Hansen wins first European Tour title
IN: News | European PGA | Murphy's Irish Open (2002) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 01 Jul 2002
Another first time winner on the European tour this year, Soren Hansen had to do it the hard way by defeating three players in a playoff.
Hansen who joined the tour in 1999 after graduating from the 1998 Challenge Tour is yet another Dane achieving big things in professional golf. Hansen follows in the footsteps of Anders Hansen who won the PGA a month or so ago, Thomas Bjorn who is returning to form after shoulder injury problems, Steen Tinning, Soren Kjeldsen and of course Iben Tinning on the Ladies European Tour who has won twice this season. In fact six players from Scandanavia were in the top twenty in this event. Hansen had eagled the 72nd of regulation play to join the playoff with Swede Niclas Fasth, England's Richard Bland and South African Darren Fichardt and then birdied the fourth extra hole to edge out Fasth and Fichardt with Bland having dropped out early.
Peter O'Malley led after thirty-six holes but on Saturday, when the scoring was so hot, could only produce a 73. Although he came back on Sunday with a 69 he had gotten too far out of his ground. Still 13th was not bad, especially given his slow run since his defeat of Tiger Woods in the Acccenture Matchplay, and a cheque for around $A44,000 was his.
Peter Fowler was 19th, Nick O'Hern and Adam Scott 27th plus Jarrod Moseley 35th.
