Spanish golfer Alvaro Quiros surprised all when he surged up the leader board, over-taking favourites Charl Schwartzel and Lee Westwood to take the Alfred Dunhill Championship title on 13-under-par 275.
The gutsy Spaniard started the day four off the pace at eight-under after rounds of 74, 66 and 68.
Quiros started speeding ahead of the field after three birdies on the front and a run of three on 13, 14 and 15, taking his tally to six, and pinching the lead from Schwartzel.
At that stage journalists and commentators started scrambling for information on this unknown Spaniard, who aggressively climbed up the leader board and clung to the top spot with a final birdie on the 18th.
Quiros hails from the south coast of Spain and is playing in his first season on the European Tour. The 23-year old graduated from the Challenge Tour after finishing 18th on the Order of Merit.
He has represented Spain on all levels as an amateur and the Eisenhower trophy in 2004. At the end of 2004 he turned professional, but failed to earn his European Tour card when he missed the cut at Second Stage.
Quiros played on the Spanish International Tour and got a few starts on the Challenge Tour through invitations.
In 2006, his first full year on the Challenge Tour, Quiros broke into the top twenty on the Order of Merit when he won the Morson International Pro-Am Challenge.
Quiros sealed his victory with a remarkable putt for eagle at the last, which shaved the hole and left him with a formality tap-in to take the lead at 13-under.
Playing behind Quiros, tournament favourite Schwartzel was having a bad spell and could only manage one birdie at the second, offset by two bogeys that left the 22-year-old with a lot of hard work to do on his back nine.
With another drop on the 11th and an errant drive that almost cost him another shot on the 14th, Schwartzel luck finally turned.
The 2004 winner pulled the rabbit out of the proverbial hat with birdies at the 15th and 16th, leaving himself in a do-or-die situation at the final hole. A birdie would force a play-off and an eagle would secure the title.
“On 15 the wind just caught and it almost went out of bounds, but I was really lucky to pull that one off. Then, on 16, I hit the edge of the green and made a 20-foot putt,” said Schwartzel.
But lady luck seemed to desert him when he needed it the most.
“I felt good all day and never quite nervous. I was playing it well up the fairway. I was tied for the lead in the first round and then led during the rest of the tournament, so I really felt confident to take the title,” said Schwartzel.
But is was not to be.
Schwartzel’s second shot on the 18th found the water, effectively handing the title to the 23-year old Rookie from Cadiz.
“I was very nervous in the previous rounds, this is my first European tournament in this category. But I decided to keep fighting so I am very happy with this result, “ said a jubilant Quiros.
While players might have been intimidated by the names like Ernie Els, Lee Westwood and Charl Schwartzel in the field. Instead Quiros decided just focused on his game impressing the gallery of spectators with his dynamic play off the tees.
“In the end they are just people like me. I knew it might count for or against Charl to play in front of his home crowd. So I just concentrated on my own game. “
“You know if I can make the shot I’ll go for it. Umbrellas are for ladies who can’t stand the heat,” Quiros jokingly replied to queries about his aggressive play.
Quiros has added his name to an elite list of Spanish winners on the Sunshine Tour, including Seve Ballasteros, Maria Olazabal and Miguel Angel Jiminez.
And, he can sleep peacefully since this victory means a two-year exemption on the European PGA Tour and a five-year exemption on the Sunshine Tour (providing he takes up membership).
That, and the winner’s cheque of approximately R1, 500 000 that should lay a strong foundation for his professional golf career.
The Celebrating its 11th year on the Sunshine Tour, the Alfred Dunhill Championships is the first of three events this season co-sanctioned by the Sunshine and European Tours and boasts a prize fund of approximately R25-million.
The Sunshine Tour and European PGA Tour travel to Port Elizabeth next for the prestigious South African Airways Open Championship at Humewood Golf Club, from 14 to 17 December 2006.
I thought Schwartzel had the game wrapped up. I stopped watching when he was on about the 10th hole, so never knew the final outcome. Great sport blog.
ReplyDeleteI agree. The idiot threw the tournament away by going for glory. All he had to do was lay-up, put it close to the flag and putt for birdie. Then go to play off, but nooooo.....
ReplyDeleteI spoke with him while he was at the Nedbank and he doesn't seem the brightest spark in the universe.
But still with the title and prize money on offer, surely you lay up. May I ask what you shot at Sun City when you played there after the Nedbank and what your handicap is? Trying to see how hard it is going to be for me when I play there on Saturday.
ReplyDeleteThe competition we were playing meant that I picked my ball up often. I was playing with a 0 handicap and a 5 handicap from Compleat Golfer, so they tended to score the points for the 4some.
ReplyDeleteOfficially I scored the maximum allowed. My pitching and chipping sucked on the day because of the rough, which I am sure they have cut back a bit since the Challenge.
My handicap has just moved down to 23, so I really suck. It;s fun to walk the course though.
As soon as my story has been published, I will post it here for all to read.
J