|
 |
News |
 |
|
| |
Email this article |
 Printer Friendly Version
|
| |
Dubai looms for Drysdale after strong Madrid finish
|
| |
10.12.2009 |
| |
|
| |
| |
DAVID Drysdale has virtually secured his place in the season-ending Dubai World Championship after finishing third behind Ross McGowan in the Madrid Masters.
Drysdale, the joint halfway leader with Sergio Garcia, outscored the Spaniard, his playing partner, by two shots with a third-round 69 only to find himself eight shots off the pace going into the final 18 holes after McGowan had stormed clear following a 60 on Saturday.
McGowan, a 27-year-old from Surrey, saw his big advantage cut to only two by Finn Mikko Ilonen with four to play but a ten-foot birdie putt at the 15th eased his worries about blowing the biggest lead of the season.
Even then, McGowan was lucky on the par-5 last when his second shot was pulled and finished on wooden sleepers just above the lake. He was able to save par and closed with a one-under-par 71 to collect the £227,014 first prize with a 25-under-par total of 263.
Ilonen, who won the Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool in 2000, finished three shots back in second after a closing 66, finishing one shot ahead of Drysdale, who signed off with a 67.
Drysdale's second top-three finish of the season – he was second behind Soren Kjeldsen in the Andalucian Open in March – has moved him up to 40th on the money list and also secured a place in this week's Portugal Masters. "I played well all week and hopefully this cheque will be enough to secure my place in the top 60 in the Race to Dubai," said the 34-year-old before jumping on a plane to the Algarve. "If not, I'll have another chance this week as I believe the prize-money in Portugal is double what it was in Madrid."
Drysdale's latest good performance was another sign of encouragement for Scottish golf after Richie Ramsay finished joint-fourth in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last Monday to secure his card for next season.
McGowan, a former English amateur champion, was sixth at St Andrews and now lies second in the Ryder Cup race after capturing his first European Tour title. "I came here this week in form and it's lovely to come away with the trophy," he said. "Once I saw where some of the pins were it was a lot trickier and my game-plan was to hit as many greens as I could.
"It means a lot to win – that's another goal out of the way and hopefully I can progress and move on to bigger things."
Ilonen started the week down in 159th place, but has now moved well inside the top 115 who keep their cards for next season. After finding himself 12 adrift following an opening 74, he had rounds of 63, 63 and 66.
McGowan will remember his Saturday 60 for as long as he plays, although it does not count as a Tour record-equalling round because placing was allowed on the wet fairways all week. At 24 under with a round to go he was one better than the all-time Tour record after 54 holes and Ernie Els' record final total of 29 under looked on. But the day was all about securing his maiden victory really and, in a shaky start, bogeys at the first and fourth gave the chasing pack hope.
A seven-foot putt on the long fifth appeared vital and, by adding further birdies at the sixth and ninth, the gap was back up to six. Still, he three-putted the 11th while Ilonen birdied the tenth, 12th and 15th.
In February, McGowan had lost the Johnnie Walker Classic in Australia from two ahead with six to play, but he kept his nerve this time.
|
| |
Source:sport.scotsman.com |
news |
| |
Email this article | Printer Friendly Version |
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
| Current Events |
 |
|
| DubaiGetaway |
 |
|
| Featured Links |
| |
|
|
|
