Larrazabal claims Open de France
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2008 Open de France | Round Four | 30 Jun 2008
The European Tour uncovered yet another first time winner and it would seem another star, when 25-year-old Spaniard, Pablo Larrazabal, held off golfers of significantly more experience to win his first European Tour event, the lucrative Open de France Alstom.
It was an emotional victory for Larrazabal who was almost speechless.
“It is too hard to believe, I played the best game of my life,” he said after his round. “I don’t know what to say.”
Larrazabal gets an additional bonus as he is now guaranteed a start at the Open Championship, his first major championship start.
Larrazabal is the brother of Alejandro Larrazabal, who won the 2002 US Amateur Championship but after finishing his schooling in the US in 2002 Pablo returned to Spain determined to turn professional. He was convinced by his father to take up work in the family fish business but set out on a professional career two years later when turning professional in 2004. He has played the Challenge Tour in each of the past two years and gained access to the European Tour by finishing in share of 6th at the Tour School late last year.
Larazzabal led by three over Colin Montgomerie and Soren Hansen coming into the final round but there was always the expectation that the European Tour rookie might find the prospect of such an important win a little much to handle. Ironically, it would be players of far greater status than Larrazabal who would succumb to the demands of the Albatross layout at Le Golf National near Paris.
As the potential challenges of Westwood and Hansen dissolved it would be Colin Montgomerie who would make his move with a back nine of 32. He finished alone in second place at 11 under following a third place finish in this event twelve months ago. Last year Montgomerie would go on to win the European Open the following week and although that event is at a new venue this year, he stands a good chance to repeat the success.
Soren Hansen’s final round was somewhat of a rollercoaster but he birdied the last to finish third while Richard Green put together a final round of 67 to finish 4th. For Green it continues a good run at this venue having finished runner up in 2004 behind Jean Francois Remesy.
Peter O’Malley was the next best of the Australians after Green, finishing in an eight way share of 13th. O’Malley made a big move early on during the final round but dropped two shots late in the day. O’Malley does however seem to be finding form in recent weeks and his timing could not be better given the money available over the next few weeks.
Scott Barr was 30th and Rick Kulacz, who was playing the event on invitation did well to make the cut and finished 53rd.
The European Tour heads across the English Channel to the London Golf Club in Ash in Kent for the European Open.
