Pablo Larrazabal Claims Seventh European Tour Title, First on Home Soil, ISPS Handa Championship

Posted on April 25, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Lucky No. 7 for Pablo Larrazabal…

The 38-year-old Spanish professional golfer shot 8-under 62 on Sunday to win the ISPS Handa Championship to claim his seventh European tour title — and first on home soil.

Larrazabal made nine birdies and a bogey at the Lakes Course to secure a one-shot victory over countryman Adrian Otaegui (66).

“What a day. But I knew that my golf was there,” Larrazabal said. “I couldn’t make any putts the first three days but I told my girlfriend last night that she had to choose my clothing for the [winning] pictures.

“I knew that I had a low one in my bag and that’s what I did. Today I holed putts and that was key. I mean, to shoot 62 in windy conditions with the flags out there, it was good.”

Larrazabal finished with a 15-under 265 total. His first title of the year was at the MyGolfLife Open in South Africa.

South Africa’s Hennie Du Plessis and Canadian Aaron Cockerill both shot 67s and tied for third, two shots behind Larrazabal.

Bad weather in northeast Spain had forced organizers to suspend the third round on Saturday with Scott Jamieson at the top. Jamieson shot even par to finish in a tie for 10th, eight shots off the lead.

The ISPS Handa Championship is the first of four consecutive events in Europe between the season’s first two majors.

The European tour stays in Spain next week for the Catalunya Championship. The two new events in Spain were added to the schedule to replace tournaments in Japan and China due to travel restrictions because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Miguel Angel Jimenez Hits Two Holes-In-One to Win Cologuard Classic

Posted on February 28, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel Angel Jimenez is celebrating a big win…

The 58-year-old Spanish golfer had his second hole-in-one of the tournament and closed with a 7-under 65 on Sunday to win the Cologuard Classic.

Jimenez started the final round with a two-shot lead and got off to a birdie-eagle start at Tucson National. Reigning Charles Schwab Cup champion Bernhard Langer cut the lead to three with a birdie on the par-5 12th, but Jimenez followed with one of his own in the group behind.

Jimenez ended any hope of a late rally with an ace on the 186-yard par-3 14th to match the one he had at No. 7 in the opening round. Jimenez closed with four straight pars to finish at 18-under 198 and win for the second time in three PGA Tour Champions starts this season.

Langer shot 65 to match Woody Austin (66) at 14 under. Jerry Kelly finished fourth after a 70 put him at 11 under.

Jimenez won the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii and was fifth last week at the Chubb Classic in Florida. He opened the Cologuard Classic with a 66, thanks in part to his ace, and overcame two closing errant drives to shoot 67 in the second round.

Jimenez shot 4-under 32 on the front nine in his final round and bounced back from a bogey on the par-4 ninth — he hit behind a trailer left of the fairway — by getting up and down for birdie just short of the par-5 12th.

The European Tour record holder with 10 aces, Jimenez wowed the crowd with his hole-in-one at No. 14. He celebrated by raising his arms and doing a little shimmy, then walked arm-in-arm with Kelly onto the green.

Tim Petrovic had two aces in last year’s Cologuard Classic.

Jimenez closed with an easy two-putt par for his 12th PGA Tour Champions win.

Jon Rahm Named the 2019 European Tour Golfer of the Year

Posted on December 4, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Jon Rahm is the man of the hour…

The 25-year-old Spanish professional golfer has been named the 2019 European Tour Golfer of the Year.

Rahm finished the year as the No. 1-ranked player on the Euro Tourwith victories at the Irish Open, Spanish Open and the World Tour Championshipin Dubai.

He finished second at the BMW PGA Championship and Andalucia Masters.

In the United States, Rahm finished tied for ninth at The Masters and tied for third at the U.S. Open.

Rahm was selected by a panel of golf media. Ireland’s Shane Lowry, who won The Open, finished second in the voting.

