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| European Tour |
Clément Sordet sealed a sensational maiden professional victory in just his fourth start in the paid ranks at the Northern Ireland Open in Association with Sphere Global and Ulster Bank after a dramatic finale in front of bumper crowds at Galgorm Castle.
The Frenchman fired four birdies and an eagle to card a five under par final round 67, completing a perfect start to his Challenge Tour career with a one-shot win over American John Hahn.
The 22 year old trailed by two going into round four but hit the front around the turn and never wavered with a flawless back nine to earn a 17 under total and become the second French winner on the Challenge Tour this year after his clubmate at Lyon Salvagny, Sebastien Gros.
“I honestly am living my dream,” he said. “I don’t even realise just yet that I even won, it feels amazing but I think it’s going to take time to sink in – maybe tonight or tomorrow when I wake up.
“With my caddie, we just did such a great job today and over the past three days as well. We kept the same strategy that had worked well for the first three rounds.
“I made some good putts and had three eagle putts, which shows I was playing good approaches, and holed one of them on the second which was a good start to the round.
“I played amazing golf, especially today, it felt like I didn’t make any mistakes out there, and it just feels amazing to win.
“I didn’t look at the leaderboards at all so I didn’t know where I was until I came off 17, where there’s such a big board you can’t ignore it!
“I then just thought I had to keep calm and make sure I hit it in the fairway on the last hole. I’d made a huge putt on 17, I’d rolled it a long way past but holed it for par coming back.
“At that point I was leading by two and I knew someone was going to make a birdie on the last, so I just had to make my par, so I took four iron off the tee, then five iron and wedge and two putts to make it safe.”
Sordet entered the professional ranks on the back of a glittering amateur career, winning six titles on the American collegiate circuit as a student at Texas Tech University and representing Europe in last year’s Palmer Cup.
Still, the Lyon native admitted he never expected to experience such immediate success, and was surprised with how he handled himself in front of the huge Northern Irish crowds.
“It’s only my fourth event as a professional, so to be in the winner’s circle already feels amazing,” he said. “I played really well last year at college in America and I think that helped get me ready for the Challenge Tour.
“In the US we play such hard courses that prepare you for professional golf really well – it’s not easier here, but you’re ready for this.
“I had a really good year out there last year and I won six times in college, so I have won before, but nothing compares to this.
“I’ve never seen that many people around the greens but I tried not to notice them too much. I loved it out there though, the atmosphere was unbelievable.
“If you’re not nervous out there you’re lying, but I was excited too. I was shaking a bit but I just tried to stay patient and do what I’ve been doing for so many years.”
Hahn also shot a fine 66 on a dramatic afternoon, including a birdie-birdie finish, to take second place on his own ahead of Ricardo Gouveia and Daan Huizing.
Road to Oman Rankings leader Gouveia made eight birdies in his final round, but three bogeys prevented the Portuguese taking a second victory of the season.
Dutchman Huizing, the inaugural winner of this event in 2013, also finished with a 66 to share third place, a highlight for him coming when he almost made a hole in one on the par three seventh hole.
Overnight leaders Emilio Cuartero Blanco and Niall Turner struggled with expectation, though the Spaniard’s eagle on the 18th gave him a tie for eighth place after a 72, Irishman Turner one shot further back and 12th on his own.
The Northern Irish faithful were again out in force, with 39,202 attending over the course of the week, and they will have been heartened by one of their own, Chris Selfridge, who finished in a tie for 16th after a final round of 70.
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