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Oliver Fisher captured his first European Tour title on Sunday with a two-shot victory at the Czech Open, six years after demonstrating his potential by becoming the youngest ever Walker Cup player.
The 22-year-old carded a closing 69 to finish 13 under par with Sweden’s Mikael Lundberg, the halfway leader, taking second place, ahead of Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti who signed for a 66 to take third on nine under.
Fisher now moves inside the top 70 on The Race to Dubai, a remarkable achievement for a player who had come into the tournament having missed 20 of his first 21 cuts this season.
Fisher had started the final round level with Scotland’s Steven O’Hara, with both parring the first six holes while last year’s runner-up Gary Boyd briefly join them in a share of the lead.
But Fisher, having made his first birdie of the day at the seventh from 20 feet, struck approaches within five feet at the next two to reach 13 under par.
Lundberg, who lost his card last year, joined Fisher at the top of the leaderboard when he sunk a 15 foot putt at the 15th and held a share of the lead as Fisher came up short of the 11th green and failed to get up and down.
When Fisher came up short again at the 13th and then failed once more to scramble par, Lundberg was on his own in front. Fisher responded with a brilliant approach at the 14th to a couple of feet and with the resulting birdie tied once more with Lundberg on 12 under, with O’Hara two behind after his first gain of the day on the 13th.
The leaders dropped shots on par threes at almost exactly the same time - Lundberg at the 17th as Fisher three-putted the 15th. But Fisher responded with a birdie at the par five 16th and Lundberg could only par the last, leaving Fisher needing two closing pars for the title.
Simpson storms home to grab lead
Greensboro, North Carolina: Webb Simpson produced an incredible late finish to his third round to snatch a two-shot lead at the Wyndham Championship on Saturday.
The American collected four birdies and an eagle in his last six holes to shoot a 64 for a three round total of 15-under-par 195. That left him with a two-stroke lead on overnight leader Tommy Gainey, who fired a 69 at the Sedgefield Country Club, on a day when play was halted for more than an hour because of severe weather conditions. Sweden’s Carl Pettersson, the only non-American in the top five, was tied for third with John Mallinger, one ahead of Daniel Summerhays.
A group of five players, including South Africa’s multiple major winners Retief Goosen and Ernie Els, were a shot back at 10-under.
Simpson made a slow start to his round, dropping two early shots, but the 26-year-old made his move late in the afternoon, following the delay caused by rain and the threat of lightning. “You’ve got to really stay patient around this golf course, because bogeys are pretty quick to happen out here with the rough and the undulating greens,” Simpson said.
“I told myself to be patient and let the birdies come. It took them a while to get there, but (I) finally made a few coming in.”
Choi stretches LPGA lead to three strokes
North Plains, Or: South Korea’s Na Yeon Choi stretched her lead at the LPGA’s Safeway Classic to three shots on Saturday, and said she was excited to be closing in on what could be her first title of 2011.
“I was missing that feeling, you know,” said Choi, who won twice in 2010 but hasn’t managed a victory yet this year despite five top-10 finishes. “I’m very excited. I like this chance.”
Choi couldn’t match her eight-birdie effort of Friday, which had given her a two-stroke overnight lead.
But her three birdies and one bogey on the par-71 Pumpkin Ridge Layout gave her a 69 for 134, three shots ahead of American Stacy Lewis.
Lewis launched her round with four straight birdies, but dropped three shots with bogeys at five, nine and 10 en route to a 68 for 137.