Poulter wins in Hong Kong
BY Bruce Young | Asian Tour | 2010 Hong Kong Open | Wrap | 21 Nov 2010
Ian Poulter has held off an early final round challenge from eventual runner-up Simon Dyson and a fast finish from Matteo Manassero at the UBS Hong Kong Open to win his 10th European Tour title and his second of the 2010 season. The victory followed his earlier win this season at the World Golf Championship’s Accenture Match Play Championship in February.
Poulter had three shots on Dyson heading into the final day but by the 7th hole they were all tied up at 21 under. A bogey at the 7th by Dyson and an eagle by Poulter at the 13th would prove the difference in the end and even though Poulter would bogey the 72nd hole, by then it was essentially all over.
Poulter had a two shot lead playing the final hole over his playing companion Dyson. “The key thing was hitting that fairway which I did,” Poulter would say later. “I thought I hit a good shot but came up a little bit short and I said to Terry (caddie) I’ll take my extra shot and walk off.”
“I would have been disappointed not to have converted after shooting 10 under par in round two. This week I felt I had to deliver after playing as well as I had done in the last two weeks without winning.”
17 year old Italian Manatteo Manassero, who played thirty minutes ahead of the final group, further confirmed his exceptional promise with a final round of 62 to finish in the tie for second while Anthony Kang finished 4th.
The event was the penultimate event of the European Tour season and with the leading 60 players in the Race to Dubai rankings eligible to play in next week’s lucrative Dubai Championship a race was on as to who would make it into the elite field.
Marcus Fraser led the Australasians this week when finishing in 10th position with New Zealander Mark Brown next best when 16th.
Marcus Fraser will be joined in Dubai by Richard Green and Brett Rumford as the only Australians who have made it into the field for next week’s event.
