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Dec 9th, 2019
Manic Monday
Stenson bags first win for two years
Words: GolfPunk Photography: Getty Images
Hero World Challenge, Albany Golf Club, Bahamas
Henrik Stenson shot a final-round 66 to finish on eighteen under and pip defending champion Jon Rahm of Spain to the title by a single shot at the Hero World Challenge. It was the Swede's first title in more than two years, his last win was at the Wyndham Championship back in August 2017.
Patrick Reed, who has grabbed most of the headlines with his rule’s infringement in the third round, finished alone in third on sixteen-under two shots ahead of tournament host, Tiger Woods. England's Justin Rose finished joint fifth alongside Justin Thomas of America on thirteen-under.
Stenson’s closing round consisted of five birdies, an eagle and just one drop shot. The eagle came on the par-five 15th hole where the Swede stiffed his second shot to few inches.
Rahm also made eagle at the 15th and followed it up with a birdie at the 16th to close within one of Stenson. That would be as close as he would get as he could only par the final two holes.
"I found good momentum and sometimes it's just keep on working hard and grinding it out," Stenson said.
"Obviously the shot of the day was that five wood to a couple of inches on 15, so I was very pleased about that."
Overnight leader Gary Woodland had a day to forget, closing with a one-over-par 73 which saw him slip down to joint seventh for the tournament.
For the final leaderboard click HERE
Magical Kenya Ladies Open, Vipingo Ridge, nr Mombasa, Kenya
For the second week running there was a surprise on Sunday on the Ladies European Tour. Esther Henseleit came from seven shots back to take the Magical Kenya Ladies Open and at the same time win LET Order of Merit.
The 20-year-old had already sewn up the Rookie of the Year title and so became only the third player in the 41-year history of the Ladies European Tour to capture both titles in the same season, following Dame Laura Davies in 1985 and Carlota Ciganda, in 2012.
Henseleit posted eight birdies on the Baobab Course at Vipingo Ridge to post a winning total of fourteen-under par, one clear of India’s Aditi Ashok, who shot 65. Overnight leader Julia Engström, the 18 year-old from Sweden, struggled on the final day ending alone in third after shooting a two-over-par 74.
Henseleit who started the day seven strokes behind Engström was quick out of the traps with five birdies on the front nine and turned just two shots behind the Swedish teenager.
Following a three-putt from Engström on the 10th and a birdie on the 11th from Henseleit the players were level at twelve under par. Henseleit grabbed two more birdies in the next four holes as Engström struggled with another dropped shot at the 13th.
The German moved three clear of the field but saw that lead cut to just the one shot as Ashok made a late charge with birdies on the 16th and 18th.
Henseleit said: “To close the season with a win is the best feeling I could imagine. To be the Order of Merit winner and Rookie of the Year is just unbelievable.
“Yesterday, after my round, I was a bit disappointed but I just tried to do everything better today. I definitely tried to win, although I knew it would be really hard.
“After nine holes, I saw I was two shots back and I knew it was possible.
This was the second win of the year for Henseleit, who finished third at LET Qualifying School 12 months ago and turned professional in January with a handicap of +7.1. The young German also had eight further top-10 finishes, including four second places.
She said: “It’s been a great year on the Ladies European Tour. It’s a really friendly tour and it’s been great to travel the world each week with all the other golfers.”
For the final leaderboard click HERE
AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, Heritage Golf Club, Bel Ombre, Mauritius
Rasmus Højgaard became the third youngest winner in European Tour history following a dramatic play-off triumph at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
The 18-year-old Dane birdied his final hole to get to nineteen-under par and join Italian Renato Paratore and Frenchman Antoine Rozner in a play-off at the Heritage Golf Club.
The Dane missed an opportunity to grab the title on the first extra hole, missing his twelve-foot eagle putt. A further birdie on the second trip up the 18th hole kept him in the hunt against Rozner who also birdied. However, Højgaard made eagle at the third time of asking to take the title.
At 18 years and 271 days old, only Italian Matteo Manassero - who won twice as a 17-year-old - and New Zealander Danny Lee have won on the European Tour at a younger age.
The teenager is now a European Tour winner in just his fifth event which makes him the fastest Dane to a European Tour win, beating 15 time winner and 2018 Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjørn's record of 24 events.
Belgian Thomas Detry, Scotland’s Grant Forrest ,Benjamin Hebert of France and South African Louis de Jager finished one shot behind the leading trio on 18 under par, with another Frenchman Robin Sciot-Siegrest one shot further back in solo eighth position.
Talking after his win Rasmus Højgaard said: “I’m lost for words. It’s amazing and I’m over the moon. This is a dream come true for me. I just kept telling myself to believe in yourself and trust the number. I did what I could and it was enough for me to win.
“I was obviously nervous, playing in my first play-off but I was in a situation where I had nothing to lose. So, I was confident especially with my shots coming in. It was pretty cool to close out the 18th hole today.
For the final leaderboard click HERE
Emirates Australian Open, The Australian Club, Sydney
Hmm I think sense a hint of strawberry!
Australian Matt Jones took the Emirates Australian Open on home turf, he is a member of The Australian Club, by one shot from South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen.
Jones looked to be in total control of the event as he stood on the 18th tee with a three-shot lead. However, Oosthuizen who was playing in the group ahead had different ideas. The former Open Champion and world number twenty hit a perfect tee shot and followed it up with equally impressive second to the 535-yard par five.
Oosthuizen holed his fifteen-foot eagle putt and suddenly Jones’s lead was now just one. The Australian hit an errant tee-shot and his recovery shot hit a tree which resulted in him being short of the hole in three.
Apparently, Jones had thought a bogey was going to be enough when playing the hole until he saw the scoreboard at the 18th green. However, he managed to keep his cool striking a perfect pitch shot that grabbed and stopped some four feet from the hole.
Jones holed the putt to take his second Australian Open title, his first win came in 2015.
“I was under the assumption that I had a two-shot lead,” Jones explained. “So I wasn’t playing for the green on my third shot, I would have been happy to hit it in the bunker. I’m happy I didn’t though. That bunker shot wouldn’t have been as comfortable. But then I realized what I had to do, and the chip wasn’t that difficult.”
As well as the A$237,500 winners cheque, Jones, also grabbed one of the three spots available at The Open. Joining Jones at Royal St. George’s next July will be fellow Australian Aaron Pike and the world’s No. 1 amateur, Takumi Kanaya of Japan who finished on nine under par in a tie for third.
England’s Paul Casey finished tied fifth alongside Greg Chalmers, Cameron Triangle and amateurs Chun-An Yu and Denzil Ieremia.
For the final leaderboard click HERE
