England’s Dougherty wins BMW International Open
June 28, 2009
MUNICH (AP)—Nick Dougherty shot a final-round 64 to win the BMW InternationalOpen by one stroke on Sunday, although he was nearly upstaged by one of the mostrare shots in golf.
The 27-year-old Englishman finished at 22-under 266, and wound up holdingoff Rafa Echenique after the Argentine produced an albatross—a two on a par-5— on the 18th hole to complete his 10-under 62.
“I have been playing well recently but things have often seemed to be goingagainst me,” Dougherty said. “I thought my time had come, but then within aminute the news came through from the 18th green and I thought ‘Oh no, notagain.”’
Third-round leader Retief Goosen of South Africa finished third, fourstrokes behind Dougherty, after a final-round 71 at the Golfclub MunchenEichenried.
Miguel Angel Jimenez (65), Flipe Aguilar (66), Grame Storm (67) and DavidDrysdale (69) finished another shot back at 17-under 271.
Dougherty looked as though he would win easily when he made his ninth birdieof the day at the 15th to take a four-shot lead over the rest of the field. Butthat advantage lasted only a moment, because about half a mile away a largeGerman crowd that had gathered around the 18th green witnessed Echenique’sremarkable shot.
Echenique, ranked 157th in Europe this year and struggling to win enoughmoney to keep his tour card, holed a three-iron from 243 yards out for adouble-eagle that took him to 21 under and instantly turned the pressure back onDougherty.
He kept his nerve, making par on each of the last three holes, and tapped inon the final green to add to his previous victories at the Alfred Dunhill LinksChampionship in 2007 and the Caltex Masters in 2005.
Dougherty began the final round three shots behind Goosen and one back oflocal hero Bernhard Langer, two players with a combined four major titles duringtheir careers.
Dougherty apparently wasn’t impressed. He birdied his first three holes andremained at the top of the leaderboard the rest of the round.
Langer, who will be 52 in August, saw his bid to become the oldest winner onthe European Tour fizzle as he settled for a share of ninth place after shooting72.
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