Dougherty finally gets job done at St Andrews

BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2007 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship | Round Four | 08 Oct 2007

Nick Dougherty has been on the verge of victory on several occasions in season 2007 but this week in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship he converted his third round lead and defeated arguably the strongest field assembled in a stand alone European Tour event this season to claim victory at the home of golf.

After taking a three shot lead into today’s final round, Dougherty was quickly under pressure in round four when he missed two shortish par saving putts at the opening two holes and his lead was just one over Peter O’Malley, Justin Rose, Paul Lawrie and Steve Webster. Webster caught the Englishman briefly at the 5th hole but Dougherty got things back on track with a run of three consecutive birdies from the 5th and by the turn he had opened up a four shot lead over Paul Lawrie, Justin Rose, Ernie Els and Rory McIlroy.

Recently turned professional, McIlroy, was playing nearly an hour ahead of the final group and when he made the turn in 33 and added another birdie at the 10th he was at 15 under for the tournament. Just when it appeared a fairytale was about to unfold, the brilliant 18-year-old stumbled with a bogey at the 12th and a double at the 14th.

As quickly as he had stumbled however, the Northern Irishman had recovered with three birdies in his last four holes including one at the Road Hole and he would eventually finish third, good enough to secure his playing rights in 2008. It has been a dream start to a professional career that appears to be full of promise.

Back on the golf course it appeared Ernie Els might be Dougherty’s biggest threat when he birdied the 13th, 14th and 15th holes to move within one of the lead. It was a move that had not gone unnoticed by Dougherty.

“When I saw Ernie move within one I thought he is the last person I want that close but although he and Justin (Rose) closed within one it was nice to have been able to hold onto the lead all day,” said Dougherty. “Steve Webster joined me in the lead briefly at the 5th but other than that I held the lead all day, which was pleasing.”

Els challenge came to a grinding halt at the par four 16th when he putted into a bunker and took a triple bogey while Rose also challenged strongly but just when he appeared likely to steal Dougherty’s limelight he bogeyed the par four 17th and left Dougherty the luxury of playing the last with a two shot lead.

Dougherty had been twice runner up this season in the New Zealand Open where he never looked like winning on the final day but came from a long way back to share second and at the Scandinavian Masters where he finished two shots behind Mikko Ilonen. This, however, would be his second European Tour win after his win in the 2005 Carlsberg Masters in Singapore.

“It’s been a long time since Singapore,” said Dougherty after his round. “I have had lots of chances and not taken them but it has been a learning experience and it seems I have finally learnt how to close one out. I strategised well today and was delighted how I went about it.”

Rose’s big runners-up cheque will move him within striking distance of Padraig Harrington on the European Tour money list.

The best of the Australians was Australian Scott Strange who in finishing 10th recorded one of the most important weeks of his career. His 10th place finish will almost certainly earn him full status on the 2008 European Tour and in addition, he won the Teams event when partnering Robert Coe from Sydney.

30-year-old Strange is from Western Australia and has taken advantage of his status on the Asian Tour to leapfrog his way into Europe. Scott has previously won the Myanmar and Philippine Opens.

Brett Rumford finished 15th, Peter O’Malley finished 23rd, Nathan Green 49th and Matthew Millar 55th.

O’Malley was very much in contention early on the day but struggled to a final round of 77 to finish 23rd.

The European Tour now heads to Madrid for this week’s Madrid Open while, for a select few, they will play the World Match Play Championship at Wentworth.