in the Swiss Seniors Open courtesy of a superb back nine of 31 which included an eagle putt from 60 feet. Manson closed with a round of 66 for a 14 under par aggregate winning total on a day when the lead changed hands several times at Golf Club Bad Ragaz, in the Swiss Alps.

The Austrian had held a slender advantage heading into the final round, but a level par front nine of 35 opened the door to François Lamare, who charged through the pack with seven birdies in 16 holes.   Just when it looked as though the Frenchman would set an imposing clubhouse target, he three-putted the last hole for a bogey which dropped him back to 11 under par.

At that point, Peter Fowler, seeking his third win of the season, entered the fray with an eagle at the 16th hole, only to falter with back to back bogeys from the 17th.

European Challenge Tour - AEGEAN Airlines Challenge Tour by Hartl Resort

Ricardo Gouveia claimed his second European Challenge Tour title at the AEGEAN Airlines Challenge Tour by Hartl Resort courtesy of a flawless final day performance which earned the Portuguese a four-stroke victory on the Beckenbauer Course in Bad Griesbach.

The 26 year old began the day two shots off the lead held by South African Dean Burmester but a four under par 67 moved him to 15 under for the tournament, earning a first title of a consistent season and moving him to second in the Road to Oman Rankings