Wiesberger Impressive Maiden Winner

A master class from Bernd Wiesberger brought the first European Tour title at the Ballantine’s Championship for the Austrian as he cruised to a five shot victory.

Five clear overnight after consecutive course-record rounds of 65, the 26 year old was coolness personified as he compiled a closing round of 68.

Twice a runner-up on The European Tour last season, there was never any danger of Wiesberger missing out this time as he played his final 59 holes without dropping a shot at Blackstone Golf Club.

Paul McGinley finished nine shots adrift of the winner after a final two under par round of 70, leaving the Dubliner securing a four way share of 7th p[lace with Ross Fisher, Felipe Aguilar and Alexander Noren.

A good weeks' work having also equalled the course record on Saturday.

Australian Marcus Fraser was first to try and challenge Wiesberger, trimming his advantage to four with a 30 foot birdie putt at the third.

But Wiesberger, a runner-up in Scotland and South Africa last season, responded with a pitch to six feet at the long fifth for a first gain of the day after opening with four consecutive pars.

Four further pars saw Wiesberger turn in 35 and still five clear, and he clocked up five further pars as Richie Ramsay came charging from the pack.

The Scot hit his tee shot to five feet at the 16th for his sixth birdie of the day to close the gap to three, but that was as close as anyone got to Wiesberger.

The two-time Challenge Tour winner responded with a glorious pitch at the par five 15th to eight feet, holed a 20 footer at the 16th and drained a 15 foot birdie putt at the last for good measure to finish with an 18 under par total.

“I just tried to enjoy it and I had the three best rounds of my life,” said Wiesberger. “I tried not to make bogeys and I did that pretty well, it was awesome. 

“My game plan was to hit as many greens as possible and try to make putts, and they dropped in the end.

“I didn’t get nervous, I had three or four shots. There was a pretty shaky moment at 12 but I made a great chip and a putt for par, but I just tried to enjoy it the last three or four holes in.

“I fly home tonight, I’m pretty sure I’ll have a shot of Ballantine’s in the Emirates lounge. I'm going to bring back a couple of bottles of Ballantine's so they will be opened, I'm sure."

Ramsay birdied the last to finish second on 13 under after a 65, two ahead of Fraser and France’s first-round leader Victor Dubuisson.

“I'm really, really pleased with the round, it's been fantastic,” said former South African Open Champion Ramsay. “You never want to lose - being a golfer, we always want to be the one that wins - but Bernd has played fantastically well out there. 

“Obviously the fact that he's a really nice guy - I played with him a few times on The Challenge Tour - and he's a top-class guy. If you're going to get beat by somebody, it might as well be Bernd because he's a good guy.

“Ballantine's has done a fantastic event here. The sponsorship has been brilliant, the tournament has been run fantastically well, and it's great to come here and obviously there's a lot of people out here today which makes it good to hit some nice shots.

“All in all it's been a great week and I felt that it had been coming and it's nice to just put a number on the board.” 

Fraser, who won this event on Jeju Island in 2010, played some beautiful golf from tee to green but, as in his third round, struggled to get his putter going as he signed for a 70.

“I think I made just six birdies for the weekend,” said the 33 year old. “It’s frustrating - I had a lot of chances yesterday and a few chances today but didn't take them. 

“I think I played the par fives in one under for the weekend. I’m going to finish seven shots behind, and with the par fives, that's the majority of it right there. To finish third in a European Tour event is never a bad thing, but it’s still frustrating.

“I said to Bernd: ‘get used to that because you're going to do that quite a bit’. He's as impressive a golfer as I've ever seen. 

“If he keeps working on the right things and doing what he's doing, he's obviously got a great support team around him and he can go onto do whatever he wants. 

“A guy that size and hits it that far and still putts unbelievably, you don't see that too often. He's got massive things ahead of him and I wish him all the best. He's an absolute gentleman on the course, it was great fun being out there and watching it.” 

Shane Lowry finished  in a tie for 32nd place on four under par overall, after signing for a 70 on Sunday.

Gareth Maybin was one under par ending the weekend on 2 under.

Damien McGrane struggled again on the last day finishing with a two over par 74 for a +3 finish overall.

Paul M

McGinley 65 Still Not Enough

 

Paul McGinley put together a spectacular run of birdies to move to within a shot of the lead during the third round of the Ballantine’s Championship. The former Ryder Cup hero, who won the last of his four European Tour titles back in 2005, started with five birdies in his first six holes at Blackstone Golf Club.

He added another again at the 12th, and then at the 18th to sign for a third round 65 and 7 under for the tournament.

But it was Bernd Wiesberger who again took complete control after a second consecutive 65  at the Blackstone Golf Club. One clear of 2010 champion Marcus Fraser overnight, Wiesberger matched his own course record to reach 14 under par.

“I think that's what we call a great day at the office,” the Austrian said afterwards. “It was fun out there. It was nice conditions again like yesterday, and really nice set up for the course. I enjoyed myself out there, made a lot of putts and that was the key to another perfect day.” 

A 15 footer for birdie at the fourth and a five foot putt at the sixth kept him ahead on the front nine, and he forged clear with a spectacular inward 31.

The 26 year old barely missed a putt after the turn, holing a 12 footer for birdie at the tenth, converting from ten feet for another gain at the 12th, then preventing a first dropped shot in 36 holes by saving par from 15 feet at the 13th.

That was followed by a brilliant downhill 20 footer for birdie at the 14th, and Wiesberger displayed his all-round talents with a tee shot to two feet at the 16th and a chip to within a foot at the last.“Out there on the greens I really felt like I saw the lines perfectly today and I putted the ball nicely,” added Wiesberger, who won twice on The Challenge Tour in 2010 and was a runner-up twice on The European Tour last year. 

“It feels like I'm getting into position more often, and played well when I was in those positions in the last half of the year last year. It was a good preparation the last two years, and I hope it pays off tomorrow.”

Australian Fraser played some fine golf in his 69, but in contrast to his playing partner struggled to get the putter going and now has five shots to make up in the final round.

Chile’s Felipe Aguilar (68) and England’s Oliver Fisher (67) share third on eight under, with Ryder Cup veterans Miguel Angel Jiménez and Paul McGinley a shot further back.

But they will all need something special to catch Wiesberger and Fraser certainly feels it will be difficult to stop the runaway leader claiming his first European Tour title.

“I felt really comfortable out there, hit a lot of good shots inside 20 feet, and just couldn't get anything going,” said the 33 year old.

“I hit putts where I was wanting to hit them, but they just weren't taking the break. 

“I felt like I was playing chase out there most of the day and trying to keep up. Bernd is playing great - so much game and definitely a star of The European Tour to come. He's obviously a great player now but he's got big things in front of him, that's for sure. 

“It reflects the way he's playing. He played great here and gives himself a chance on every hole and he's a great putter, as well. 

“If I was a betting man, I would put the house on him. He's just played so well and looks very comfortable.”

Shane Lowry signed for a third round 70 and share of 29th place on 2 under par.

Gareth Maybin was one strike further back with an improved 67 on day three.

Damien McGrane was 2 over par overall after Saturday's round of 73.