Fernandez-Castano survives late scare to win in Shanghai

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Kenny Perry falls into tie in San Antonio

October 26, 2013 7:21 PMAP - Sports バーナー2.0日本仕様

Kenny Perry tees off the first hole during the first round of the 3M Players Championship golf tournament …

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Kenny Perry bogeyed the final hole Saturday to drop into a five-way tie for the lead in the Champions Tour's AT&T Championship.

The Charles Schwab Cup points leader followed his opening 65 with a 71 to match Mike Goodes, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie and Anders Forsbrand at 8 under. Perry leads Langer in the Schwab Cup by 494 points as the season finishes next week.

Perry didn't help matters when he dumped his tee shot on the par-4 final hole into a bunker. Langer parred the hole in the group in front of Perry.

''I can't shake that guy,'' Perry said. ''He's had a chance to win on Sunday the last 10 weeks. He's been right there, just inching away at me, picking on me, gaining spots here and there. I need to find a way to get it done this weekend.''

Goodes had the round of the day, shooting a 63 on TPC San Antonio's AT&T Canyons Course to jump 43 spots on the leaderboard. Montgomerie had a 68, and Langer and Forsbrand shot 69.

''That's one of the best rounds I've ever played,'' said Goodes, whose lone win on the Champions Tour came four years ago. ''I've got a chance. I love it. That's what we play for.''

Scott Dunlap, who got in the field Tuesday in a qualifying event, was a stroke back along with Kirk Triplett. Dunlap had a 68, and Triplett shot 67.

The top 30 on the money list Sunday will advance to the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship next week at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. The season points winner gets a $1 million annuity.

Montgomerie can't win the annuity, having just gained eligibility for the Champions Tour at his 50th birthday this summer. He's played nine events with a best finish of seventh in August at the 3M Championship.

''I finished 3-3-3, and it's given me a chance to win it,'' Montgomerie said. ''But there's 20 guys who can win. Somebody could do a Mike Goodes and shoot a 63 from the pack, and there's your winner.''

Fernandez-Castano survives late scare to win in Shanghai

October 27, 2013 6:04 AM 日本バーナー2.0

(Reuters) - Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano survived a late scare when he found two bunkers on the way to a double-bogey six on the last but the Spaniard had enough of a cushion to complete a one-stroke victory at the BMW Masters in Shanghai on Sunday.

The 32-year-old teed off a stroke behind the leaders in the final round and gained six shots over 17 holes in a flawless display before his final hole struggles.

A four-under 68 took him to 11-under for the tournament, enough for him to win the $7 million event, the first of four in the European Tour's Finals Series to determine the order of merit winner.

Italian Francesco Molinari (64) and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee (66) finished a stroke behind with American Luke Guthrie, who held at least a share of the lead over the first three days, finishing third at nine-under.

"I knew it wasn't going to be an easy round, especially the way I started. I started hitting the ball pretty bad," Fernandez-Castano told reporters, after becoming the first Spaniard to win on the Tour in 2013.

"But my caddie kept me cool and told me how good I had been hitting the ball through the week and I played fantastic after that.

"On the last, I played too conservative and it was a fighting six at the end for sure."

The victory moved the Spaniard into the top five on the money list and boosted his chances of making the team for next year's Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.

Molinari was two-under for the final round till the 12th hole but started a scoring spree to surge up the leaderboard with an eagle on the 13th, followed by four consecutive birdies.

Defending champion Peter Hanson of Sweden, who has had problems with his back, started the no-cut event with a 79 but scorched the course with a closing 63 to finish at seven-under.

"I was playing with Paul McGinley, the Ryder Cup captain, and I guess I wanted to impress him," Hanson said after his round which contained 11 birdies and two bogeys.

"I had no expectations on coming back from injury and I was obviously very rusty on Thursday. But I have felt better and better throughout the week and to finish with a round like that is very pleasing. As a defense, it wasn't bad."

Former world number one Rory McIlroy's problems continued as he carded a final round one-over 73, with five bogeys and four birdies, to finish in a tie for 27th.

(Writing by Sudipto Ganguly; Editing by John O'Brien)