CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, 6 September 2004 — Britain’s Luke Donald repaid Bernhard Langer faith in him by winning the European Masters yesterday the week after the European Ryder Cup captain handed him a wild-card.
Donald repeated the feat of US wild-card Stewart Cink by winning first time out after being given a captain’s pick, as the 26-year-old Englishman claimed his second European Tour title in five weeks.
A closing five-under-par 66 for 19-under-par 265 left Donald five strokes in front of Miguel Angel Jimenez and six shots ahead of another Spaniard, Sergio Garcia, veteran Argentine Eduardo Romero and Briton Robert Coles.
It gave Europe’s three Ryder Cup players in Switzerland a 1-2-3. The trio had been out in front all week, providing more cheer for Langer, with the match against the US at Oakland Hills only 12 days away.
Jimenez and Garcia had swapped places on top of the leaderboard over the first three rounds but Donald, a stroke behind leader Jimenez overnight, showed his determination to outdo the Spaniards with an eagle at the first.
Garcia, also a stroke adrift of Jimenez overnight, caught Donald after the fifth.
But a double-bogey on the long 14th, when he hit his second shot out of bounds, took Garcia out of contention and with Jimenez stalling, Donald stepped in for the $320,000 first prize.
Singh Takes Lead, Woods Tied for Second
In Norton, Massachusetts, Fiji’s Vijay Singh fashioned an eight-under par 63 on Saturday to take a two-shot second-round lead on 131 in the Deutsche Bank Championship.
World No. 1 Tiger Woods carded a 68 and is tied for second on nine-under 133 with John Rollins and Bill Haas. Singh can become the world’s leading player this week if Woods, who has held top spot for 334 weeks in total and the last 264 consecutively, fails to finish in the top seven. If Woods makes the top seven, then Singh would need to tie or beat him.
Singh began the day three shots behind Woods and Palmer but got off to a whirlwind start, making an eagle and a birdie on the first two holes. He also birdied the fourth and seventh holes but bogeyed the eighth to make the turn in four-under.
Then the 41-year-old birdied three of the first four holes on his homeward nine. He followed with a birdie-bogey-birdie finish for his 63, the low round of the tournament so far.
Woods, who put together a three-under scoring run over the final six holes, does not seem especially interested in the battle for number one. Woods, who has not won since the World Match Play Championship in February, is just pleased to among the leaders in the Deutsche Bank Championship. Ryan Palmer, the co-leader with Woods following the first round, shares fifth with Japan’s Shigeki Maruyama.
Charles Howell III and Frank Lickliter II are another stroke back in seventh, while Australia’s defending champion Adam Scott, Hank Kuehne and Jay Williamson are ninth on 136.
Kerr Fires 63 to Surge to LPGA Event Lead
In Springfield, Illinois, Cristie Kerr turned a four stroke deficit into a four shot lead here Saturday with a 9-under-par 63 after the third round of the $1.2 million LPGA event.
Kerr carded her second straight 63 for a third round total 21-under 195. It is the best 54-hole score on tour this season and it also putting her within reach of the 72-hole mark of 27-under set by Annika Sorenstam in 2001.
Kim, who matched a course record 62 in Thursday’s opening round, shot a 71. The California-born Kim is 199 overall. Jennifer Rosales, of the Philippines, is six strokes back and Korean Han Hee-won is among four who are nine shots behind.
