Richard Sterne’s second European Tour victory at the Wales Open has earned the South African a place in next month’s British Open at Carnoustie.
Sterne also climbed to fourth in the order of merit after scooping the first prize of $500 000 at Celtic Manor on Sunday.
”I didn’t get off to the best of starts but my caddie said I was swinging well and anything could happen,” Sterne told reporters after his closing four-under 65 earned a one-stroke win over a group of four players.
”I said to my caddie coming down the seventh, if I can make six birdies coming in I’ll have a chance and I made my sixth one on the 18th and was quite happy,” he added after a stunning back nine of 29.
While Sterne was delighted to add to his 2004 Madrid Open triumph, home favourite Bradley Dredge was experiencing the flip side of the emotional coin after finishing joint second.
Dredge, bidding to become the first Welshman to land the title, stood on the 72nd tee mistakenly believing he needed a par to take the title and his chances diminished when he found sand with his drive.
”I thought I had carried the bunker at the last and I thought I needed par to win,” he said after his closing bogey five.
”I caught a bit of sand behind the ball with my second shot and didn’t get enough of the ball. I then hit a good pitch but missed the (seven-foot) par putt and that was it.” — Reuters