Date: June 22, 2009
Author: PA Sport

Aussie Barnes fourth in China

Australian Kurt Barnes has finished fourth behind Thaworn Wiratchant who set a new record for a winning total on the Omega China Tour with a final score of 20-under at the inaugural Dongfeng Nissan Teana Open in Anji. Barnes, who led the field after the first two days, shot a 71 to finish at 15-under-par, five strokes behind the 42-year-old Thai who fired a final-round five-under-par 67 at the Anji King Valley Country Club in Zhejiang province. Thaworn was a stroke ahead of 18-year-old Korean Eom Jae-woong, who birdied the last to card a 68. China&aposs Li Chao shot a blistering 65 to claim third on 17-under on a day when play was suspended for two hours during the final round. Barnes was four behind Thaworn and two behind Eom when he tried to drive the green on the 426-yard par-four 17th, but only found thick rough on a bank in front of the putting surface. Three hacks later and he was on the green, two-putting for a double-bogey. A birdie at the par-five 18th gave him fourth outright. Meanwhile Christian Nilsson stormed to the Saint-Omer Open title with a six-stroke victory in northern France. The Swede went one better than his runner-up finish last year as a final bogey-free round of 69 left him 13-under for the tournament and earned him his first European Tour triumph. Nilsson, who held a four-shot lead after the third round, held off Portugal&aposs Jose-Filipe Lima who finished second on seven-under thanks to a three-under 68 on Sunday. Four players, including Englishman Richard McEvoy after an excellent final-round 67, tied for third on three-under. Aussie Andrew Tampion finished tied for seventh at two-under, while compatriot Kane Webber was a stroke further back after a closing 68 and Wade Ormsby fell to even-par after a four-over 75. On the Nationwide Tour, Australians Gavin Coles and Andrew Buckle, and Kiwi Phil Tataurangi, all had top-10 finishes at the Fort Smith Classic. Coles carded a closing three-under 67 to finish in a share of third place at 14-under overall, while Tataurangi was at 12-under in a tie for eighth place. Buckle finished in outright 10th. American Jason Enloe won the tournament after beating compatriot Chris Tidland in a play-off.