ON TOUR
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<strong>ON</strong> <strong>TOUR</strong>
WESTWOOD claims<br />
second Thailand<br />
Golf Championship<br />
Lee Westwood claimed a unique Thailand Golf<br />
Championship double when he staged a fabulous fight<br />
back with a final round five-under-par 67 to win the US$1<br />
million Asian Tour event on Sunday. The former world<br />
number one won the inaugural edition in 2011 and<br />
made it another victory to remember by signing off with<br />
a four-day total of eight-under-par 280 at the Amata<br />
Spring Country Club.<br />
Overnight leader Marcus Fraser of Australia and<br />
Germany’s Martin Kaymer had their chances to force<br />
extra-time with Westwood but fell just short on the<br />
72nd hole and settled for a share of second place<br />
one shot behind. India’s Anirban Lahiri did not get the<br />
win he wanted as he signed off with a 73 to share sixth<br />
place with Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee and American<br />
Jonathan Moore at the Thai showpiece. The 27-yearold,<br />
however, earned a well-deserved place at the<br />
144th Open at St. Andrews in 2015 as one of the top<br />
four players who were not otherwise exempted from the<br />
world’s oldest Major.<br />
Westwood was delighted with his win as he overcame<br />
intense pressure to lift the prestigious title again. ‘When<br />
I won the Thailand Golf Championship in 2011, I had<br />
a pretty big lead. But this win is obviously very special<br />
as it was a very tight day out there and I didn’t get<br />
off to the best of starts and I had lots of work to do,’<br />
said Westwood. Starting the round two shots back of<br />
Fraser, Westwood seemed to have fallen out of the<br />
equation when he opened with two successive bogeys.<br />
But the Englishman showed his mettle with a stunning<br />
comeback where he fired four straight birdies starting<br />
from the par-four sixth hole. He continued his amazing<br />
birdie blitz by marking his card with more red numbers<br />
on holes 11, 14 and 15 to seal his second title.<br />
‘My caddy, Billy told me there were opportunities to pick<br />
some shots up in the middle of the round after I made<br />
those two bogeys. I did that and didn’t drop any more<br />
shots and gave myself lots of chances,’ said Westwood.<br />
‘This is my last event of the year and it’s nice to finish with<br />
a win and go into Christmas and start the New Year with<br />
confidence. I know what I’ve got to work on and I’ll be<br />
doing that over the next six weeks before the season<br />
starts again,’ added the Englishman.
STENS<strong>ON</strong> eyes Major after<br />
DP World Tour Championship<br />
double<br />
Henrik Stenson is eyeing a first Major Championship in 2015 after defending a title for the first time in his career at the DP World<br />
Tour Championship. The Swede carded a closing 70 at Jumeirah Golf Estates to finish 16-under-par, two shots ahead of World<br />
Number One Rory McIlroy and fellow Ryder Cuppers Justin Rose and Victor Dubuisson. Victory also assured him of second spot<br />
behind McIlroy in the Race to Dubai and second in the world rankings: ‘It would be nice to have been ranked the world’s best<br />
at some point,’ said Stenson. ‘But if I had the choice I would go for a Major Championship so I am going to try and be in good<br />
shape for them next year.’<br />
Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello was seemingly in control on the 16th tee before successive double-bogeys on the par four and<br />
par three 17th when he found water on both occasions. McIlroy and Rose closed on 14-under after agonisingly missing nearidentical<br />
putts for birdie on 18. Stenson was on the same number after 16 holes before a brilliant iron at the par three left a tapin<br />
birdie and he sealed victory in style with a fine birdie four at the last.<br />
‘It feels great,’ added the 38-year-old. ‘I’m exhausted to say the least. It was hot out there and tricky on the back nine. I did not<br />
play my best and had a shocking hole on 11 but I did not give up. I just had to dig in there and wait for something to happen. I<br />
had a couple of close calls this year to get my win and it was not to be. It’s been close but eventually you get something if you<br />
stick around and I surely did that.’<br />
McIlroy already had the Race to Dubai title sewn up but was made to rue missed opportunities as he looked in vain for a<br />
perfect finish to an incredible season: ‘It seemed like no-one took it by the scruff of the neck,’ said the Northern Irishman. ‘I<br />
thought if I could post 16-under I might have a chance. I just did not play well enough to win this week.’
DUBUISS<strong>ON</strong><br />
to defend<br />
Turkish Airlines<br />
Open title<br />
Ryder Cup hero Victor Dubuisson will defend his<br />
Turkish Airlines Open from November 13-16, when<br />
the European Tour’s hottest new event returns to the<br />
stunning Montgomerie Maxx Royal.<br />
Being held for the second year in Turkey’s Antalya<br />
region, the tournament, which offers a prize fund<br />
of $7m, is the penultimate event of the European<br />
Tour’s lucrative Final Series. Frenchman Dubuisson<br />
will be joined by fellow 2014 Ryder Cup victors Lee<br />
Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer for<br />
what is set to be one of the year’s strongest fields.<br />
Two-time Major Champion John Daly will also<br />
compete alongside Montgomerie Maxx Royal golf<br />
course designer and eight-time European Tour Order<br />
of Merit victor Colin Montgomerie.<br />
Of the positive effect the event has had on Turkish<br />
golf, he said: “All of the organisations involved in<br />
the staging of this wonderful tournament have<br />
contributed to the recognition of not only Belek<br />
and Antalya but also the whole of Turkey. Everyone,<br />
including European Tour CEO George O’Grady,<br />
applauded last year’s tournament and we are<br />
again working hard to organise a perfect event with<br />
the help of our sponsors, particularly Turkish Airlines<br />
and Maxx Royal. The fact that we have so many<br />
of Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup players attending<br />
makes the tournament even more attractive.”<br />
Mehmet Ersoy, CEO of the ETStur, Maxx Royal Hotels<br />
and Voyage Hotels said his organization was very<br />
proud to host one of golf’s most prestigious events<br />
for the second time. Outlining improvements to<br />
both course and clubhouse ahead of the 2014<br />
tournament, he commented: “We had a flawless<br />
tournament after nine months of hard work last year<br />
and we are looking forward to proving the quality of<br />
the Montgomerie Maxx Royal one more time to our<br />
distinguished guests from different countries and the<br />
world’s best golfers.”<br />
With just under a month until play commences, the<br />
Director of Maxx Royal Golf Course, emphasized<br />
that the course is in immaculate condition, including<br />
an extension of the 3rd hole to 365m. “We have<br />
completed all of the preparations on the course and<br />
in the clubhouse. There is only the tournament left<br />
itself.”
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