Another Spanish star is born in Portugal
IN: News | European PGA | Estoril Open de Portugal (2007) | by Bruce Young | 02 Apr 2007
Spanish Pablo Martin Benavides not only created history by becoming the first amateur to win on the European Tour since its establishment in 1972, but following his win today at the Estoril Open de Portugal he looks set to continue a long line of Spanish success in world golf.
It was also the best performance by an amateur in any European Tour event since Nick Flanagan’s third place at the ANZ Championship at Horizon’s Resort and the first win by any amateur in a European professional event since 1962.
The 21-year-old University of Oklahoma attendee produced brilliant weekend rounds of 66 and 68 at Oitavos Golfe on the Estoril Coast of Portugal including a stunning back nine of 29 on Saturday and a bogey free final round today to slip past ex-University of Oklahoma player, Alexander Noran, and England’s Ross McGowan to take the title.
Raphael Jacquelin closed the gap to just one shot late in his round but Martin, who was playing three groups and 30 minutes behind Jacquelin, was equal to the task and parred the last eight holes to win by one over the Frenchman.
England’s David Griffiths, Germany’s Martin Keymer,
the leading world ranked player in the field Charles Schwartzel,
and England’s Graeme Storm finished in a share of third
three shots from Jacquelin.
Martin had the luxury of playing with his ex Oklahoma team-mate
Noren in the final round along with Ross McGowan and said later
that was of benefit in his win. “I think playing with Alex
Noren, who I played with at Oklahoma State in my first year, and
Ross, who I played with before and who is a really good friend,
made it like playing in College.”
“It’s also been a great week having all my friends and family from Spain here along with many of the players that I know,” Martin told European Tour Radio later.
Martin heads back to Oklahoma to complete exams and will then consider professional options later this year. Those options have been greatly increased as a result of his win, the concerns about finding a tour on which to play when he finally decides to make the transition, now well and truly a thing of the past, at least in the short term.
Martin is one of several young and up and coming Spanish professionals looking set to follow in the footsteps of Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal, Sergo Garcia and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Others include Alejandro Canizares who finished 11th in this event, Gonzalo Fernandez Castano and Jose Manuel Lara.
Schwartzel, who was the pre tournament favourite in may people’s eyes, made a big move on the final day and appeared a likely winner until he bogeyed three consecutive holes from the 13th, while Storm had also looked a contender for the title before he too struggled through the middle of his round.
Third round leader, Alex Noren, struggled throughout the final day to finish 11th while rookie Ross McGowan started the day in a share of second but an outward nine of 40 put paid to his chaces and he finished 17th.
The only Australasian to make the cut was David Bransdon who finished 33rd.
The European Tour now has a break of a week for its regular players while its stars will be in Augusta for this week’s Masters. The next event on the European Tour proper will be the Volvo China Open starting on April 12th.
