KAVARNA, Bulgaria: Britain’s Graeme McDowell came from behind to win his maiden World Match Play Championship with a 2 & 1 victory over Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee yesterday. Former US Open Champion McDowell, the highest-ranked player in the field, battled back from two holes down after four and one at halfway to secure his eighth European Tour title.
“I’m very excited because it’s a massive event and it was hugely disappointing to lose the final last year,” said McDowell, who was beaten by Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts in 2012. “This was a fantastic week for me.”
“It’s a magnificent golf course at the Thracian Cliffs with a great crowd and I hope we gave the Bulgarians a little taste of what we do.”
Thongchai, a five-time European Tour winner, holed a 25 footer at the second to go one up with a birdie and then doubled his lead at the long fourth by converting from five feet after McDowell missed a 10-foot birdie attempt.
McDowell, who secured his final berth with a 3 & 2 win over South Arica’s Branden Grace earlier on Sunday while Thongchai beat South Africa’s Thomas Aiken 3 & 2, cut the deficit when he birdied the short seventh from six feet and levelled with a birdie at the 12th.
He took the lead for the first time by winning the 14th with a par after Thongchai drove into a bush and had to play out sideways, went two up after taking the 15th after a brilliant approach to five feet and closed out the match with a par on 17.
The $3.85 million tournament was staged at the the picturesque Black Sea resort of Thracian Cliffs near Kavarna as Bulgaria hosted a tour event for the first time after the competition was moved from Spain.
Gary Player designed the spectacular course that has been described as the ‘Pebble Beach of Europe’, a reference to the championship links in California.
Peter Uihlein wins Madeira Islands Open
In Santo Antonio Da Serra, Portugal, American Peter Uihlein won the Madeira Islands Open by two strokes after shooting a 4-under 68 yesterday for his first career title in his 16th European Tour event.
Uihlein birdied four of his last eight holes for a 15-under total of 273 at the Clube de Golf do Santo da Serra course. It was his third top-10 finish from seven European Tour events this season.
Morten Orum Madsen of Denmark blew his chances by hitting a double bogey on the 18th for a 67 to finish joint second with Mark Tullo of Chile (71). Tullo started the final round as the overnight leader and made a good start by making a hole-in-one on No. 4, but ended with four bogeys.
Craig Lee of Scotland (71) finished three shots off Uihlein’s pace.
Griffin takes SK Telecom Open
Australian Matthew Griffin won the SK Telecom Open at South Korea’s Jeju Island by one shot after yesterday’s final round was called off due to heavy fog.
A 40-foot putt from the back of the green on the 18th guaranteed him the third-round lead on Saturday and it turned out to be the winning shot at the 1 billion Korean won ($895,700) OneAsia event at the Pinx Golf Club.
“It’s unfortunate to finish like this, but I’ll take it,” Griffin, who leapt to the top of the OneAsia Order of Merit with the win, said.
“I thought my final putt yesterday was big as it gave me the lead, but I didn’t think it would be the winning putt. It just goes to show you really must try and make everything.”
South Korea has been a happy hunting ground for Griffin and it was in the same country that he won his last OneAsia title with victory in the Charity High1 Resort Open in September.
“High1 was fantastic but this feels even better,” the 29-year-old from Melbourne said. “I never really played well in Korea in the past, which is surprising because I think the courses suit me but it looks like I’ve found my way here now.”
South Korean veteran Kang Wook-soon had to settle for second place, a stroke behind on 12-under for a three round total of 204.
