Date: April 27, 2009
Author: Sportal and PA Sport

Kelly triumphs in New Orleans

Jerry Kelly ended seven years without a victory when he captured the Zurich Classic of New Orleans by a single stroke last night. And afterwards the 42-year-old American said the best thing he heard from the crowd all day was two yells of &aposmiss it&apos as he stood over a putt. “I was not going to give them the satisfaction,” said Kelly after his one-stroke win over Charles Howell, Rory Sabbatini and Charlie Wi. “We are in the sporting world and you are going to hear everything. You had better suck up and do your job.” Three clear of the field overnight, Kelly found himself three behind with eight to play, but birdies at the 11th and 14th and four closing pars got the job done. However, that was only because Howell, having looked so good in playing the first 11 in six-under, bogeyed the 15th and 17th. “I don&apost know what to say,” commented the 29-year-old from Augusta. “I got myself to 15 (under par) and in position to do it, but I didn&apost finish it off.” “I would have loved to. I hit a lot of great shots, but I just wish I could have finished better.” Sabbatini, meanwhile, lipped out with an eagle chip on the 16th that would have put him in a tie for the lead, but then missed his three-footer for birdie and bogeyed the 17th. Two hundred events on from his last success – and just a week after taking a 10 and walking off the course when troubled by a dislocated rib and &aposflu – Kelly&aposs closing 71 gave him a 14-under-par total. “After the 10th it was not my tournament to lose. It was mine to go get – that was the mindset I took,” he added. Starting in third place, Australia&aposs Rod Pampling struggled his way to a one-over 73 and a tie for 13th place at eight-under. Greg Chalmers finished at six-under in 24th spot, one ahead of Jason Day (T32), with Aron Price and John Senden another shot back in a tie for 34th. Nathan Green (T49), Steve Allan (T59), Jarrod Lyle (T65) and Matt Jones (T70) all had disappointing final rounds to finish well down the leaderboard. On the Nationwide Tour, Australia&aposs Won Joon Lee finished in a tie for ninth place, six shots behind winner Garth Mulroy. Andrew Buckle and Gavin Coles were the only other two Aussies who made the cut and finished in 20th and 42nd place respectively. Meanwhile, on the European Tour Spain&aposs Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano is hoping for better luck on home soil next week after finishing up in second place for the third time in as many tournaments at the Ballantine&aposs Championship this week. The 28-year-old followed up second-placed finishes in Portugal and China with a runners-up spot at the co-sanctioned European and Asian Tour event at the Pinx Golf Club on Jeju Island after losing out to Thongchai Jaidee in a play-off. Five Australians finished in the top 30 with Terry Pilkadaris tied for 11th and Scott Barr and Brett Rumford sharing sharing 15th place. Rick Kulacz and Andrew Dodt finished in 24th and 27th spot respectively.