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Thomas Bjorn

Bjorn wins European Masters in playoff



Denmark's Thomas Bjorn birdied the first extra play-off hole to capture his second European Masters title in three years on Sunday after coming back from two shots down in the final round.

At the weather-hit mountain course at Crans Montana, Bjorn holed a 12 foot putt to defeat Scotland's Craig Lee in mist and steady rain after both players ended regulation play tied at 20-under par.

It is the two-time Ryder Cup winner's 14th career victory but first in two years while Lee was looking to capture a maiden Tour title.

Frenchman Victor Dubuisson shot a final round 66 to finish alone in third on 19 under while Spaniard Alejandro Canizares was a further shot back in fourth.

"It was nice," said the relieved Dane after closing out victory on the first play-off after Lee found the bunker with his tee shot on the 18th which gave him a tough approach to the par four green.

"When I get into situations like today (Sunday) I really know to grind it out and I have to say I've been pretty good at closing out tournaments in my career," he said.

"I give everything in those situations and I just grind, and grind and grind even knowing that I don't need to play great.
"That's what it's about late on Sunday afternoons and I've just got that in me
Victory earned Bjorn a first prize cheque of 366 660 euros and will lift him from 66th to 45th in the world rankings.
"This year I have come up short a few times including the hurt in Munich but I came here really desperate to win this golf tournament so this one is very sweet for me given I am 42 years of age.
"I had two bogeys in 72 holes, which is good going around here. I felt good and I got over the line.
"It was nice to do that in a playoff. I've had a hard time dealing with pressure situations and there is no more pressure than that."
It was harsh on Lee who equalled the course record on Saturday with a sensational ten under par 61 that sent him into the final day with a two shot lead.
Bjorn needed just nine putts over the front nine to take the clubhouse lead but Lee hit back with three birdies down the stretch and agonisingly saw his birdie stroke for victory lip out at the final hole which sent the pair to a play-off.
"You keep thinking when is going to be the next win but then you play alongside someone like Miguel (Angel Jimenez) and he seems like he's 60 odd and away you go and that gives you more confidence," continued Bjorn.
Jimenez finished tied for fifth with Englishman Ross Fisher five shots back.
The victory puts Bjorn top of the Ryder Cup qualifying points table after two weeks of qualifying.
Despite Lee's disappointment the Scot jumped from 108th to 55th on the Race to Dubai and the assurance of retaining his Tour card for next year.
"This result lifts a lot of weight off my shoulders as my card is now secure for next year and it means I don't have to go chasing tournaments like heading to Perth in Australia later this year," said Lee.
"Now I can think about maybe getting ready to go to China for the 'Final Series' instead."
FINAL-ROUND SCORERS
*Thomas Bjorn wins play-off at the first extra hole
264 - Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 66 66 67 65
264 - Craig Lee (Britain) 71 65 61 67
265 - Victor Dubuisson (France) 68 65 66 66
266 - Alejandro Canizares (Spain) 69 65 65 67
269 - Ross Fisher (Britain) 71 69 63 66, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 65 68 69 67
270 - Gregory Havret (France) 68 69 70 63, Brooks Koepka (U.S.) 68 66 69 67
272 - Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand) 68 69 70 65, Stephen Gallacher (Britain) 67 65 72 68, Tommy Fleetwood (Britain) 65 68 69 70
273 - Paul Lawrie (Britain) 68 70 70 65
274 - Richard Sterne (South Africa) 69 66 71 68, Maximilian Kieffer (Germany) 68 69 69 68
275 - Rikard Karlberg (Sweden) 69 69 71 66, Tom Lewis (Britain) 71 70 67 67, Andrew Dodt (Australia) 69 72 66 68, Brett Rumford (Australia) 68 68 70 69, Paul Casey (Britain) 65 69 71 70
276 - Marcus Fraser (Australia) 69 71 68 68, Mark Tullo (Chile) 68 66 73 69
277 - Jaco Van Zyl (South Africa) 68 68 73 68, Gareth Maybin (Britain) 70 69 70 68, Angelo Que (Philippines) 70 70 68 69, Simon Dyson (Britain) 71 69 68 69
278 - Soren Hansen (Denmark) 69 71 70 68, David Howell (Britain) 70 67 72 69, Shiv Kapur (India) 70 69 70 69, Seve Benson (Britain) 70 68 70 70, Stephen Dodd (Britain) 69 72 67 70, Scott Hend (Australia) 69 70 68 71, Richard Finch (Britain) 67 66 73 72, Danny Willett (Britain) 69 64 72 73
279 - Scott Henry (Britain) 70 70 72 67, Matteo Manassero (Italy) 70 69 72 68, Pariya Junhasavasdikul (Thailand) 67 72 71 69, Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 67 71 72 69, Berry Henson (U.S.) 67 72 70 70, Mikko Korhonen (Finland) 72 69 68 70, Keith Horne (South Africa) 69 69 70 71
280 - Jorge Campillo (Spain) 71 70 73 66, Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 70 65 72 73, Julien Quesne (France) 72 69 66 73
281 - Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Thailand) 71 68 74 68, Anthony Wall (Britain) 70 71 70 70, Chapchai Nirat (Thailand) 71 70 70 70, Joost Luiten (Netherlands) 70 71 69 71, Gregory Bourdy (France) 69 71 69 72
282 - Oliver Fisher (Britain) 77 64 76 65, Michael Hoey (Britain) 67 73 75 67, Robert Coles (Britain) 69 71 73 69, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain) 70 67 72 73, Damian Ulrich (Switzerland) 71 69 66 76
283 - Soren Kjeldsen (Denmark) 70 71 77 65, Kristoffer Broberg (Sweden) 70 68 75 70, Li Haotong (China) 68 69 72 74
284 - Eduardo De La Riva (Spain) 68 71 73 72, Anirban Lahiri (India) 63 71 75 75, Simon Wakefield (Britain) 72 69 68 75
285 - Christian Cevaer (France) 70 71 74 70, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (France) 72 69 72 72
286 - Scott Barr (Australia) 69 72 74 71, Edouard Amacher (Switzerland) 72 69 73 72, Gaganjeet Bhullar (India) 68 71 70 77
287 - Thomas Levet (France) 68 72 78 69, Alessandro Tadini (Italy) 68 73 74 72
290 - Kieran Pratt (Australia) 71 69 77 73
293 - Jonathan Moore (U.S.) 69 72 77 75
© Sapa - AFP
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Deutsche Bank Championship: Henrik Stenson wins by two as Sergio Garcia fades

