Weekly Tour Wrap Up #8th Oct

The 2012 season is drawing to a close, with the focus shifting to the battle to retain top-tier playing privileges, and last week, players on both sides of the Atlantic ensured two year exemptions on their respective tours by guaranteeing their cards in the most dramatic fashion.

On the PGA Tour, a Swedish rookie held his nerve to claim a maiden PGA Tour title and move into the top 40 on the Money List.

On the European Tour, an Irishman won his first title as a professional three years after winning his national Open as an amateur.

Languid Lowry prevails in Portugal

Shane Lowry shot a closing 66 to record a 14-under-par total and win the Portugal Masters by one shot from Englishman Ross Fisher at the Oceanico Vilamoura Golf Club in the Algarve.

Kiwi Michael Campbell, who made two consecutive cuts for the first time in three and a half years, finished alone in third on 12-under-par, with Austrian sensation Berndt Wiesberger a shot further back.

Fisher looked good all week long despite a clearly troublesome ankle injury, and he shot an opening 65 to lead with Scotsman Steven Gallacher on six-under-par after 18 holes.

Gallacher’s compatriot George Murray returned a five-under-par 66, one less than a host of players, including Lowry and the in-form Swede Fredrik Anderson Hed.

Scoring was modest on day two, and Fisher took full advantage. He fired a second-round 67 to lead by three shots from Gallacher and Wiesberger, who carded a Friday 65 to sit on seven-under-par for the tournament.

Three-time major champion Padraig Harrington moved into a tie for fourth on six-under-par after a 67, with 2005 US Open champion Campbell one further back at the halfway stage.

Fisher saw his domination of the tournament end after round three, however. He turned in level par, and despite a hat trick of consecutive birdies from the 11^th, he was joined atop the leaderboard by playing partner Wiesberger, who had six birdies in seven holes from the eighth.

Fisher would bogey the 18^th and fall back to 12-under-par, one behind the Austrian.

Campbell made steady progress, moving up to nine-under par and a share of third place with a Saturday 67. He was joined by Lowry (67) and Richard Finch, who retuned a 66.

On Sunday, Fisher and Wiesberger, playing in the final group for the second consecutive day, were unable to create any momentum, and both turned in level-par to remain at 12- and 13-under respectively.

Campbell played the front nine in two-under-par 33 to close the gap to just two, with playing partner Lowry taking 34 shots to reach the turn.

But the Irishman, who won the 2009 3 Irish Open as an amateur, sparked into life on the back nine.

He birdied the 10^th and holed a seven-iron for an eagle two at the 11^th hole, before further birdies 15 and 17 elevated him to 15-under-par.

At that point, he was tied for the lead with Fisher, who had three birdies in a row from the 12^th, with Wiesberger two behind on 13-under-par.

Lowry was unable to par the last hole, however, and it looked like his 14-under-par total would come up just short.

Fisher was feeling the pressure, though, and made bogey at the par-3 16^th. Standing on the 18^th tee, he was tied for the lead. He hit a good drive and found the greenside fringe with his second, but his long birdie effort came up five feet short.

His subsequent par putt agonizingly lipped out, and Lowry had become just the second golfer, along with Spaniard Pablo Martin, to win a European Tour event as both an amateur and a professional.

Brilliant Blixt wins in California

Jonas Blixt shot a final-round 68 to record a 16-under-par total and win the Frys.com Open by one-shot from Americans Tim Petrovic and Jason Kokrak at CordeValle Country Club in California.

Jimmy Walker, who shot a course record-equaling nine-under-par 62 on Sunday, finished two back alongside Vijay Singh, John Mallinger and Brazilian Alexandre Rocha on 14-under-par.

Blixt made a steady start, but it was Australian Nick O’Hern who blew the field away with a sublime bogey-free 62 in soggy conditions. The left hander was one of three players to match the course record during the tournament.

O’Hern led by three shots from Derek Ernst, Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas and Ryder Cup star Nicolas Colsaerts – who needed a top ten finish to earn a 2013 PGA Tour card – after round one.

O’Hern – 144^th on the money list at the start of the week and in need of a big week to breach the all-important top 125 – stumbled in round two, and John Mallinger took full advantage.

The American, who didn’t record a bogey over the course of the first two days, surged to the top of the leaderboard with a brilliant 62 to lead by four shots on 14-under-par at the halfway stage.

Young American Billy Horschel shot a Friday 65 to sit in a tie for second with Vegas after 36 holes.

Mallinger – who hasn’t won on the PGA Tour in seven years as a member – made an inauspicious start on Saturday and turned in one-over-par.

He recovered on the back nine to shoot 70, but his lead had been trimmed to just two shots by Blixt, who made six birdies in his last ten holes en route to a 66.

On Sunday, Mallinger was clearly struggling with the pressure of the lead, stumbling on the front nine. Players were making birdies behind him, and the leaderboard was becoming clustered.

Walker had proved a low score was possible with the third 62 of the week, and Tim Petrovic, who started the week outside the top 200 on the Money List, followed his example.

The one-time PGA Tour victor shot a seven-under-par 64 to post the clubhouse lead on 15-under-par.

It never looked quite enough, though, thanks largely to the drivable par-4 17^th.

Web.com Tour graduate Kokrak made a timely eagle in front of Blixt to reach 15-under-par and tie the lead, and after the Swede’s drive settled in heavy rough through the green, it looked as if 15-under-might might be enough to make it into a play-off.

Blixt, however, played a brilliant chip and holed his subsequent seven-foot putt to head to the 18^th tee with a one-shot lead.

He found the green in regulation, but his birdie putt came up short, leaving four feet for the win.

Blixt hadn’t missed from inside five feet all week, and he calmly rolled his par putt home to record his maiden PGA Tour victory.

Elsewhere Andreas Hartø won the inaugural D+D Real Czech Challenge Open on the Challenge Tour.

Next week on the PGA Tour, Ben Crane defends the McGladrey Classic, while the European Tour heads to Australia for the inaugural ISAS Handa Perth Open.