Rahm joins Seve Ballesteros (1986, 88, 91) and Sergio Garcia (2017) as the third Spaniard to receive the European Tour’s Golfer of the Year award.

Pablo Larrazabal Wins Alfred Dunhill Championship in Dramatic Fashion

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Pablo Larrazabal has pulled off a big win…

The 36-year-old Spanish golfer won the European Tour’s season-opening Alfred Dunhill Championship on Sunday after losing a three-shot overnight lead and then making three birdies on his last four holes for a dramatic one-stroke victory.

Larrazabal birdied the par-5 No. 18 as he finished 8 under overall and just ahead of Sweden’s Joel Sjoholm.

Larrazabal said he struggled with blisters on his feet throughout the final round, when he fell three shots behind at one point. He made a litany of errors and closed with a 75 after six bogeys and a double bogey, but his rousing finale still enabled him to clinch a fifth European Tour title and first in four years.

“I woke up this morning and I didn’t think I was going to play,” Larrazabal said. “I couldn’t put my shoe on, I couldn’t walk to the buggy. I really struggled on the back nine. I have a big blister on my right toe and I said to myself ‘If Tiger [Woods] can win a U.S. Open with a broken leg’ and I just fought hard.”

Larrazabal’s victory at Leopard Creek Country Club came at the event where he began his professional career 12 years ago.

Charl Schwartzel (70) finished tied for third at 6 under on his return to tournament action for the first time in eight months because of a wrist injury. Branden Grace (73) and Wil Besseling (74) were also in that tie for third.

Besseling led or held a share of the lead through much of the final round but he made bogey on the last after his approach flew too far and landed among some rocks behind the green.

That opened the way for Larrazabal to win it on the last. He laid up with his second and then fired his third shot in close to tap in for birdie and the win.

Jon Rahm Wins Spanish Open for Second Year in a Row

Posted on October 7, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Jon Rahm is making Spanish golf history…

The 24-year-old Spanish professional golfer won the Spanish Open for a second consecutive year on Sunday, beating Seve Ballesteros‘ record for the fastest Spaniard to reach five European Tour wins.

Golfing great Ballesteros needed 49 events to get five wins on the tour. Rahm did so in 39 tournaments after shooting a five-under 66 on the final round to finish 22 under and win by five strokes.

“In front of a home crowd, it’s always really hard for me to keep everything under control and to play the weekend that I did for them,” Rahm said.

“I can’t wait to come back next year and hopefully do it three times. It was unlike anything else. Spanish crowds love golf, they love us coming back. It’s hard to believe how many people come out here.”

Rafa Cabrera Bello (66) was second, followed by another Spaniard, Samuel del Val (68), who was seven strokes back at the Club de Campo Villa.

Starting with a commanding five-shot lead, Rahm had an eagle and four birdies to go with one bogey on the final day.

Rahm shot an eight-under 63 on Saturday to match the course record.

Jorge Campillo Wins First-Ever European Tour Ritle at the Hassan II Golf Trophy

Posted on April 29, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Jorge Campillois finally a champion…

The 32-year-old Spanish professional golfer birdied two of his last three holes to claim a maiden success on the European Tour with a two-shot victory in the Hassan II Golf Trophy at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat on Sunday.

Campillo, who had six runner-up finishes before finally claiming a win in his 229th appearance on the tour, finished with a 71 for a total of nine under-par.

“It’s great, it’s been a long while. I was on top of my game today, so I’m proud of that,” he told reporters.

“It was tough, I had to have my A-game. I was missing shots off the tee, but I managed to recover. I’m proud of the way I finished, I finished like a champion I guess.

“It has taken me a while [to win a trophy], but it is all worth it now.”

Campillo started his final round a shot off the pace but after bogeys on the second and third holes, looked to have blown his chances in a tournament that has seen birdies hard to come by.

But after clawing back those two shots, birdies on the 16th and 17th saw him push to the front and despite a nervous tee shot on the 18th that missed the fairway, he recovered for a par.

