McGowan brilliant in Madrid
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2009 Madrid Masters | Round Four | 12 Oct 2009
Englishman Ross McGowan became a first time winner on the European Tour when he held of a spirited late challenge from Mikko Ilonen to win the Madrid Masters at the Centro Nacional de Golf in Madrid.
McGowan’s stunning third round of 60 on Saturday, which amazingly included two bogeys, established a seven shot lead heading into the final round but he did give his chasers a little hope with two early bogeys on Sunday. It was a brilliant round although the fact it was played under lift clean and place conditions means it will not count in terms of a shared European Tour record.
Finland’s Mikko Ilonen staged a remarkable recovery from a first hole double bogey on Thursday and an opening round of 74 to fight his way back into contention with rounds of 63, 63 and 66. Ilonen actually closed within two shots late in the day but the margin had been just too great.
The 27-year-old McGowan is in his second season on the European Tour after a collegiate career at the University of Tennessee and an illustrious amateur career which had included a win in the 2006 English Amateur Championship.
While McGowan’s form has been below his best through the middle of the 2009 season, his play at the Omega Masters where he finished third and in last week’s Alfred Dunhill where he finished 6th suggested that his first win might not be far away.
Second round leader David Drysdale finished third.
The only Australasian to make the cut was New Zealand’s Mark Brown who has had a disappointing second season on the European Tour after winning his card via the Johnnie Walker Classic victory in India early in 2008. Since his 3rd place finish in China in April Brown has had only one top twenty finish in 14 starts since and missed ten of those cuts.
The European Tour now moves west to Vilamoura in Portugal for the Portugal Masters.
