Thornton Slips Out of Race

Getty Images

Simon Thornton carded a level par round of 71 in the final round of the Portugal Masters and slipped out of contention after holding a share of lead at the start of the day in Vilamoura.  A bright start with a birdie on the second, then saw Thornton gave it up at the third, only to repeat the pattern again before making the turn level.

 

Then birdies on 12 and 15 were given back with consecutive dropped shots on 15 and 16 to leave the former Royal County Down Assistant Professional unable to break away from a cluttered leaderboard -  settling for share of eighth place.

It was David Lynn who fired the magic  to come from six shots back to snatch victory with an inspired final round 63 at Oceânico Victoria Golf Course.

A week after being laid low by a virus at the Seve Trophy by Golf+, where he was swiftly dispatched 6 and 4 by Miguel Angel Jiménez in the Sunday singles as Continental Europe beat Great Britain & Ireland, Lynn had completely contrasting emotions in the Algarve as his 18 under par total saw him finish a shot clear of Justin Walters.

Lynn’s second European Tour title sees him climb back into the Official World Golf Ranking's top 50 a week before his 40th birthday.

The former US PGA Championship runner-up, whose only previous win in almost 400 events came in the KLM Open in 2004, charged into contention with five birdies in a front nine of 30 and, after a bogey at the tenth, picked up further shots at the 11th, 14th, 15th and 17th to set a clubhouse target that was never matched.

An emotional Walters, who began the week 126th in the Race to Dubai, holed a 40 foot par putt on the 18th to claim outright second on 17 under and secure his card for next season, the South African breaking down in tears following the death of his mother two weeks ago.

Lynn, who struggled to a 73 on Saturday, said: "I was really disappointed when I walked off the course yesterday, I just didn't hole any putts and made seven at 17 and thought maybe I had played myself out of it.

"Today was just a case of I've got to go out there and make as many birdies as I can. I must admit I was thinking of Scott Jamieson's 60 (in the third round). If I could do something like that, who knows? The wind was up quite a bit today so eight under is a really good score.

"I really caught fire on the front nine, I was making everything I looked at, although I hit it to one foot at the first which got me off to a really good start. After that I made a couple of great putts for par to keep the momentum going and then I was making the birdie putts."

Lynn - who began the week 52nd in the Official World Golf Ranking - held a two shot lead playing the last but admitted his heart was in his mouth as his approach looked set to find the water short of the green. It ended up clearing the hazard by a matter of feet and two putts later he had completed what proved to be the winning round.

Austria's Bernd Wiesberger had been just one behind with two to play but found the water with his second shot to the 17th, where playing partner Walters made his fourth birdie in a row to move to 17 under.

Walters looked certain to drop a shot on the last after finding a fairway bunker with his tee shot, but holed a massive par putt and punched the air in delight before the tears began to flow.

"I don't know if I can talk much right now," the 32 year old from Johannesburg said. "Coming into the week I really didn't have any goals or ambitions, I just wanted to play and honour my mum and make her proud.

"The putts kept dropping and I kept hitting some decent shots and the last one at the end, she made it for sure. It was probably the best moment of my career. It was so cool because I had a lot on the line.

"I hadn't looked at a leaderboard all day so didn't know where I stood in terms of keeping my card and for it to go in on the last, all the emotions hit me.

"I don't think I have the words for it just yet. Maybe after a drink with my dad who is here with me we can fully take it all in, but at first glance I don't know how I did it. I am super proud and so happy I could honour my mum. That feels the best for me right now."

England's Paul Waring held a two shot lead going into the final round but saw his hopes disappear with a double-bogey five on the 16th, although birdies on the last two holes gave him a share of third with Scot Stephen Gallacher (66) and Wiesberger (67).

Scott Jamieson, who came agonisingly close to the first ever 59 on The European Tour on Saturday, led by one when he birdied the second and fifth, but dropped three shots in four holes from the 14th to card a closing 72 and finish joint 13th.

Paul McGinley finished in share of 51st after a final round of 71.

David Higgins was 57th.

