Monday May 4, 2009
Frenchman Levet seals fifth European title
GIRONA (Spain): Frenchman Thomas Levet overcame early setbacks to secure a two-stroke victory in the Spanish Open and land his fifth European Tour title yesterday.
Levet posted a final-round 68 for an 18-under aggregate that saw him home ahead of Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti.
Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn and Peter Lawrie of Ireland shared third place, four adrift of Levet, who paid tribute to Seve Ballesteros, the Spaniard who is recovering from surgery to remove a cancerous brain tumour.
“I dedicate this win to Ballesteros,” Levet told reporters. “He was my hero as a kid and has always been my inspiration.”
Two strokes ahead of Briton Stuart Davis overnight, Levet had conceded the lead by the third after the rookie Englishman birdied the first three holes.
Davis moved two strokes clear but his double-bogey on the short fifth drew the pair level and Levet then moved back in front with three successive birdies from the sixth.
Zanotti, beginning the round five behind Levet, also picked up shots on the first three holes and subsequently proved to be the 2004 Ryder Cup-winning Frenchman’s chief rival as Davis’s challenge disintegrated after the turn.
Bjorn also applied the pressure as the nine-times European Tour champion put in his best title-challenge for two years, picking up six shots in six holes from the 11th.
Bjorn’s performance gave the Dane hope that his game has returned.
“I was reminded this week that I’m nearly 300th in the world now,” the 38-year-old told reporters. “I have got to stop living in the past. I can take a lot from this week now.
Twice major champion John Daly closed with a 69 to finish 15 shots behind Levet in the first of five events he is playing on the European Tour.
Daly finishes a six-month US Tour ban for bringing the tour into disrepute, at the end of May. — Reuters
Sports Poll
- Tevez, Adebayor give Man City 2-0 win over Bolton
- Lotus vow to make it through entire season
- Chinese pair banking on flour power
- Red Devils back at full power, says Edwin
- India’s richest man denies interest in Liverpool stake
- Reds regain mean streak
- New car will give Force India an advantage
- Drogba fired up to keep Chelsea ahead of United
- Hairi wants to be better than Shu Wai
- MNCF worked up over new ruling for team sprint at 2012 Olympics
- Haas, Phau, Becker advance at San Jose
- Tevez, Adebayor give Man City 2-0 win over Bolton
- Lakers down Spurs for second win without Bryant
- More scandals, please
- India get a thrashing
- Stoke’s Fuller held over club assault
- Two men jailed over Dalglish grenade case
- India’s richest man denies interest in Liverpool stake
- Reds regain mean streak
- Chinese pair banking on flour power
RSS
