“I had a good chance to win both tournaments on the back nine”.
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Nicolas Colsaerts twice shared the lead with former Ryder Cup partner Lawrie after two early birdies but ran up a triple-bogey seven on the 14th when his attempted recovery shot from a sandy waste area hit a tree and bounced back into a bush.
Grace displayed coolness under pressure in blustery conditions on the final day at Doha, firing a composed three-under 69 to claim a two-shot win and become the first man to successfully defend the title since the tournament was launched in 1998.
Scotsman Lawrie had cut an increasingly frustrated figure towards the end of his round especially after he failed to convert a birdie chance at the par three 17th, following a fine tee shot. In Qatar, he began the day three behind but got within one shot after a birdie at the 2nd.
“I believe it’s going to happen, whether it’s maybe after this week or after the next tournament I play”.
“Branden Grace is obviously defending champion, won here before and well up the World Rankings. It’s going to be a different challenge tomorrow but I’m looking forward to it. Every week that we play, the job is to get in contention with nine holes to play and hopefully I can do that on the front nine tomorrow”, said Lawrie.
Both Grace and Lawrie dropped shots on the fifth after failing to get up and down from over the green in the windy conditions, allowing Olesen to join Lawrie in the lead after his birdie on the previous hole.
“I’m pretty much at a loss for words”, he added. I didn’t really think I left any out there, so four under was a great score. “I’m just glad with the type of golf I’m playing and that I’m giving myself a shot at retaining the trophy” said Grace a six-time European Tour victor.
Grace took last year’s title with a score of 19 under.
Conditions on Friday were probably the toughest of the week so far and temperatures hovered around 15 degrees celsius (59) fahrenheit, with the strong wind making it feel colder.
Saturday’s alright for winnin’ for Branden Grace.
Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood are a further shot behind on 10 under par.
English duo Lee Slattery (69) and Andrew Johnston (72) were among five players at nine-under, while six players sat at eight-under, meaning Lawrie has a huge chasing pack behind him as he seeks to become the tournament’s first three-time victor and oldest champion.
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Englishman Richard Bland, who is five strokes behind leader Lawrie, recorded the lowest round of the day with an impressive 67.
