Ferrie last man standing in dramatic European Open
IN: News | European PGA | Smurfit European Open (2005) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 04 Jul 2005
While Ben Curtis, who had indirectly been the source of Thomas Bjorn's 2004 demise was ironically making a comeback across the Atlantic, Bjorn halted his own recovery process with a simply horrific final round at the Smurfit European Open.
Dominating the tournament for much of the week, Bjorn was looking to add this title to the British Masters he won two months ago and to perhaps put further behind him the memories of this tournament last year when he walked off the course citing the fact that he was totally uncomfortable with his game at that point. He had reached that stage as a result of the agony of effectively losing the British Open at Royal St Georges when the tournament was his to win or lose.
He appeared to have put all that behind him despite a couple of horror weeks this season including the Masters when a last round of 81 saw him drop right out of contention. He took a four shot lead into round four and by the time he reached the return he was, along with the rest of the field, fighting a demanding golf course, strong winds and rain. He was still in front at that stage and even when he reached the 17th tee at six over for the day and just two under for the tournament he was still in with a chance to win. Those around him were suffering also and with the possibility of a par five to finish there was a chance he could still catch the leader, Kenneth Ferrie who was about to birdie the last.
As Bjorn stood on the 17th tee his playing partner Raphael Jacquelin had just shot himself in the foot with two bogeys to all but eliminate his chances which were further extinguished with two double bogeys to finish. Bjorn hit three balls in the water at the 17th and eventually picked his ball out of the hole with a score of seven over 11 about to be added to his card. At the last, with his hopes well and truly gone, he took a bogey and finished 33rd.
Enough of Bjorn and his demise and let's talk about the win by Ferrie, who won for the second time in his European Tour career.
Ferrie's season to date hardly gave any indication that he could win an event of this standing. After all, it is one of the more significant events on the European Tour calendar and carried a first prize purse of more than €500,000. The 26-year-old ex-British Boys Champion has regularly retained his card on the European Tour although this is clearly his greatest moment in the game.
Colin Montgomerie finished second along with Graeme Storm. After a brilliant start where the Scot birdied six of the first ten holes on a difficult day for scoring he was very much in the mix for the first prize. He likely didn't know it at the time but when Bjorn and Jacquelin stumbled late, Montgomerie would have been rueing the bogey at 17 and the missed birdie opportunity at the last. Storm was solid all day with one birdie and two bogeys in his 73.
Darren Clarke in the midst of uncertainty with his family illness concerns managed to finish fourth which was impressive in itself with Peter Hanson also sharing that place.
Of the Australasians Richard Green and Nick O'Hern were the best in 13th place continuing a trend they set last year where they seemed to have similar finishes in almost every event. Brett Rumford was 19th, Michael Campbell 25th, Peter Fowler and Wade Ormsby 33rd, Terry Price 39thand Marcus Fraser 46th.
The European Tour now heads to Loch Lomond for the Barclays Scottish Open.
