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Weekly Tour Wrap Up #8th Oct

By: Nick Bonfield | Mon 08 Oct 2012


One of the greatest Ryder Cups in the history of golf may still be fresh in the memory but there was no time to dwell for many golfers last week, as the PGA Tour’s Fall Series got underway in Las Vegas and a host of celebrities and European victors headed to Scotland for one of the most popular events of the season.

On the PGA Tour, a past US amateur champion and four-time All-American won his second PGA Tour title and his first for three years just four weeks before the birth of his first child.

On the European Tour, a South African rookie continued his astonishing debut season by winning his fourth European event and moving into the top 10 in the Race to Dubai standings.

Brilliant Branden unstoppable in Scotland

Branden GraceBranden Grace shot a closing 70 at St Andrews’ Old Course to record a 22-under-par 72-hole total and claim a two-shot victory over 22-year-old Dane Thorbjorn Olesen at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The Swedish duo of Alex Noren and Joel Sjoholm finished third and fourth, on 20- and 18-under-par respectively, with George Coetzee – who recorded eight birdies in nine holes for en route to a final round 62 - Lee Slattery and Danny Willet among the players in a seven-strong group tied for fifth on 15-under-par.

The pro-am tournament, played over St Andrews’ Old, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie, got off to a flying start, and it was Grace – a winner last week on the Sunshine Tour - who led after round one.

Starting on the back nine at Kingsbarns, he turned in five-under-par 31 before embarking on an astounding run after the turn. He birdied one, three, five, six, seven and eight, and standing on the 9th green he had a putt to record the European Tour’s first ever 59. It narrowly missed, though, and Grace had to settle for an opening 12-under-par 62.

On a day of incredibly low scoring, his 60 was only enough for a two-shot lead over Victor Dubuisson. Remarkably, the Frenchman was 11-under-par after 15 holes at St Andrews, but he wasn’t able to summon the two birdies he needed over the final three holes for a 59.

Dane Olesen was on nine-under-par after a fine 63, one shot clear of a big group – including Alex Noren - on eight-under-par.

Grace carried on where he left off in round two. He followed his 60 at Kingsbarns with a 67 at the home of golf to reach 17-under-par at the halfway stage.

He led by five shots from Sjoholm, who matched his 67, and Olesen, who completed a three-under-par 69 at the toughest of the three courses, Carnoustie.

On Saturday, Olesen made a good start at Kingsbarns, and after 11 holes, the deficit had been cut to just one. Grace refused to be caught, though, and responded with three birdies in a row from the 12th at Carnoustie. He would double bogey the 15th, but after Olesen’s untimely six at 17 and a South African birdie at 18, the lead was four (-20) with one round to play.

Everyone making the 54-hole cut played their final round at the Old Course, and Grace settled his nerves with a fine birdie three at the first to extend the lead to five.

After nine holes, though, his lead was just one. He bogeyed the seventh to turn in level par, but his playing partner, Olesen, birdied five, eight and nine. Noren was also in the mix on 17-under-par after a pair of birdies at eight and nine.

As with previous days, however, Grace surged away when the pressure was on. He birdied 12, 13 and 14, and Olesen wasn’t able to respond. When the Dane bogeyed 16, the gap was back to four, and Grace closed the tournament out in style with a birdie three at the Old Course’s famous 18th hole for his second victory in as many weeks.

Majestic Moore victorious in Vegas

American Ryan Moore shot a closing 66 to win the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open by one shot from Zimbabwean Brendon de Jonge after compiling a tournament record 24-under-par 72-hole total.

As with Grace in Europe, Moore flew out of the blocks in his native Las Vegas, turning in seven-under-par 29 at TPC Summerlin en route to an opening 10-under-par 61.

De Jonge rallied late on Thursday to shoot a brilliant 62, on clear of Tim Herron – who entered the week outside the all-important top 125 on the PGA Tour money list – and John Huh, the only rookie to make the Tour Championship.

De Jonge shot a second round 66 to reach 14-under-par at the halfway stage, good enough to hold a share of the lead with Swedish rookie Jonas Blixt, who shot his second consecutive 64. Moore was one back after a 68, with Herron and American Daniel Summerhays on 11-under-par heading into the weekend.

Neither de Jonge not Blixt had recorded a PGA Tour victory, but both produced nerveless displays on Saturday. The Zimbabwean birdied four holes in a row from the 14 on his way to an impressive 67, the same score carded by Blixt, who made six birdies in his final seven holes to reach 19-under-par.

The duo were joined on the same score – five clear of the rest of the field – by Moore, who shot an equally impressive bogey-free 65.

It looked as if their lead was unassailable, but Jason Day had closed to within two shots after a scintillating seven-under-par front nine 28. Moore mixed four birdies with two bogeys to turn on 21-under-par, the same as de Jonge, who responded to a bogey at three with birdies at four, eight and nine.

Blixt was struggling to make birdies, and fell four behind his two playing partners after 13 holes. Both Moore and de Jonge birdied 11 and 13 to reach 23-under-par, and the tournament had become a two-horse race.

Moore made a key birdie at the par-5 16th with de Jonge unable to answer, and after they both parred 17, the Zimbabwe was one back standing on the 18th tee. Needing to make birdie, he could only hit his approach to 40 feet, and when he missed, Moore was left with the easiest of two putts for the victory.

Next week, Bryce Molder defends the Frys.com Open on the PGA Tour, and Tom Lewis will be aiming to put some poor form behind him as he looks to retain the European Tour’s Open de Portugal.

 


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