Lesser lights to fore in Hong Kong Open

BY Bruce Young | Asian Tour | 2002 Hong Kong Open | Wrap | 02 Dec 2002

28-year-old Swede Frederik Jacobsen has finally broken through to win the Omega Hong Kong Open and secure his first win on the European Tour. Jacobsen, who first joined the tour in 1995, battled in his first four seasons as he settled in, but in 2000 it started turning around for him. He was twice second that year, including back to back wins at the European Grand Prix and the Irish Open, following a third place at the Wales Open. The elusive win however, had been just that, until now.

2002 had been a reasonable if not spectacular year the Swede, making a lot of cuts but not threatening first place, other than his standout second at Loch Lomond. Sixty-seventh place in Taiwan last week hardly suggested that this was just around the corner but such is the nature of this great game. Keep making cuts and hanging in there and it will happen.

For joint second placed Argentinian, Jorge Berendt, this too came after a week in Taiwan where he played ordinarily, in his case missing the cut. Berendt has played in Europe since 1990 with only limited success, winning once in 2001 and one other second place way back in 1993.

The other player sharing second position, Henrik Nystrom, has also been a fringe player with every season, since he joined the tour, a battle to keep his card. 2002 has been better, however, in that he was fourth in Qatar and third in Portugal and just a few weeks ago 10th in Italy. So the signs were there for him and last week’s 13th place in Taiwan suggested the form was becoming more consistent. So for the top three, all I suppose lesser performed players, this has been a significant event.

Not much joy for the Australians and New Zealanders with only Adrian Percey making the cut and eventually finishing a creditable twenty-second place. Defending champion Jose Maria Olazabal was a disappointing 56th.