Warren defeats Wakefield in Johnnie Walker playoff

BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2007 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles | Round Four | 03 Sep 2007

Marc Warren today won his second European Tour event when he overcame a slow start to his final round. Warren birdied the final hole to catch Simon Wakefield and then birdied the second extra hole for victory at the Johnnie Walker Classic at Gleneagles.

The previous Walker Cup star and 2006 Rookie of the Year on the European Tour, Warren has not played well in recent months but in front of his home country fans he found something special this week. The 26-year-old had opened with 65 on Thursday but consecutive 73’s had him in 3rd place heading into the final day.

Three bogeys in his first five holes hardly gave an indication of how the day would eventually unfold but he would birdie eight of the next 13 holes including the one at the last that drew him level with Wakefield. Wakefield was unable to birdie the par five 72nd hole and so the pair headed for the 18th once again. Both parred the par five first time around but Warren found the green with his second when they returned to play that hole again after Wakefield was forced to lay up.

The two putt birdie was good enough to win and Warren added this title to the Scandinavian Masters he won in his rookie season.

Wakefield was looking for his first European Tour victory since first joining in 2000. This year he is on target for his best ever season after a third place at the Irish open and now this runner up placing have moved him to 44th position on the money list. Wakefield was bogey free throughout the final round but was unable to secure the one birdie he was looking for over the closing eight holes.

An outward nine of 31 including eagles at the 2nd and 9th holes had Martin Erlandsson in prime position to win his first European Tour event but the momentum slowed at a crucial time and he fell one short.

Soren Hansen had finished runner up to Paul Casey in this event in 2006 and although just a little off the pace heading into the final round, he appeared perhaps the most likely to challenge given the manner in which he has been playing of late. He birdied his second hole today but a double at the 5th appeared to have spoilt his chances.

However, he worked his way back into contention over the remaining holes, picking up seven birdies. Although he birdied the 16th and 17th he was unable to birdie the par five 18th and settled for a share of third. It was however his fourth top ten in his last six starts on the 2007 European Tour.

The best of the Australians was Wade Ormsby who improved considerably on some ordinary form of late. Two late bogeys could prove costly in the race to retain playing privileges for 2008 but his 18th placed finish was the South Australian’s best finish since finishing joint runner up at the New Zealand Open in December of last year. He has moved to 139th place on the money list so still has work to do but is at least now heading in the right direction.

Brett Rumford was 33rd, Matthew Millar was 60th, Peter O’Malley 64th, Terry Pilkadaris 68th and Terry Price 69th.

The European Tour will now move to Switzerland for this week’s Omega Masters at Crans Sur Sierre.