Related articles

• 49-year-old Woody Austin wins Sanderson Farms
• Thornton Second in Portugal
• Staunton Storms Leaderboard
• Staunton Joins PGA Leaders
• Jamieson's round of 60 ties European Tour record
• Webb Simpson ties course record with 64 at PGA

Second Spot for Clarke

OneAsia

Darren Clarke carded a level par round 72 to lose out on his first victory since claiming the Open Championship at Royal St George's in 2011, and seemed to be cruising to the title until missing a three footer on the 13th green at the Nanshan China Masters on Sunday.

Charl Schwartzel dug deep for a four-under-par 68 and claimed the event a stroke from fellow Team ISM stablemate and defending champion Liang Wenchong - also on 72.

Two behind Clarke and Liang overnight, Schwartzel birdied the 15th and 16th to draw level with the Northern Irishman, who saw the OneAsia title slip from his grasp with a loose tee shot on the par-three 17th that lead to a bogey.

Schwartzel finished nine under for the tournament around the 6,784-metre (7,419-yard) Montgomerie Course at Nanshan International Golf Club despite complaining that he hadn't struck the ball well all week.

"It's always very satisfying to win," said the 2011 U.S. Masters champion. "I've played a lot of golf tournaments and done a lot of traveling in the past few months and it felt like I've been playing really good golf with no results, so it's nice to have something finally go your way."

Both Liang and Clarke had the chance to force a playoff on the 18th, but the hole had yielded only one birdie all day and the pair saw their attempts come up short.

"I knew I had to a make a birdie on the last but it was a delicate putt," said Liang, a four-time winner on OneAsia who ended a two-year title drought with victory here last year.

"Still, the Nanshan China Masters is my Major -- one of the most important wins in my career -- and a good platform for younger China players."

Australian Rhein Gibson, a graduate of OneAsia's Q-School in California earlier this year, shot an excellent 69 to share fourth place at six under with countryman Scott Strange (72), New Zealander Mark Brown (70), Indonesia's Rory Hie (70) and Kwon Sung-yeol (72) of Korea.

The round of the day belonged to Australian Ryan Haller who sank a monster 60-foot putt for an eagle on the par-five 15th en-route to a 67 and a share of ninth.

Schwartzel said he drew on memories of his 2011 Major victory during the final round.

"I won the U.S. Masters from four shots behind and I won by two shots," he said.

"I never thought I was out of it, for any second. It's a matter of staying in there, hitting good golf shots and controlling your own destiny."

He had some words of comfort for International Sports Management stablemate Clarke.

"Darren has been one of my idols. I've always looked up to him and he has been fantastic to me. I regard him as one of the best wind players when conditions are bad, and he has taught me so many of those shots. I hope it didn't work against him this week.

"Darren also hasn't played very well this year, so it's nice to see him compete this week. It's never nice to lose -- I know the feeling -- but I know he can take a lot of positives from his performance this week."

Darren Clarke said afterwards: "I'm obviously disappointed with the day -- it was another one of those days on the greens again where I couldn't buy a putt from anywhere," he said.

He still had a share of the lead on the 17th until finding the thick fringe of a greenside bunker.

"It was horrible. It couldn't have got any worse," he said, after hacking it out and missing the par putt. "Still, that's golf and they've got a very good winner here, a fantastic winner, and that's the way it is. It's like that sometimes, unfortunately. "

OneAsia heads to Seoul next week for the Kolon Korea Open from October 17 -20 with world number four Rory McIlroy the star attraction.

Related articles

• Schwartzel wins in China after late Clarke slip
• Clarke Shares Nanshan Lead
• Clarke Contends in China
• Darren Clarke in Nanshan
• Schwartzel calmly wins China Masters
• Lefty claims a trophy he thought might elude him

Staunton Storms Leaderboard

European Tour

Mark Staunton stormed up the leader board on the back nine, during the third round of the Cassidy Golf Irish PGA Championship, at Roganstown, as Michael McDermott came tumbling down with the two players colliding at six-under-par 207 and sharing the lead, going into today’s final action.

Over the front nine yesterday, McDermott, who set a course record 65 in his opening salvo on Thursday, skated to a tournament nine-under with a quad of birdies from the second hole and he pencilled in another at the long 10th to be well clear of the field but then the wheels came off.

The Leopardstown player bogeyed 14 and 16 and lost two strokes at the last for a round of 69 and a total of 207.

