Jacquelin wins wire-to-wire in China
IN: News | Asian | BMW Asian Open (2007) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 22 Apr 2007
Today in the final round of the BMW Asian Open in Shanghai, Jacquelin capitalised on the lead he had established early in the tournament to win by two over Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen and by three over Simon Yates and Australian Scott Hend, who followed his runner up placing last week with yet another great tournament.
Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin’s form of late has suggested a win was close at hand. Last week he did not finish the Volvo China Open off the way he would have liked after leading early in the week but still finished 6th and just three weeks ago he finished runner up at the Open de Portugal.
Jacquelin raced ahead by the turn today and threatened to turn the event into a one horse race but he began to struggle over the closing nine holes dropping four shots and allowing several players back into the event. He was not alone as the calm morning conditions turned into some of the worst conditions imaginable for golf and most fell victim to them.
Kjeldsen appeared as a likely challenger to Jacquelin when he reached 11 under and at that point was within three of the Frenchman but he was about to drop three shots over the closing holes.
Scotland’s Simon Yates double bogeyed the last when as it turned out a birdie would have given him a playoff but a birdie was always going to be a tough ask on day like today.
A very much resurgent Scott Hend moved to ten under par for the event when he birdied the 10th hole but he double bogeyed the 14th and bogeyed the 16th to lose any chance of victory. Still for Hend, who has been plagued by wrist injury in recent times, the last two weeks have been significant in his career as the long hitting Queenslander looks to rebuild on a game which had seen him make it to the USPGA Tour in 2004. Despite costly finishes both last week and again this week, Hend has earned more than âǬ200,000 in those events.
It was Jacquelin’s first win since the Madrid Open in 2005 and just his second on the European Tour since first becoming a member in 1998.
Ernie Els, Markus Brier, Lee Sung-man and Richard Sterne tied for 5th.
2006 Macau Open winner, Kane Webber, from Lismore in NSW was the best Australian after Hend finishing in 10th place, Peter O’Malley and Scott Barr were 15th, David Bransdon, Tony Carolan and Adam Blyth 19th, Matthew Millar 26th Brett Rumford 37th, Adam le Vesconte 45th, Marcus Both 58th and Gavin Flint 64th.
The European Tour now heads to Spain for the Spanish Open while the Asian Tour heads north to Beijing for the inaugural Pine Valley Beijing Open.
Photo – Asian Tour
