Foster finally realises early potential at Dunhill

BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2003 Alfred Dunhill Championship | Wrap | 20 Jan 2003

Yet another first time winner on the European Tour when Mark Foster won the Dunhill Championship at the Houghton Golf Club in Johannesburg.

Foster was a leading amateur winning the English Amateur Championship back to back in 1994 and 1995, turning pro soon after. He struggled with medical problems in the first few years of his career until fully fit at which time he topped the Challenge Tour in 2001. That gained him access to the European Tour where he managed to retain his card in 2002 finishing 93rd in that season.

The win over the weekend came as somewhat of a surprise, not just that it was his first win, but that it came the week after missing the cut at the South African Airways Open. Such is the topsy-turvy nature of the professional tour and perhaps the fine line between success and failure.

Foster was able to overcome the largest number of players (six in total) involved in a playoff on the European Tour when he eagled the second playoff hole from twelve metres to destroy the chances of Brad Vaughan, Paul Lawrie, and Trevor Immelman. Two others in Anders Hansen and Doug McGuigan were eliminated on the first playoff hole.

For Immelman his second place follows on from his win last week at the South African Airways Open and sees him now in second place behind Padraig Harrington on the 2003 European Tour money list. Harrington, of course, won in Taiwan at the BMW Asian Open in November and only €2000 separates the two players.

The European Tour now heads to Singapore for the Caltex Singapore Masters before arriving in Australia for the three co-sanctioned events here starting with the Heineken Classic in Melbourne on January 30th.