Date: August 26, 2013
Author: Omnisport

Tommy Fleetwood claims European Tour win

Englishman Tommy Fleetwood won the Johnnie Walker Championship after edging two rivals in a sudden-death play-off on Sunday. Fleetwood, 22, won his first European Tour title after seeing off the dual threat of Scotsman Stephen Gallacher and Argentinean Ricardo Gonzalez on the first play-off hole. The eventual winner carded a two-under 70 on the final day at The Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland, and held his nerve when it counted. An elated Fleetwood said afterwards: “The other two guys were a little unlucky with their putts and before you know it you have a four-footer for the win. “God knows how I made contact. It all seemed to unravel really quickly.” While Fleetwood and Gonzalez birdied the last hole, Gallacher produced a stunning eagle to enter the play-off with the momentum, after the trio were locked at an overall score of 18 under after four rounds. All three players hit the middle of the fairway with their tee shots, but it went awry for Gonzalez and Gallacher from there, who went long and hit the bunker respectively. Both still had an opportunity to sink putts to give them par, but missed, and Fleetwood tapped in from four feet to claim victory. Gallacher fired a round of 67 earlier, highlighted by two eagles, while Gonzalez hit six birdies in his 70. Tied for fourth and missing out on the play-off by one shot were Scotsman Scott Henry and Bernd Wiesberger of Austria. Henry also shot 67 for the day, while a late eagle helped Wiesberger to a score of 68. Argentinian Emiliano Grillo was one of three players tied in sixth after he finished with an excellent six-under 66 to finish at 16 under overall. Grillo, who hit seven birdies without error in the first 15 holes of the day, hit two late bogeys to rob him of higher honours. Australia&aposs Brett Rumford and England&aposs Paul Waring also tied for sixth, while Denmark&aposs Thorbjorn Olesen finished at 15 under and in outright ninth. Scottish pair Richie Ramsay and David Drysdale, Finland&aposs Mikko Korhonen and Irishman Shane Lowry were locked in a four-way tie for 10th.