England’s Matt Fitzpatrick is 16/1 to claim a second European Tour title after his win in the British Masters.
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With a closing 2-under-par 34-34=68 at Fanling on Sunday, Justin Rose edged out Lucas Bjerregaard by a shot to win the UBS Hong Kong Open. “I had a chance to win in Napa last week (at the Frys.com Open)”.
Ian Poulter, who made a last-minute journey from Orlando to play this week and maintain his European Tour membership, saw his chances of victory disappear with three bogeys in his last five holes and a 73 which left him 11 shots off the pace.
“I hung with him and what impressed me today was the couple of par saves that I had to make”.
Rose has had a great year and he had been one of the hottest golfers the past few months, but hadn’t done enough to hoist that trophy. When you separate yourself from the field like we did, it’s probably a tough one for him to lose. “But he didn’t lose it; just both of us played incredibly well”.
Joint leaders Bjerregaard and Rose streaked clear on moving day, posting rounds of seven-under and six-under respectively to give themselves a share of the lead on 15-under par.
World No7 Rose started the final day tied for the lead with 285th-ranked Bjerregaard, but a double bogey by the young Dane late in the round derailed his challenge in the US$2 million (HK$15.6 million) event. Rose remained patient even when he dropped a shot on the par-four ninth and Bjerregaard jumped into a two-shot lead with a birdie. In December’s Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa, Bjerregaard shot 89.
His round comprised five bogeys and two birdies.
“The first hole, I didn’t play the hole particularly well but made a nice 15-foot putt for par there and then eagling the third kind of got me up and running”.
“All the wrong things are going through my head at that point”.
“It was fun to battle with Justin these last two days”, he said.
Rose himself enjoyed a good day as he carded a round of 64 and the leading pair hold a four-shot advantage over the rest of the field heading into the final 18 holes, with Anirban Lahiri of India their closest rival on 11-under-par.
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RICHARD McEvoy will have to again come through Qualifying School if he is to retain his European Tour Card for next season. “I o bviously left myself a lot to do and it seems to bring out the best in me”.
