SAINT-QUENTIN, France, 27 June 2005 — Jean-Francois Remesy retained his French Open title in dramatic fashion by beating fellow Frenchman Jean Van de Velde in a sudden-death playoff at Le Golf National yesterday.
Remesy, who ended a 35-year wait for a home champion last year with a seven-stroke victory, sealed his third European Tour title despite running up a double-bogey six at the first extra hole after finding water with his approach.
Van de Velde, bidding to win his first tour title in 12 years, fared even worse there after also finding trouble with his second shot.
He overhit the green for his ball to end up in the reeds, had to take a penalty drop and his victory hopes effectively ended when his fourth shot became plugged in a greenside bunker. Unable to get up and down, he finished with a triple-bogey seven.
“It’s a great moment for France, for golf and for life,” the 41-year-old Remesy told reporters.
The French duo, urged on by their home fans, completed the 72 holes of regulation play on 11-under-par 273, Van de Velde and Remesy both closing with two-under 69s.
Denmark’s Soren Hansen secured third place at eight under after shooting a 71. Argentina’s Eduardo Romero, joint leader overnight with Van de Velde and Remesy, fell out of contention in his bid to become the European Tour’s oldest winner at the age of 50 with a closing 76.
Australia’s Pilkadaris Wins Inaugural Brunei Open
In Bandar Seri Begawan, Australian Terry Pilkadaris underlined his growing stature on the Asian Tour with an emphatic five-stroke victory in the inaugural Brunei Open yesterday.
Pilkadaris, 31, carded an accomplished four-under-par 67 at the Empire Hotel and Country Club for a 19-under-par 265 winning total. It was his third career victory in eight months and it came with a cheque of $47,250. The win moves him up to fourth place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit at $155,811. Compatriot Jarrod Lyle birdied his last hole for a 71 to finish runner-up for the second time in a month while Canadian Rick Gibson and Matt Keegan of Australia shared third place on 271 after signing off with 66 and 67 respectively.
Stupples Matches Teen Stars for Lead as “Soren-Slam” Hopes Fade
In Englewood, Colorado, reigning British Women’s Open champion Karen Stupples birdied six holes in a row here Saturday to match US teen stars Michelle Wie and Morgan Pressel for the 54-hole lead of the US Women’s Open.
The English veteran fired a two-under par 69 to stand on one-over 214 after three rounds of the 3.1 million-dollar event, the third major women’s golf championship of the season. Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam, trying to win her third major title and sustain her bid for a Grand Slam, took a four-putt double bogey at the sixth and fired a two-over 73 to stand on 219, five strokes off the pace and tied for 16th.
Irishman Matches Furyk for PGA Lead
In Harrison, New York, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington fired a three-under par 68 here Saturday to match American Jim Furyk for the lead after the third round of the $5.2 million US PGA Barclays Classic.
Harrington and Furyk stand on nine-under par 204 after 54 holes, two strokes ahead of Americans Brian Gay and Brad Faxon and four ahead of the fifth-place trio of Australian John Senden, American Kenny Perry and Fiji’s Vijay Singh.
Harrington birdied the 16th and 18th holes at Westchester Country Club and led alone until Furyk birdied the 18th to join him atop the leaderboard. “The first 11 holes I never missed a shot,” Harrington said. “Every time I was in the right position on the fairways and the greens.”
