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<strong>ON</strong><br />
<strong>TOUR</strong>
WESTWOOD claims<br />
second Thailand Golf<br />
Championship<br />
Lee Westwood claimed a unique Thailand Golf Championship<br />
double when he staged a fabulous fight back with a final round fiveunder-par<br />
67 to win the US$1 million Asian Tour event on Sunday.<br />
The former world number one won the inaugural edition in 2011 and<br />
made it another victory to remember by signing off with a four-day<br />
total of eight-under-par 280 at the Amata Spring Country Club.<br />
Overnight leader Marcus Fraser of Australia and Germany’s Martin<br />
Kaymer had their chances to force extra-time with Westwood but fell<br />
just short on the 72nd hole and settled for a share of second place<br />
one shot behind.<br />
India’s Anirban Lahiri did not get the win he wanted as he signed<br />
off with a 73 to share sixth place with Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee<br />
and American Jonathan Moore at the Thai showpiece. The 27-yearold,<br />
however, earned a well-deserved place at the 144th Open<br />
at St. Andrews in 2015 as one of the top four players who were not<br />
otherwise exempted from the world’s oldest Major.<br />
Westwood was delighted with his win as he overcame intense<br />
pressure to lift the prestigious title again. ‘When I won the Thailand<br />
Golf Championship in 2011, I had a pretty big lead. But this win is<br />
obviously very special as it was a very tight day out there and I<br />
didn’t get off to the best of starts and I had lots of work to do,’ said<br />
Westwood.<br />
Starting the round two shots back of Fraser, Westwood seemed<br />
to have fallen out of the equation when he opened with two<br />
successive bogeys. But the Englishman showed his mettle with a<br />
stunning comeback where he fired four straight birdies starting from<br />
the par-four sixth hole. He continued his amazing birdie blitz by<br />
marking his card with more red numbers on holes 11, 14 and 15 to<br />
seal his second title.<br />
‘My caddy, Billy told me there were opportunities to pick some<br />
shots up in the middle of the round after I made those two bogeys.<br />
I did that and didn’t drop any more shots and gave myself lots of<br />
chances,’ said Westwood.<br />
‘This is my last event of the year and it’s nice to finish with a win and<br />
go into Christmas and start the New Year with confidence. I know<br />
what I’ve got to work on and I’ll be doing that over the next six<br />
weeks before the season 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<br />
DP World Tour Championship. The Swede carded a closing 70 at Jumeirah Golf Estates to finish 16-under-par, two shots<br />
ahead of World Number One Rory McIlroy and fellow Ryder Cuppers Justin Rose and Victor Dubuisson. Victory also<br />
assured him of second spot behind McIlroy in the Race to Dubai and second in the world rankings: ‘It would be nice<br />
to have been ranked the world’s best at some point,’ said Stenson. ‘But if I had the choice I would go for a Major<br />
Championship so I am going to try and be in good 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<br />
and par three 17th when he found water on both occasions. McIlroy and Rose closed on 14-under after agonisingly<br />
missing near-identical putts for birdie on 18. Stenson was on the same number after 16 holes before a brilliant iron at the<br />
par three left a tap-in 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<br />
nine. I did not 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<br />
something to happen. I had a couple of close calls this year to get my win and it was not to be. It’s been close but<br />
eventually you get something if you 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.<br />
‘I 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> to defend<br />
Turkish Airlines Open title<br />
Ryder Cup hero Victor Dubuisson will defend his Turkish Airlines Open from<br />
November 13-16, when 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 region, the tournament,<br />
which offers a prize fund of $7m, is the penultimate event of the European<br />
Tour’s lucrative Final Series.<br />
Frenchman Dubuisson will be joined by fellow 2014 Ryder Cup victors Lee<br />
Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer for what is set to be one of the<br />
year’s strongest fields.<br />
Two-time Major Champion John Daly will also compete alongside<br />
Montgomerie Maxx Royal golf course designer and eight-time European Tour<br />
Order of Merit victor Colin Montgomerie.<br />
Of the positive effect the event has had on Turkish golf, he said: “All of the<br />
organisations involved in the staging of this wonderful tournament have<br />
contributed to the recognition of not only Belek and Antalya but also the<br />
whole of Turkey. Everyone, including European Tour CEO George O’Grady,<br />
applauded last year’s tournament and we are again working hard to<br />
organise a perfect event with the help of our sponsors, particularly Turkish<br />
Airlines and Maxx Royal. The fact that we have so many of Europe’s victorious<br />
Ryder Cup players attending makes the tournament even more attractive.”<br />
Mehmet Ersoy, CEO of the ETStur, Maxx Royal Hotels and Voyage Hotels said<br />
his organization was very proud to host one of golf’s most prestigious events<br />
for the second time.<br />
Outlining improvements to both course and clubhouse ahead of the 2014<br />
tournament, he commented: “We had a flawless tournament after nine<br />
months of hard work last year and we are looking forward to proving the<br />
quality of the Montgomerie Maxx Royal one more time to our distinguished<br />
guests from different countries and the world’s best golfers.”<br />
With just under a month until play commences, the Director of Maxx Royal<br />
Golf Course, emphasized that the course is in immaculate condition,<br />
including an extension of the 3rd hole to 365m. “We have completed all<br />
of the preparations on the course and in the clubhouse. There is only the<br />
tournament left itself.”