Bourdy yet another first time winner
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2007 Mallorca Classic | Round Four | 29 Oct 2007
Gregory Bourdy became yet another first time winner on the European Tour, the 18th of the season, when he won the final full field event of the 2007 European Tour season, the Mallorca Classic, by two shots over Englishman, Sam little.
The 25-year-old from Bourdeaux first joined the European Tour via the Challenge Tour in 2005. He finished just outside the top 117 in his first season but narrowly regained his card at the Tour School that year. In 2006 he safely kept his card but in 2007 things were looking much better even prior to this week.
His recent 4th place finish in Madrid gave an indication that his game was in good shape heading into this week. Bourdy took a share of the lead with a third round of 64 and made virtually no mistakes today although there was one moment at the 16th where he appeared to have pulled his second into the water but narrowly avoided disaster.
While the door appeared to have opened briefly for Little, it quickly closed but the Englishman will be undeterred as his runner up placing has seen him advance from 136th to 76th on the 2007 money list and any concerns he had about his status for next year have disappeared.
“I started a little nervously but I finished well,” said Bourdy. “I now have starts at Valderrama and I also get a start at the HSBC so it is a good opportunity.”
For Little it was a special week. He and his wife unexpectedly had twins in August and before this week he was preparing to head to Tour School. “I played brilliant this weekend. I haven’t been in that much control of my game ever.”
Robert-Jan Derksen finished alone in third after a slow start to his final round while Scotland’s Alistair Forsyth finished the tournament strongly with a final round of 66 to secure fourth place.
The best of the Australians was Matthew Millar from Canberra who finished 21st but it was not enough to get him inside the top 115 who retain playing privileges, Millar finishing in 127th position on the 2007 European Tour money list and he will head back to Tour School to improve that status.
So too will Wade Ormsby who could only manage 44th this week and he finishes 145th for the season. Brett Rumford was the only other Australian to make the cut, finishing 49th.
The European Tour now heads back to mainland Spain for this week’s season ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama where three Australians will tee it up, namely Richard Green, Brett Rumford and Peter O’Malley. Nick O’Hern and Michael Campbell were also eligible but they will be in Singapore for the Singapore Open.
