Golf-Poulter holds on for victory in Singapore (Reuters)
November 1, 2009
* Poulter clings on to win by one stroke
* Briton’s first European Tour win in three years
By John O’Brien
SINGAPORE, Nov 1 (Reuters) – Briton Ian Poulter overcame amid-round crisis to fire a one-over 72 and win the SingaporeOpen by one shot on Sunday, finishing the $5 million event on10-under 274 for a wire-to-wire victory.
China’s Liang Wenchong finished second on nine-under-par,with Australian pair Scott Hend and Adam Scott tied for third,a further shot adrift of Poulter, who won for the first time onthe European Tour since the 2006 Madrid Open.
“I was playing fairly solid but mishit some shots,” Poultersaid in a greenside television interview.
“I made it a little bit interesting on a string of holesyesterday and coming out today I made some mistakes on thefront nine and back nine to make it too close for comfort.
“To stand on the last knowing you have to make par for thevictory, I was fairly happy.”
The co-sanctioned event was troubled by weather delays onthe three previous days but Poulter returned to the courseunder blue skies on Sunday and battled through 30 holes beforelimping over the finishing line having let slip a five-shothalfway lead.
Returning to action after a six-week layoff, the33-year-old twice looked poised to run away with the tournamentbefore two shocking six-hole spells in the final two roundsgave the rest of the field a chance to catch up.
On Sunday, he started the day tied for the lead with 12holes remaining in his third round and birdied his first holeback before surrendering back-to-back bogeys around the turn toslip back to seven-under for the tournament.
The flamboyant Briton parred the 11th before his roundfinally kicked into gear and he recorded four birdies in sixholes to move back to the top of the standings.
He took a one-stroke lead over Graeme McDowell into thefinal round after the Northern Irishman fired a four-under 67and the pair were involved in a see-saw battle all afternoonbefore Poulter took advantage of his rivals’ errors to seal thewin.
(Editing by Nick Mulvenney;
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