Meanwhile, Ballinasloe pro Staunton produced steady stuff to cover the outward run in regulation 35 and then turned on the powerplay on the way home. Birdies at 10 and 11 sent him to six under and he swapped bogey five at 13 for birdie four at 18 to leap into a share of the overnight lead with McDermott.

Three players are biting at the heels of the leaders with Damian Mooney, Cian McNamara and Michael McGeady sharing 208, just a stroke back.

Mooney began the day at level 142 but sparkled with birdies at three, four, seven and eight for a four-under-31 to the turn. He added other birdies at 10 and 18 but dropped a shot at 17 for a round of 66, the best of the day.

McNamara also sped up the leaderboard with a four-birdie, one-bogey 68 while McGeady made it a threesome, one stroke behind the leaders, with a three-birdie, two-bogey 70.

A shootout today to decide the title, vacated by 2012 winner David Higgins, looks a distinct possibility.

History-maker Hazel Kavanagh (Carr Golf Services), the first woman to make the cut, kept the female flag flying high as she posted a one-over-par 72, yesterday, to move up the leader board, after making the cut on the margin on Friday evening.

Her score would have been much better yesterday, too, had she not pencilled in a triple-bogey six at the ninth hole. She birdied the par four third and long holes 10 and 18 but also dropped a shot at par four 11 to card a one-over-72, leaving her at 11-over after 54 holes.

Related articles

• Staunton Joins PGA Leaders
• McDermott Leads Irish PGA
• Thornton Second in Portugal
• Portuguese Masters: Scott Jamieson watches in agony as his birdie shot falls short and costs him a tour record score of 59
• Webb Simpson ties course record with 64 at PGA
• Tom Pernice Jr. wins 3M Championship

Thornton Second in Portugal

Getty Images

Simon Thornton dropped just one shot on his way to a six under par third round 65 at the Portugal Masters on Saturday, to retain a two share of second place with South African Otto Hennie at the Oceanico Victoria Golf Club in Vilamoura. 

Paul Waring will take a two shot lead into the final round, as Scotland's Scott Jamieson coming agonisingly close to recording the first 59 on The European Tour.

Jamieson charged into contention with 11 birdies in the first 17 holes of his third round at Oceânico Victoria Golf Course, and needed another on the last of the par 71 layout to break the magical 60 barrier.

However, his approach ran just over the green and his chip from around 15 feet grazed the edge of the hole, the 29 year old sinking to his knees before tapping in for par.

Jamieson had to settle for the 18th round of 60 in European Tour history and the second this season after American Peter Uihlein's 12 under round at Kingsbarns during the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Having only made the halfway cut by one shot, Jamieson found himself in the clubhouse lead on 14 under just as overnight leaders Waring, David Lynn and Hennie Otto were heading to the first tee at 12 under.

And only Waring was able to overhaul Jamieson's total, the Englishman recovering from a shaky start to card a 67 and claim a two shot lead as he seeks his first European Tour title.

Jamieson actually shot a round of 57 before winning his first European Tour title in a play-off for the Nelson Mandela Championship in South Africa last December, but that was in a tournament cut to 36 holes and on a Royal Durban course reduced to a par 65 because of saturated fairways.

He said: "I said to Richard (his caddie) playing 17 I really want to make a birdie here so we have a chance of it going down the last and I could not have asked to hit a better shot in. It pitched just short of the hole...what a chip as well!

"When I birdied the 13th I said to Richard, 'a few more and we could be part of history'. I was definitely nervous but thinking about it from the tournament point of view the leaders are going to be a minimum of 16, 17 maybe 18 under going into tomorrow so that kept me going from a pushing point of view."

Jamieson, who carded an opening 66 but struggled to a 73 on Friday, added: "I played really well the first day and got nothing out of it. I was five under par but the longest putt I holed was maybe eight feet for par on one hole.

"I felt like I have been playing well for a while - there have been a few good rounds in there. Yesterday I didn't necessarily play poorly, I just didn't score well so it was nice today."

Waring, who is playing on a medical extension this season after an operation on a serious wrist injury, looked to be drifting out of contention when he bogeyed the par five fifth and then fired his approach to the ninth over the green.

But the 28 year old promptly chipped in for an unlikely birdie and collected four more on the back nine to move two shots clear of Jamieson, playing partner Hennie Otto, Ireland's Simon Thornton and Welshman Jamie Donaldson.