Henrik Stenson: first win in America since 2009 Players Championship
Henrik Stenson: first win in America since 2009 Players Championship

Sweden's Henrik Stenson claimed his first PGA Tour win since 2009 with a two-shot victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston.

Stenson started the final round two behind Sergio Garcia but made his move with four birdies in five holes from the fourth.

He returned from a delay due to lightning in the area to complete a closing 66, sealing the win by holing from a bunker for birdie at 17 and three-putting for par at the last.

Stenson's 22-under-par total equalled the tournament record and moves him above Tiger Woods into first place in the FedEx Cup play-off standings with two events remaining.

Final leaderboard

(US unless stated)
-22 H Stenson (Swe)
-20 S Stricker
-18 G DeLaet (Can)
-17 J Spieth
-17 M Kuchar
-17 K Stadler
-17 S Garcia (Spn)

Click here for collated scores

Hot summer

It was also a deserved title after an excellent run of form that saw Stenson finish in the top three at the Open, Bridgestone Invitational and US PGA Championship. His last win in America came at the Players Championship four years ago.

"I just played a little bit better in the final round and I'm really pleased with the way I bounced back," said Stenson.

"I got off to a bad start (bogeying the second hole)... but I came back with three straight birdies on four, five and six to put me back into the ball-game. I made some nice putts today and just kept it going. I have been playing nicely for a long time."

Veteran American Steve Stricker's 67 was enough for second on 20-under-par, with Canadian Graham DeLaet (69) in third, two strokes further back.

