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Golf News: Hedblom captures 3rd European Tour win

August 30th, 2009

European Tour Golf news Peter Hedblom fired a five-under 67 to win the Johnnie Walker Championship on Sunday, holding off fellow Swede Martin Erlandsson by a shot to capture his third European Tour title.

Hedblom, who lost a playoff at last week’s KLM Open, finished four trips around the Gleneagles course at 13-under 275 for his first victory since the 2007 Malaysian Open. The hard-charging Erlandsson, chasing his first tour win, made nine birdies in one 11-hole stretch Sunday and set the course record with a 10-under 62. But he fell one stroke short of his countryman at 12-under 276.Gregory Havret, last year’s champion from France, closed with a 67 to share third place with 1999 British Open winner Paul Lawrie (69) at 10-under 278. Gary Orr (64) took fifth place at nine-under 279.

Hedblom carried the lead into the final round for the second week in a row after posting the lowest 54-hole score on the European Tour this season at the KLM Open last week. He managed only a one-under 69 last Sunday, however, and lost to Simon Dyson in a three-way playoff. Hedblom said the difference this week was his confidence, which was high at the beginning of the round. He went birdie-bogey-birdie over the first three holes.

“I thought that was the key,” he said. Still, with Erlandsson scorching the course in front of him — he made nine birdies between Nos. 2 and 11 — Hedblom found himself playing catch-up. He birdied four consecutive holes beginning at No.7, capping the rally by holing a putt from off the green at the 10th, and pulled one shot in front of Erlandsson. Hedblom later bogeyed the 15th hole to fall into a tie with Erlandsson, who was already in the clubhouse at 12-under.

Knowing he needed a birdie, Hedblom took aim at the pin on 16 and spun his approach back to four feet.It was the shot that won him the tournament, setting up the go-ahead birdie. All that remained were two pars — including a knee-knocking four-foot putt at the 18th that was left when Hedblom ran his birdie try too far past the hole. He pumped his right fist after rolling it in to secure the win.

“It was so tough. I thought last week was tough, this one was even harder, especially since I had the lead,” said Hedblom. “I had to dig down so deep,” he added, “but I’m so happy now.”

Erlandsson made 10 birdies in a flawless round, breaking by one shot the previous 18-hole course record of 63 set by Pierre Fulke in 2000 and matched by Adam Scott in 2002. “What a round,” said Hedblom, who added with a chuckle: “He should have won.”

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