It's the French again at Omega Masters
IN: News | European PGA | Omega European Masters (2008) | Round Four | by Bruce Young | 08 Sep 2008
The stocks of French golf are at an all time high today following the playoff victory by 460th world ranked Jean-Francois Lucquin at the Omega European Masters in Crans Sur Sierre in Switzerland.
Just seven days after the victory at the Johnnie Walker Championship by his fellow countryman, Gregory Havret, Lucquin edged out rookie Rory McIlroy with a birdie at the second extra hole to win his first European Tour event in his sixth season as a European Tour member.
To add even further French lustre to the week in the predominantly French speaking township, Frenchman Christian Cavear finished in a share of third with Julia Clemente, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Gary Orr.
In what was one of the most congested leaderboards imaginable in a final round of any event, there were many chances to win the event through the first nine holes and even with nine holes to play there were still ten players within two shots of the lead.
McIlroy, seeking his first victory in his first full season on the European Tour, agonisingly bogeyed the 72nd hole after a miss from five feet to allow Lucquin the chance to join then defeat him with a 15 foot birdie putt in extra time. The 19-year-old missed a putt of half that length at the second extra hole and Lucquin then had two putts from 15 feet to win. He needed only one. For McIlroy however it has turned around a rather ordinary run of late and that in itself will provide some consolation.
Lucquin has made steady if unspectacular progress since first joining the Tour in 2003. His previous best had been in Malaysia in 2007 when he finished runner up to Peter Hedblom. This season had not been so good however until now. In 24 starts leading into this week’s event there had been only one top ten and languishing well outside the top 115, the 29-year-old was in danger of losing his rights to play in Europe. That, of course, has all changed now.
Juan Abbate, threatened yet another win in this event by players from Argentina when he took the lead early in the final round. The 870th world ranked player’s chance of an even unlikelier victory than Lucquin’s was eliminated when he double bogeyed the first of the two consecutive par fives in the back nine, the 14th. Eduardo Romero (twice) and Ricardo Gonzalez have won here in recent years.
The best of the Australasians were Brett Rumford, who took advantage of downtime on the USPGA Tour to defend his title, and Michael Campbell, who both finished 23rd. Scott Barr was 44th, Steve Alker 59th, Matthew Millar 64th and Marcus Fraser 66th.
The European Tour will now move to Germany for the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Cologne.
