The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| Manassero clinches Singapore Open after playoff Posted: 11 Nov 2012 07:46 AM PST  Matteo Manassero of Italy poses with his trophy after winning the Barclays Singapore Open golf tournament in Sentosa, November 11, 2012. — Reuters pic The first two days of the US$6 million (RM18 million) co-sanctioned event were dampened by lengthy storm delays but with the weather gods smiling down on the Sentosa Golf Club, the tournament reached a gripping climax over the final two rounds. As an impressive Manassero threatened to run away with the event on a day when he ended up playing 36 holes, the 2010 Open Championship winner Oosthuizen emerged from the pack and could and should have won the tournament in the playoff. The duo birdied the par-five 18th in regulation to finish locked on 13-under 271 and after they repeated the feat on the first extra hole, Oosthuizen had a four-foot birdie putt to claim the title on the next but his nervous effort horseshoed around the back of the cup. Both men found the fairway on their third attempt at deciding a winner, with the South African's approach landing short and left of the flag before Manassero ripped a beauty that rolled down off a slope to within 10 feet of the hole. Oosthuizen's eagle putt curled above the hole and his opponent made no mistake, picking up a third European Tour event before his 20th birthday with an assured putt into the middle of the cup that was met with a joyous roar from the packed gallery. "It has been an extremely long day, the adrenaline kept me going and the playoff was just a great honor to play with Louis," Manassero told reporters. "It's the first playoff of my career and it has just been amazing really. Of course to end it with an eagle was great." McIlroy surge Almost forgotten in the mayhem was a brilliant final round six-under 65 from world number one Rory McIlroy that lifted the Briton up to third place on 10-under and secured the European Tour order-of-merit title with two events to spare. "I played well all week but just didn't convert the birdie chances I gave myself," said the Northern Irishman, who was cheered on all week by tennis-playing girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki. "I missed a lot of putts over the last four days. If I had holed a few more it would have been a different story. I am very happy how I played today and how I finished." Halfway leader Thomas Bjorn of Denmark, who closed with a 68, finished a shot further back, and three-times Singapore Open champion Adam Scott of Australia was tied for fifth alongside Italy's Francesco Molinari on eight-under 276. However, the day belonged to Manassero, who arrived at the course at the crack of dawn to complete his third round and immediately recorded four consecutive birdies on the way to forging a two-shot lead heading into the final 18 holes. "Fortunately, the key was starting really well this morning after coming back on the course and I started with some birdies in a row which was very good and gave me a lot of adrenaline to go forward," Manassero added. The 19-year-old Italian stretched his lead to three strokes by the turn as his closest challengers began to wilt in the scorching heat but Oosthuizen was made of sterner stuff and chipped away at Manassero's advantage until he took the lead with his birdie at the last. Manassero, three groups back of Oosthuizen, had been in defensive mode since the fourth hole and after dropping a shot on the 15th, he needed to attack again and his short birdie putt on the 72nd hole set up the thrilling playoff. — Reuters |
| McIlroy’s late flourish not enough to hide disappointment Posted: 11 Nov 2012 06:40 AM PST  Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland is congratulated by officials after he finished the final round of the Barclays Singapore Open golf tournament in Sentosa, November 11, 2012. — Reuters pic McIlroy struggled to maintain his focus and rhythm at a tournament hampered by three lengthy weather delays on the first two days but he was back to his brilliant best on Sunday, carding a six-under 65 to finish on 10-under 274. "I played really well this afternoon... no bogeys and finished with an eagle on the last it was very nice," McIlroy told reporters after ending the US$6 million (RM18 million) co-sanctioned event three shots adrift of Matteo Manassero of Italy. "I played well all week but just didn't convert the birdie chances I gave myself," said the Northern Irishman, who was cheered on all week by tennis-playing girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki. "I missed a lot of putts over the last four days. If I had holed a few more it would have been a different story. I am very happy how I played today and how I finished." McIlroy's third place finish was good enough to secure the European Tour order-of-merit title with two events remaining, meaning he has topped the money lists on both sides of the Atlantic, but his job was made much easier with the absence of his nearest rivals in Singapore. Consistency award "The money list has been cheapened a little bit by not having the leading players at events towards the end of the year," he added. "It's still an award for consistency and you need to play well throughout the year in all the tournaments you attend. "I am going to end up playing 13 or 14 events on the European Tour this year. That's obviously a lot less than a lot of other people but I have played in the bigger tournaments with the higher prize funds, which has allowed me to get to the top." McIlroy will defend his Hong Kong Open title next week and while he goes there on the back of a second and a third in his last two events, he is still hopeful of picking up another victory before closing out his 2012 campaign. "Finishing in the top two or three isn't too bad but I said I wanted to win at least once more before the end of the season and I still have two more tournaments in which to do that." Following the season-ending Dubai World Championships McIlroy will take a break and that start looking at how he can make himself a better player in 2013. "I will keep working on different aspects of the game to improve next year,' he added. "I feel I have got a lot more comfortable at hitting left to right which has made a huge difference to right-hand pin positions. "It's been nice that year-after-year my results have improved and I would like to keep that going and like to feel I am a better golfer next year than I was this year. "I have got more shots, am more experienced and more consistent." — Reuters |
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