Fisher takes European Open by seven
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2008 European Open | Round Four | 07 Jul 2008
27-year-old Ross Fisher won his second European Tour event but certainly his most significant when he won the European Open at the London Golf Club in Kent by a massive seven shots.
Fisher led from his opening round of 63 and extended his 54 hole three shot lead to seven. His closing stretch of six consecutive birdies on Thursday provided the catalyst for victory but to have led for as long as he did in such an important event provides the Englishman with every reason to believe there is more to come.
Fisher’s final round of 68 given the circumstances of leading for so long and that the conditions were so terrible, made his victory all that more impressive.
Sergio Garcia moved into second place with an encouraging final round of 66, more especially given the looming Open Championship where he will start as one of the favourites.
Fisher is in his third season on the European Tour having graduated to the higher level via the Challenge Tour in 2005. His win at the KLM Open last year was dampened by a question mark over a possible rules infringement from which he was subsequently cleared and so he would have enjoyed the post tournament euphoria more so this week than in his maiden win.
Despite a bogey at the second, Fisher’s 60 foot eagle putt at the third put the result almost beyond doubt very early on day four and he put the icing on the cake when he holed a bunker shot from the left hand greenside trap at the last.
Fisher’s nearest challenger heading into the final day and his closest pursuer for much of the week, Graeme McDowell, effectively ruined his chance with a horror start to the day. He bogeyed the first, doubled the third after finding the water and then bogeyed the 4th. He fought back but his chance of victory had disappeared very early. He would finish third.
Garcia’s week was a rollercoaster of sorts but his 66 today was impressive and he is warming to his task as far as Royal Birkdale is concerned. Importantly with that in mind Garcia’s putting was near his best. Garcia will not play in the star studded line-up at Loch Lomond next week, preferring instead to rest and prepare for what could be seen as his best opportunity, pre-event, to win a major.
Veteran 48-year-old David Frost finished fourth. The South African has made his last 13 cuts on the European Tour and his effort this week has earned him a start the Open.
The best of the Australians and the only one to make the cut was Richard Green although his last round of 83 was somewhat of a departure from his recent form. Hopefully there is no injury concern with the Open Championship just ten days away and a chance to follow up his 4th place at that event last year. Mark Brown was the best of the Australasians, finishing in 27th position.
The European Tour now moves to Loch Lomond in Scotland for this week’s Barclays Scottish Open where a brilliant field will line up.
