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Gonzalez triumphs in Madrid Open for second European Tour victory
Madrid, Oct 27: Argentine Ricardo Gonzalez wins Madrid Open golf. Argentine Ricardo Gonzalez recorded his second European Tour victory when he came from six shots behind to snatch the Madrid Open on Sunday (October 26) by a stroke.
Madrid, Oct 27: Argentine Ricardo Gonzalez wins Madrid Open golf. Argentine Ricardo Gonzalez recorded his second European Tour victory when he came from six shots behind to snatch the Madrid Open on Sunday (October 26) by a stroke.
A closing six-under-par 65 took the 34-year-old to a 14-under-par total of 270, a stroke better than Irishman Padraig Harrington, Swede Marten Olander, Australian Nick O'Hern and long-time leader Paul Casey of Britain.
Gonzalez charged into contention with four successive birdies from the fourth after an early bogey and sealed his win -- his other success came at the 2001 European Masters -- with four birdies in five holes from the 11th. Olander's closing 67 earned him his best tour finish. Gonzalez said: "Things didn't work out after my first win but now I hope to go on to more wins. "But when I bogeyed the second hole to go seven behind Casey my will to win had gone.
"Then after a good par on the third I started playing really well and the door opened, my run of birdies switched the light back on for me."
The start was delayed for just over two hours while the course was mopped after further heavy rain.
Leading scores after the final round of the Madrid Open golf tournament at the par-71, 6,967 yard Club de Campo course on Sunday (Britain unless stated, a-denotes amateur): 270 - Ricardo Gonzalez (Argentina) 69 70 66 65 271 - Paul Casey 63 65 71 72, Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 65 73 68 65, Marten Orlander (Sweden) 69 65 70 67, Nick O'Hern (Australia) 67 67 69 68 273 - Matthew Blackey 70 70 68 65, Sergio Garcia (Spain) 64 71 71 67, Peter Fowler (Australia) 67 66 70 70, Paul Lawrie 69 64 70 70 274 - Adam Scott (Australia) 72 69 68 65, a-Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain) 67 70 70 67, Pierre Fulke (Sweden) 71 65 70 68 275 - Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 70 68 70 67, Patrik Sjoland (Sweden) 69 70 69 67, 276 - Alistair Forsyth 70 71 69 66, Anders Hansen (Denmark) 71 67 70 68, Jarrod Moseley (Australia) 70 69 68 69, Greg Owen 72 66 71 67, Niclas Fasth (Sweden) 71 71 69 65 277 - Brian Davis 70 68 70 69, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 70 67 71 69, Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 65 67 74 71, Maarten Lafeber (Netherlands) 67 67 69 72, Thomas Levet (France) 66 71 72 68, Andrew Coltart 69 68 68 72
Bureau Report
A closing six-under-par 65 took the 34-year-old to a 14-under-par total of 270, a stroke better than Irishman Padraig Harrington, Swede Marten Olander, Australian Nick O'Hern and long-time leader Paul Casey of Britain.
Gonzalez charged into contention with four successive birdies from the fourth after an early bogey and sealed his win -- his other success came at the 2001 European Masters -- with four birdies in five holes from the 11th. Olander's closing 67 earned him his best tour finish. Gonzalez said: "Things didn't work out after my first win but now I hope to go on to more wins. "But when I bogeyed the second hole to go seven behind Casey my will to win had gone.
"Then after a good par on the third I started playing really well and the door opened, my run of birdies switched the light back on for me."
The start was delayed for just over two hours while the course was mopped after further heavy rain.
Leading scores after the final round of the Madrid Open golf tournament at the par-71, 6,967 yard Club de Campo course on Sunday (Britain unless stated, a-denotes amateur): 270 - Ricardo Gonzalez (Argentina) 69 70 66 65 271 - Paul Casey 63 65 71 72, Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 65 73 68 65, Marten Orlander (Sweden) 69 65 70 67, Nick O'Hern (Australia) 67 67 69 68 273 - Matthew Blackey 70 70 68 65, Sergio Garcia (Spain) 64 71 71 67, Peter Fowler (Australia) 67 66 70 70, Paul Lawrie 69 64 70 70 274 - Adam Scott (Australia) 72 69 68 65, a-Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain) 67 70 70 67, Pierre Fulke (Sweden) 71 65 70 68 275 - Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 70 68 70 67, Patrik Sjoland (Sweden) 69 70 69 67, 276 - Alistair Forsyth 70 71 69 66, Anders Hansen (Denmark) 71 67 70 68, Jarrod Moseley (Australia) 70 69 68 69, Greg Owen 72 66 71 67, Niclas Fasth (Sweden) 71 71 69 65 277 - Brian Davis 70 68 70 69, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 70 67 71 69, Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 65 67 74 71, Maarten Lafeber (Netherlands) 67 67 69 72, Thomas Levet (France) 66 71 72 68, Andrew Coltart 69 68 68 72
Bureau Report