Chris Wooden secured his first MENA Golf Tour title with a nerveless ultimate spherical five-under-par 67 to say a one-shot victory on the Rolear Algarve Basic, capping a dominant week at Amendoeira Golf Resort’s O’Connor Course with only a single dropped shot throughout 54 holes.
The 38-year-old Englishman, who started the ultimate day with a one-shot lead, completed at 16-under-par to carry off Scotland’s Aidan O’Hagan, whose matching 67 noticed him end alone in second place at 15-under.
Germany’s Max Schmitt produced the spherical of the day with a course-record bogey-free nine-under 63 to surge into third place at 13-under-par.
Wooden’s exceptional week noticed him play 52 holes with no blemish earlier than lastly dropping his first and solely shot on the seventeenth gap on Thursday, a statistic that underlined his management and consistency all through the match.
“It was an amazing begin. I hit a stunning pitch into the primary to a foot, one other good pitch for about eight toes on the second, held a pleasant putt from 20 toes on the third,” mentioned Wooden, who opened with three consecutive birdies. “I felt very in management immediately, so yeah, I’m actually happy.”
The three-time DP World Tour winner acknowledged O’Hagan’s problem all through the ultimate spherical. “Truthful play to him. He hit some nice pictures on the again 9. I missed a few greens, managed to rise up and down two out of these three. He was there all day lengthy, actually.”
Regardless of the stress of defending his lead, Wooden remained centered on his personal course of with caddie Chris Lloyd, his fellow Bristolian and former taking part in associate, on the bag. “I’m so into what I’m doing and me and Lloydy, what we’re doing on the market. He might have shot 63, I might have shot 67, I’d have shaken his hand. I’d have been happy with how I did immediately. It’s labored out that I’ve managed to return out on prime.”
The victory caps a big interval in Wooden’s resurgence after a troublesome spell away from aggressive golf. “I’m gutted that I bogeyed the seventeenth – that was my solely bogey all week. However to complete my season with a win is wonderful. I’ve bought some work that I wish to get into over the winter and have a little bit break however come out prepared for the primary couple in Egypt.”
O’Hagan mounted a spirited problem on the ultimate day. The 21-year-old Scot, who had shared the first-round lead with Wooden, remained in rivalry all through and gave himself each likelihood down the stretch, together with a putt on the 18th that will have pressured a play-off.
“I sadly hit one within the water on three and made double there, so a number of it for me was simply ensuring that I used to be in a position to get it again to the place I wanted to be,” O’Hagan defined. “Slowly picked just a few pictures again up as we went and by the point we bought to 18 I had a putt to tie all of it up and it simply slipped by sadly.”
Regardless of the frustration, O’Hagan took vital positives from the expertise of pushing a former Ryder Cup participant all the best way to the ultimate gap. “I gained some perception immediately in my sport. It’s been trending in the appropriate course and simply having the ability to pull off the pictures once I wanted to, particularly with how windy it was. Sadly, only a few putts slipped by, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly a great stepping stone to sort of kick on after this.”
Schmitt’s spectacular ultimate spherical offered one of many week’s standout performances because the German carded 9 birdies with out dropping a shot to rocket up the leaderboard and declare third place.
“I actually performed effectively the primary two days as effectively, however the putter wasn’t working in any respect. I had three three-putts first spherical, one yesterday, so 4 three-putts in two rounds,” he defined. “Immediately I made those that I wanted to, which was actually essential. I used to be taking part in a bit higher immediately, hit it nearer on a lot of the holes after which simply executed the putts.”
Schmitt, who performs with exceptional tempo, admitted he wasn’t even conscious of the course report as he tore by the O’Connor Course. “To be truthful, I wasn’t taking part in my finest all 12 months lengthy, so I didn’t give it some thought in any respect. Nevertheless it’s very nice to sort of end possibly my season on a excessive.”
Three gamers shared fourth place at 10-under-par: Czech Republic’s Dominik Pavoucek (67), Scotland’s Sebastian Sandin (68) and Italy’s Marco Florioli (68).
Eire’s Tyler Hogarty and Portugal’s Pedro Figueiredo each posted spectacular ultimate rounds of 65 to complete in a share of seventh at eight-under, alongside English pair David Hague (68) and Toby Hunt (69), Portugal’s Pedro Lencart (71) and Eire’s Max Kennedy (72).
The UAE’s Ahmad Skaik confirmed exceptional dedication to play by the ache barrier and card an even-par 72 within the ultimate spherical, ending the match at four-over-par to gather prize cash in simply his second occasion as knowledgeable.
“My physique was feeling higher immediately after the therapeutic massage, and I used to be hitting the ball higher, which meant I gave myself extra possibilities for birdies,” mentioned Skaik. “It feels good to get a paycheque for the primary time and hopefully first of many. In case you would inform me initially of the week that I’m gonna make the reduce and probably shoot a low spherical within the third spherical, I’d not have believed it as a result of I used to be not transferring effectively and I used to be in a lot ache and couldn’t swing the membership.”
Wooden’s victory earns him $18,000 from the $100,000 prize fund and priceless Official World Golf Rating factors because the MENA Golf Tour’s relaunched season continues to achieve momentum. The Tour now heads to Egypt for 4 occasions in January and February earlier than transferring to Morocco.
The second occasion of the season demonstrated the standard of area the relaunched Tour is attracting, with former DP World Tour winners, promising younger expertise, and bold professionals all competing for the substantial prize funds and essential world rating factors on provide.
FINAL LEADERBOARD
- Chris Wooden (ENG) -16 (65-68-67—200)
- Aidan O’Hagan (SCO) -15 (65-69-67—201)
- Max Schmitt (GER) -13 (71-69-63—203)
T4. Dominik Pavoucek (CZE) -10 (68-71-67—206) | Sebastian Sandin (SCO) -10 (71-67-68—206) | Marco Florioli (ITA) -10 (68-70-68—206)