"It was very good towards the end of the round," said Waring, who enjoyed the first top five finish of his European Tour career at the Open de España in April and has had three more top tens since.

"I started a bit poorly and didn't quite hit it close enough but holed some nice putts towards the end of the day. I feel pretty good, two ahead, so we will see what happens tomorrow."

Asked if he was ready to claim a maiden victory on Sunday, Waring added: "I can't really say. You don't know what's going to happen with the other lads, what anyone else is going to score. You can't control those sorts of things.

"All I can do is control what I can control and add them up at the end of the day and see what happens."

On a crowded leaderboard, Scotland's Chris Doak was three off the lead after dropping his first shot of the week on the 18th, the 35 year old looking to climb from 112th on The Race to Dubai into the top 110 to keep his card for next season.

Related articles

• Jamieson cards 60 at Portugal Masters
• Jamieson's agony as 59 slips away
• Jamieson's round of 60 ties European Tour record
• Five Cut in Vilamoura
• Jamieson cards 60 at Portugal Masters
• Wiebe beats Langer to win Senior British Open

Clarke Shares Nanshan Lead

Getty Images

Darren Clarke, seeking his first win since lifting the Claret Jug at Royal St George's in 2011, fired a four-under-par 68 on Saturday to grab a share of the lead with home favourite and defending champion Liang Wenchong (70) after three rounds of OneAsia's U.S. $1 million Nanshan China Masters.

The pair are eight under around the 6,784-metre (7,419-yard) Montgomerie Course at Nanshan International Golf Club, two clear of Australian Scott Strange (69), Korean newcomer Kwon Sung-yeol (67) and up-and-coming China star Zhang Xinjun (72).

South African Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 U.S. Masters champion, is a shot further back after going four under on Saturday, alongside Australian Terry Pilkadaris (70) and New Zealander Gareth Paddison (73).

Clarke, 45, has not won since beating Americans Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson by a stroke to claim his first Major, but he remains as hungry as ever for titles.

"There is pressure in any event -- it doesn't matter whether it's the Open Championship or here at the Nanshan China Masters," he said after starting the day two shots behind overnight leaders Liang, Zhang and Paddison.

"I've practised really hard these last couple of years since I've won the Open and just not been able to get the scores. Obviously I'd be delighted to win tomorrow, but there's 18 holes of golf to go and a lot of talent there or thereabouts at the top of the leader board."

Liang ended a two-year-victory drought of his own in claiming last year's tournament -- beating Major winner Y.E. Yang in a thrilling sudden-death play-off that went to five holes -- and the four-time OneAsia champion will not give-up his title without a fight. 

"He is a very respected player and as the local I'm ready to face his challenge and will try my best to play well," said Liang.

The surprise package of the third round came in the form of Kwon, playing in his first OneAsia event after finishing 20th at Q-School in January.

The 27-year-old, a close friend of his more illustrious countrymen Bae Sang-moon and Kim Kyung-tae, has not yet matched his amateur talent in the professional ranks, a journey interrupted by nearly two years of national service that only ended in December.

"It's my first time to visit China and also my first OneAsia event, but I am calm and stable," he said. "When I was doing my national service, I was really thirsty for golf. That is what has motivated me in Korea this year."

Schwartzel continues to be frustrated by his ball striking despite his best round of the tournament and says he will dig deep for inspiration.

"To have these sort of weeks frustrates me a lot because I know I can play a lot better -- especially on a golf course like this where you should be a lot more under par," he said.

"On the brighter side, at least I'm not far behind. We all know the game and sometimes it changes overnight so hopefully I can find something that will get me through tomorrow and let me hit the ball the way I know I can and at least give Darren a run."

Korean Kim Bi-o, winner of the inaugural Nanshan China Masters in 2011 and the reigning Order of Merit champion, is four over for the tournament after shooting a 74, while first-round leader Eric Mina, top of the class at OneAsia's Q-School in California in January, is two strokes better off.

Related articles

• Par for Clarke in Nanshan
• Clarke Contends in China
• Darren Clarke in Nanshan
• Clarke, Liang on top at China Masters
• Mina in early lead at China Masters golf
• Clarke shares lead at China Masters