DOHA, 15 March 2004 — Former Ryder Cup player Joakim Haeggman of Sweden won the $1.5-million Qatar Masters yesterday by one stroke after a thrilling final round on the Doha Golf Course.
Haeggman, 34, shot a 65 for an aggregate of 16-under-par 272 and kept at bay in-form overnight leaders Japanese Nobuhito Sato and Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin in this European Tour event.
Sato fired a 68 for a total of 273 while Jacquelin’s 69 was only good enough for the Frenchman to be tied for third position with Englishman Brian Davis and Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara with an aggregate of 14-under-par 274.
On the par-five final hole, Haeggman, on medical exemption this year after an ankle injury sustained while playing ice hockey, put his second shot on the edges of the rough and his third nestled 10 feet from the hole.
Lying down flat on the ground, the Swede, who specializes in trick shots, charted the path accurately across the putting green and sank it for a birdie, vaulting to the top of the leaderboard.
The Swede then returned to the clubhouse to wait for Sato and Jacquelin, who were tackling the 17th, to finish their rounds.
Jacquelin’s birdie putt broke sharply on this hole and he tapped for par and the same fate befell his Japanese playing partner.
With the tall order of an eagle on the difficult 18th (only two eagles on this hole in four rounds), the Frenchman fumbled for par while Sato acquitted himself with a birdie, easing into the runner’s-up slot.
Haeggman collected a check of $250,000 for his top finish while Sato earned $166,000.
The players reveled in the unusually still weather as the northwesterly Shamaal winds co-operated wholeheartedly, leading to another round of measly scores.
As many as 43 golfers broke par on the 7167-yard Peter Harradine-designed course.
Starting on nine-under-par, Haeggman meant business right from the first hole. He sank a birdie, had two pars, then an unrelenting burst of four birdies to stride out confidently in 31.
He came in just like he went out. A birdie on the tenth and 13th further beefed up his position but a bogey on the next put on the brakes. Cautious play over the next few holes resulted in pars but he closed out with another birdie. The Tokyo-based Sato started in the best possible way with a birdie but was swallowed by the par-four 380-yard second hole, dropping a shot.
The Japanese, who celebrated his birthday two days back by cutting a cake on the course, picked himself up with a birdie brace on the next two holes.
After this only two more birdies materialized for the European Tour rookie. Two monster birdie putts on the 16th and 17th by South African Martin Maritz helped him up the leaderboard to sole sixth position.
Last year’s Dubai Desert Classic winner Robert-Jan Derksen notched up seven birdies in his 67 for an 11-under-par 277 and was tied for eighth. Former Augusta Masters winner Ian Woosnam of Wales was eight strokes behind the leader and was tied for 18th position.
Scot Sandy Lyle shot a bloated 76 to be tied for 79th position.
Early yesterday, Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, winner of the Johnnie Walker Classic, was disqualified following a rules infraction at the 12th hole during the third round on Saturday.
Rookie Hamilton Opens Four-Shot
Lead at Honda Classic
In Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, rookie Todd Hamilton took advantage of Carl Pettersson’s collapse to open a four-shot lead after the third round of the Honda Classic.
An Illinois native who is playing with his first PGA Tour card, Hamilton played the first 10 holes in four-under par to climb within two shots of US-base Swede Pettersson, the leader after the first two rounds.
Hamilton played the final eight holes even for a four-under-par 68 that moved him to 14-under 202. That was enough to give him a comfortable lead as Pettersson fell apart on the back nine after cruising through the first 2 1 2 rounds. Pettersson, 26, played the final seven holes in si-over with three bogeys and a disastrous five-putt for a triple-bogey on the par-four 16th
In his second year on the tour, he dropped into a tie for third with Chris Riley, five strokes back. Pettersson set a course record with a nine-under 63 on Thursday, then posted a four-under 68 on Friday. He seemed in control after birdying No. 9 to get to 15-under, but bogeys followed at 12 and 14.
