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Noren wins Omega European Masters after play off with Hend

By: Golfshake Editor | Sun 04 Sep 2016


Post by Sports Writer Derek Clements

 

ALEX NOREN holed a 30-foot uphill putt on the first playoff hole to beat Australia's Scott Hend to win the Omega European Masters for the second time at the magnificent Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club. It is his second victory of the season and his sixth European Tour title in all.

Noren is enjoying a glorious summer - he won the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open in July, finished in the top 10 at the 100th Open de France and reached the final of the Aberdeen Asset Management Paul Lawrie Match Play.

Alex Noren

Image Credit: Twitter @HUGOBOSS


"It feels amazing to be among Seve Ballesteros and Thomas Bjørn to win two Omega European Masters titles," said Noren. "I've seen the boards showing who won multiple Omega European Masters titles walking to the course so it is great.

"I've worked hard this season. I tried to play more golf and I feel steadier with my driver. My driver hasn't been my good side but now it is steadier. It is great to have my family here, my baby and my parents here for the first time. "I've never won coming from behind or won in a play-off on the European Tour so that makes it more amazing."

A run of four birdies from the sixth gave him a two-shot lead at the turn but Hend fought back on the back nine. He hit a horrendous duck hook on the 18th, leaving himself a 225-yard second shot around the trees. He hit a wonderful shot that landed just short of the water guarding the green, cleared it and ran through the back. He chipped the ball to a few inches and holed the putt for par ti finish tied with Noren on 17 under.

The pair then headed back to the 18th tee. Once again, Hend hit a big hook, but this time the ball bounced around in the trees and finished on the right right of the fairway. Hend had another approach of more than 200 yards and once again he barely cleared the water with his second. Noren had only 115 yards to the flag and hit his approach to 30 feet. The Australian chipped to six feet, but Noren then holed out for a winning birdie.

England's Andrew Johnston continues his fairytale season with a final round of 65 to finish third on 14 under, two ahead of fellow Englishman Lee Westwood, who closed his tournament with a terrific round of 63.  Englishman Richard Bland and Frenchman Julien Quesne tied for fifth place.

Noren joined overnight leader Hend at the top of the leaderboard when he birdied the tough first hole and the pair could not be separated after six holes, with Bland still in the mix as he followed a chip-in eagle on the fifth with a birdie on the sixth. Noren then birdied the seventh and put his approach at the eighth to three feet for another birdie and a two-shot lead.The 34 year old made it four birdies in a row on the ninth but Hend made one of his own to keep the gap at two at the turn.

They traded bogeys on the 10th and 11th before both men birdied the 12th and 14th, but a Hend birdie on the 15th cut the gap and a three-putt bogey from Noren on the penultimate hole had them level on the 18th tee.

Drama was to follow as Hend hit a wayard drive into the trees but was fortunate with his second shot as it bounced over the water and through the back of the green, while Noren put his second from the fairway to 30 feet. After taking a drop from the base of the spectator stands, Hend got up and down and Noren got down in two to take it to extra holes.

Johnston picked up three shots in his last five holes in a 65, while countryman Westwood had seven birdies as he matched the low round of the week with a 63. Bland turned in 31 but fell away as he came home in 38 with a dropped shot on the 16th and a double-bogey on the last.

Quesne enjoyed a rollercoaster of a 65, with eight birdies and three bogeys leaving him a shot clear of England's Matthew Fitzpatrick, Italian Renato Paratore, Spaniard Alejandro Cañizares, Frenchman Romain Langasque and Germany's Florian Fritsch. Ryder Cup rookie Fitzpatrick will be delighted with his week's work - he started with a 75, but followed it with rounds of 65, 66 and 64.

"I think Alex played the 18th hole way better than I did and made an awesome birdie for a deserving win," said Hend. "It wasn't a daunting tee-shot on the last. It is just like any other tee-shot. You just need to stand there and hit it. I was unable to hit the shot I wanted yesterday and today, twice. He played fantastic golf today but I didn't play quite well enough. That's golf. You can't complain when you get into position to win but somebody makes a great birdie on the play-off hole to win."

Victory for Velasco on Challenge Tour

THE Challenge Tour is regarded as the proving ground for the next generation of young golfers who dream of making their way on the European Tour. But it can also act as a road to redemption, as Alvaro Velasco, of Spain, proved when coming from eight shots behind to shoot a stunning final round of 62  and seal a one-shot victory in the Cordon Open at Golf Blue Green de Pléneuf Val André.

Alvaro Vesaoc

Image Credit: Twitter @Tengolf


The Spaniard started his fourth round eight behind Alexander Knappe, but an outstanding back nine – which started with five birdies and an eagle in seven holes – coupled with the German’s struggles gave Velasco a three-shot lead coming down the last.

The 35-year-old bogeyed the last but set the clubhouse target on 12 under par before back-to-back birdies for Knappe left him needing a birdie on the last to force a playoff – but his long effort came up short, giving Velasco his third career European Challenge Tour victory. But it has been six years since he last tasted victory.

“It’s hard to describe at the moment, but I’m so happy,” he said. “It’s unbelievable, and today was amazing, I’m thrilled. Everything changes now for me. This year for me so far has been quite bad, my game hasn’t been very sharp, but this week I found something and a win here is huge for me, so I’m really excited for what comes next now.

“Six years it’s been, since Kazakhstan and La Gomera, and it’s been tough. I’ve been working a lot, not really playing too much, but hopefully it starts coming now – it’s been a long wait but it feels great. I don’t know how I did it today. I just tried to do my best, and I started to realise how well I was doing so I just kept going – it’s an unbelievable round, 62, and I couldn’t wish any better.

“The end was a bit nervous, but there was nothing I could do. I was happy with my score and the way I performed and it was all about waiting and seeing what happened – I would have been happy with this week anyway, whatever happened, but to win is even more special.”

Knappe moved to third place in the Road to Oman Rankings – which Jordan Smith now tops again after his fourth place finish in Brittany made him the first player to top 100,000 points this season.

 


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