South African Erik van Rooyen was the overnight leader going into the final round but could only manage a 74 to finish tied second with Americans Julian Suri (71) and Sean Crocker (72).

Jon Rahm Wins Hero World Challenge Title

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Jon Rahm is Hero…

The 24-year-old Spanish professional golferturned a potential shootout into a Bahamas breeze Sunday, closing with a 7-under 65 for a four-shot victory in the Hero World Challenge.

Starting the final round in a three-way tie with Tony Finau and Henrik Stenson, Rahm took the lead when Finau made bogey on the par-3 eighth hole, and the Spaniard never trailed the rest of the day at Albany Golf Club.

Finau was the last challenger until the 14th hole, when he went from a sandy area to a bunker and over the green, leading to double bogey. Rahm made birdie on the hole, and suddenly had a five-shot lead without much trouble to get in the way.

Rahm ends his year with three victories, just like in 2017, his first full year as a pro.

Even with his individual trophies, no moment for Rahm will top facing Tiger Woods in the Sunday singles at the Ryder Cup and beating him on the 17th hole, putting the first point on the board for Europe that day. And then Rahm ended his year with Woods handing him the trophy from his holiday event.

“That Sunday with Tiger is still the most emotionally, most important moment of my golf career,” Rahm said. “It means so much to play against Tiger. A couple months later, to win his event, it’s really special.”

Rahm previously won the CareerBuilder Challenge on the PGA Tour and the Spanish Open on the European Tour.

Sergio Garcia Wins Andalucia Valderrama Masters

Posted on October 23, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Make that a Spanish seis for Sergio Garcia…

The 37-year-old Spanish golf star successfully defended his title at the Andalucia Valderrama Masters to claim his sixth victory on home soil.

Garcia, the Masters champion, who won the last staging of the event in 2011, carded a closing 67 to finish 12 under par, a shot ahead of Holland’s Joost Luiten.

England’s Daniel Brooks was four strokes further back in third, a result good enough to secure his European Tour card for next season by moving him from 123rd on the Race to Dubai to inside the top 100.

After seeing his one-shot overnight lead quickly wiped out when Brooks birdied the second, Garcia responded with a birdie on the par-five fourth and ended the front nine in style by using a fairway wood to hole from the fringe for a birdie on the ninth.

Watched by his wife Angela and father Victor, Garcia then holed from 10 feet for birdie on the 10th and three feet on the next to move three clear, only to bogey the 12th after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker.

The gap was down to one when Luiten birdied the 13th and another birdie on the 15th drew the Dutchman level, only for the five-time European Tour winner to three-putt the next.

Both men birdied the par-five 17th and when Luiten’s birdie attempt on the last caught the edge of the hole and stayed out, Garcia had the luxury of two-putting from close range to claim a third win of the season.

Garcia Wins First Dubai Desert Classic…

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Lucky No. 8 for Sergio Garcia…

The 37-year-old shot a final-round 3-under-par 69 to win the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday after holding the tournament lead since the opening round.

Garcia, who had never posted a top-10 finish in his previous seven Desert Classic appearances, finished on a 19-under 269, three strokes ahead of Open champion and top-ranked European Henrik Stenson (69).

Denmark’s Lasse Jensen, whose 65 was the low round of the day, finished tied for third with England’s Tyrrell Hatton (67).

It was Garcia’s first European Tour win since the 2014 Qatar Masters. In the interim, he also won the Byron Nelson Classic on the PGA Tour last year.

With his 12th European Tour victory, Garcia became the sixth wire-to-wire winner of the Desert Classic and the sixth Spaniard to lift the “Dallah” trophy.

Garcia is expected to move up to No. 9 from his current 15th place when the rankings are released on Monday.