Stricker's efforts earned him a place on the United States' Presidents Cup team for the biennial match against the Internationals at Muirfield Village in October.

Garcia faded with four bogeys on the front nine in his 73, which left the Spaniard tied for fourth alongside a trio of Americans - Jordan Spieth (62), Matt Kuchar (66) and Kevin Stadler (68).
PGA Tour rookie Spieth's nine-under 62 was the low round of the week.
Excitement
There was plenty of excitement further down the field as everybody scrambled to stay inside the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings in order to earn a place at the BMW Championship (Sep 12-15).
Brendan Steele birdied his last four holes to make the grade, while Ernie Els survived by a fraction of a point.
The final automatic place in the United States' Presidents Cup team went to Zach Johnson thanks to a 25-foot birdie putt at the 18th. Johnson's 66 was good enough for a 10-under-par total overall and a tie for 27th place.

 Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters: Colin Montgomerie wins by six


Colin Montgomerie: First win on the Senior Tour
Colin Montgomerie: First win on the Senior Tour

Colin Montgomerie claimed his first win on the European Senior Tour with a comprehensive six-shot victory at the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters.

The Scot only became eligible to play senior golf when he turned 50 in June and his win at Woburn has come in just his seventh event.

This week was the first time Montgomerie had played in a standard European Senior Tour event after spending most of his time on the Champions Tour in the United States, but rounds of 68, 68 and 70 saw him ease to victory.

The eight-time Order of Merit champion got off to flying start in his final round with a birdie on the first and when he claimed an eagle three on the fifth he looked to be romping it.

"It feels great. Anybody with any competitive blood in them knows that it is nice to win, to come out on top"
Colin Montgomerie
 
A birdie on 10 just underlined his dominance and, despite two bogeys on the way home, the 2010 Ryder Cup captain was too far ahead to be caught as he finished on 10 under.

Montgomerie said: "It feels great. Anybody with any competitive blood in them knows that it is nice to win, to come out on top.

"This course has suited me down to the ground for years. I had a couple of great finishes on the main Tour - the Junior Tour, as I now call it - so it's nice to come back here and finally win.

"I've said it before but it is like a new lease of life turning 50 in golf. I can't think of any other sports where you take a new step on in your career at such an age and to have such a fine Tour, such an excellent brand, as the Senior Tour as part of that is brilliant so all credit to them for that."

Englishman Paul Wesselingh and Spaniard Miguel Angel Martin were Montgomerie's nearest challengers on four under, with Wesselingh firing a 66 on Sunday, the low round of the week.

 

Trevor Immelman secures PGA Tour card for next season after Web.com victory


Trevor Immelman: Secured PGA Tour card for next season with victory in Indiana
Trevor Immelman: Secured PGA Tour card for next season with victory in Indiana

Sky Bet

Trevor Immelman has secured his PGA Tour card for next season after winning the first event of the Web.com Tour finals.

After winning the Masters in 2008, the South African secured a five-year PGA Tour exemption but, following that victory at Augusta, has subsequently struggled with both form and fitness.

Down at 143 in this year's FedEx Cup standings, Immelman missed out on the play-offs and looked set for a battle to retain his playing privileges.

But his one-shot triumph at the Hotel Fitness Championship in Indiana has now effectively ensured his card for next season.

"There's no doubt this is huge for me," he told PGAtour.com. "It's been a long, frustrating road for me.

Struggle

"It was so disappointing to lose my card. I'm not going to lie, I've struggled since 2008. I've been wondering if I'd be able to get back to playing the way I know I can play."

"I think my wife and family truly understands how frustrating things were for me. This is really sweet and I'm going to enjoy it."
Immelman, who walked away with a $180 000 first-place cheque, was five shots behind leader Patrick Cantlay at the start of the day, but fired a superb 64 to edge out his rival.

"I had a number of eight-under 64 in my mind," he continued. "Patrick was playing so well and there was no reason to think he wouldn't continue that today. I figured I'd have to shoot something like 64 to have a shot."

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