Ireland's Damien McGrane wins China Open golf.
BEIJING, CHINA (APRIL 20, 2008) TWI -
Ireland's Damien McGrane won the China Open by nine strokes on
Sunday (April 20) to clinch his first European Tour title.
McGrane, who carried a three-stroke lead into the final day, held firm
where others succumbed to the wet conditions, firing a one-over 73 to finish
with a 10-under total of 278 at the CBD International course.
Britons Oliver Wilson and Simon Griffiths, and France's Michael
Lorenzo-Vera tied for second on 287, with holder Markus Brier of Austria, Mark
Brown of New Zealand and Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell one stroke further
back.
"I'm absolutely overjoyed obviously. To be honest, it's just an
amazing feeling to win my first tournament," McGrane told reporters.
"This week everything went my way. I had good fortune, I loved the
course -- the bad weather didn't put me off my game today, so it was
everything I've ever expected," said McGrane, wearing a golden
traditional Chinese jacket.
The Irishman's short game, which helped carve out a lead amid swirling
cross-breezes on Saturday, was on song again in the final round.
"I knew that if the weather turned everybody would need their
short game and would have to rely on it," said McGrane, who turned 37
last week.
Conceding only two dropped shots in his first eight holes, McGrane
delivered a death-blow to nearest challenger Lorenzo-Vera on the ninth,
chipping in for birdie after landing his approach shot fortuitously between
two bunkers.
The shot saw McGrane pull four strokes clear of the Frenchman, who
quickly ceased to be a threat after dropping four shots on his next five
holes.
"To win golf tournaments, you see it happen every week. Possibly
that was my moment where I won the Volvo China Open," McGrane said.
McGrane cemented the win with a birdie on the 11th, holding six
consecutive pars as the rain continued to fall, before conceding a bogey on
the last.
The victory gave McGrane 232,121 euros ($367,300), lifting him to sixth
on the European money list, and capped a rich vein of form including a top-10
finish at the Portuguese Open earlier this month, and runner-up at the Indian
Masters in February.
Leading final round scores from the China Open at the par-72 CBD
International Golf Club in Beijing on Sunday
278 Damien McGrane (Ireland) 68 69 68 73
287 Simon Griffiths (Britain) 68 72 73 74
Michael Lorenzo-Vera (France) 67 69 72 79
Oliver Wilson (Britain) 72 66 70 79
288 Markus Brier (Austria) 71 69 72 76
Mark Brown (New Zealand) 71 71 69 77
Graeme McDowell (Britain) 73 72 68 75
289 Jason Knutzon (U.S.) 68 72 72 77
Noh Seung-yul (South Korea) 71 71 74 73
Liang Wenchong (China) 73 68 73 75
Peter Whiteford (Britain) 73 72 71 73
290 John Bickerton (Britain) 70 76 72 72
Richard Finch (Britain) 68 69 76 77
291 David Bransdon (Australia) 73 72 68 78
Joost Luiten (Netherlands) 68 73 74 76
Scott Strange (Australia) 73 71 66 81
Lu Wen-teh (Taiwan) 73 71 71 76
292 Christian Cevaer (France) 73 74 72 73
Adam Groom (Australia) 73 70 72 77
293 Paul Lawrie (Britain) 71 75 72 75
Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) 74 72 72 75
Miles Tunnicliff (Britain) 70 74 74 75
Daniel Vancsik (Argentina) 73 74 69 77