He started the day with a birdie and increased his lead to four shots, a cushion that seemed necessary given how tough the front nine of the golf course was playing due to cross winds. He held his nerve throughout before making a critical par save on the eighth hole after hitting his tee shot into the right desert, and then made another birdie on the tough par-4 ninth to ensure he stayed four ahead of Stenson.

The Swede made his move on the back nine, with three birdies and a bogey on the first five holes, while Garcia kept churning out pars. Heading to the 15th tee, Garcia’s lead was down to two shots.

But the Spaniard held firm on the par-3 15th hole. He hit a stunning tee shot to two feet for a birdie, while Stenson hit his over the green and failed to make an up-and-down for a bogey and a two-shot swing.

Stenson then got a closing birdie while Garcia missed his from 12 feet, narrowing the gap to three shots.

“I’ve been fortunate to have some really good ball-striking tournaments,” said Garcia, who led the greens in regulation stats for the week and was second in driving accuracy. “This definitely was one of them. I felt like my iron play was really, really good. Obviously my driver was very good, a couple of shots here and there. But you know, on a course of 72 holes, it’s going to happen.

“Nobody can go without missing a shot but this week was definitely a week where I felt very comfortable with my game. I felt like I was in good control of what I wanted to do with my ball flight and stuff. So I guess it showed up.”

Stenson, who won the tournament in 2007, said: “Obviously, I was chasing all day and I was trying to push, even though I didn’t play my best.

“With that birdie on 14, I was hoping I was going to be able to make it a bit interesting coming into the last couple of holes. If you’re one or two behind, with 17 and 18, a lot of things can happen. You can eagle and someone else can end up in trouble.

“We picked the wrong wind and I hit the wrong shot at the same time. Airmailed the green on 15 and led to bogey. And Sergio hit a good shot to three feet and then it was pretty much game, set, match.”

After completing its desert swing, the European Tour next moves to Kuala Lumpur for the Maybank Championship.

Aguilar’s Remarkable Final Day Earns Him the Championship at Laguna National Title

Posted on May 4, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Felipe Aguilar is back in winning form…

The 39-year-old Chilean professional golfer surged into the lead at The Championship at Laguna National with an impressive back-nine 28 — capped by a birdie on the par-3 17th and an eagle on the par-4 18th — and then had to sit it out to see if anyone else could catch him.

Co-overnight leader Anders Hansen was the last golfer to have a chance, but he failed to birdie his final two holes to force a playoff, giving Aguilar his first European Tour title in six years.

Aguilar shot a final round 10-under 62 to finish at 22-under 266, one stroke ahead of Hansen and American David Lipsky in joint-second.

“Yesterday I thought I had no chance,” Aguilar said. “Today I said to my caddie on the 17th after I made a birdie, ‘If we can make a birdie on 18 we can put some pressure on the leader,’ and he said ‘What about making a two?’ I said to him the way I had been hitting the ball I could well do two and I did. It’s very, very special.”

Hansen, who recently returned to the tour after a six-month layoff due to wrist surgery, had led by three shots after a birdie on the 12th hole but could not match Aguilar’s impressive finish. He bogeyed the 16th and then shot even par on the final two.

“What can you say? I heard (Aguilar) finished two, two. It’s just one of those days,” Hansen said. “It’s just really, really disappointing.”

Aguilar started the day four shots back in equal-seventh, but started to climb into contention with four straight birdies after the turn on holes 10-13. After birdieing the par-5 15th, he then sank a 10-footer for another birdie on the 17th and holed his approach shot for eagle on the 18th.

“I got a bit lucky,” he said. “I hit one of my best shots on 17 and then again on 18.”

Aguilar, who’s been dealing with a sore wrist he injured while mountain biking, won for just the second time on the European Tour, his previous title coming in Indonesia in 2008.

“It’s been a bit of a drought for six years. I’ve lost a couple of times in play-offs and had a couple of top-threes and top-fives, but never was able to get the round going on the last day, so it is nice to finally do it,” he said.

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