Golf-Hedblom holds off Erlandsson challenge to win at Gleneagles (Reuters)
August 30, 2009
By Norman Dabell
GLENEAGLES, Scotland, Aug 30 (Reuters) – Swede Peter Hedblommade immediate amends for a playoff defeat the previous week bywinning the Johnnie Walker Championship on Sunday.
Hedblom held off a charge by Martin Erlandsson to win by astroke from his compatriot with a closing five-under-par 67 fora 13-under aggregate of 275.
Like the week before in the Netherlands, Hedblom led goinginto the final round, but this time finished the job after beingput under pressure by Erlandsson’s spectacular finale, a 62.
Beginning the day a stroke ahead of the field, foursuccessive birdies from the seventh proved the key to the39-year-old’s third European Tour victory and a $380,000 prize.
Erlandsson nearly repeated the feat of Britain’s Dutch Openwinner Simon Dyson by starting the day six strokes behindHedblom and would have earned the Centenary course record butfor preferred lies.
Hedblom’s sudden resurgence in form, rising over 100 placeson Europe’s money-list in two weeks, has taken even him bysurprise.
“This year has been unbelievable because I had played verypoorly until last week,” Hedblom told reporters.
“I felt a lot more confident playing the first nine holestoday than I did last week and that was the key to winning.
“I feel as if I’ve got my career back on track now andhopefully this can lead to bigger things like playing in majorsand world championships.”
Erlandsson’s $256,000 prize will enable him to climb from135th on the money-list to virtually ensure a card for nextseason.
“It came to me around the 11th-12th (hole) that this couldmean the card for next year but I managed to put that out of mymind and stay in the present,” the runner-up told reporters.
Last year’s winner Gregory Havret (67) of France and firstand second round leader Paul Lawrie of Britain (69) tied forthird place, three shots behind Hedblom. (Editing by Sonia Oxley; To comment on this story:sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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