Devlin and Shaw making the right moves

Brooks Koepka with the trophy. Picture courtesy Fred Olsen Challenge de EspañaChris Devlin and Gareth Shaw will head for the Czech Republic with a spring in their step this week despite disappointing finishes in the Fred Olsen Challenge de España.

Ballymena man Devlin closed with a one over 72 to slip from seventh to 25th at Tecina Golf in the Canary Islands where American Brooks Koepka close with a 66 tp set a new record for the largest winning margin in the 25 year history of the Challenge Tour with an incredible ten-shot victory on 24 under par.

It was Devlin’s first start of the Challenge Tour season and while he earned just €1,424 he’s off and running and will tee it up alongside Shaw and Niall Kearney in the D+D Real Czech Challenge Open near Prague hoping to make another move up the rankings.

“Back on the ferry, then off to Madrid this afternoon and on to Prague tomorrow morning,” Devlin tweeted after taking three days to make the trip from Florida to La Gomera last week. “Real life of a professional golfer.”

Shaw’s closing 74 relegated him to 42nd on three under but having made five of six cuts on his return to the Challenge Tour this year, he has every reason to be optimistic about the rest of the season.

The same goes for Koepka, who is just one win away from his third of the season and automatic promotion to the European Tour.

A final round of five under par 66 helped Brooks Koepka set a new record for the largest winning margin in the 25 year history of the Challenge Tour with an incredible ten-shot victory at the Fred Olsen Challenge de España.

The 23 year old American’s total dominance at Tecina Golf in the Canary Islands was stamped in the most emphatic fashion in the final round. Koepka started the day four shots clear of his nearest challenger, Edouard Dubois, and ended it as the most dominant victor the Challenge Tour has ever witnessed.

An early dropped shot from Koepka at the second hole gave Dubois and the rest of the chasing pack the faintest glimmer of hope, but the American’s response was instant and fatal as he quickly reduced his rivals to battling it out for second place.

A birdie on the third was followed by a clinical hat-trick between the fifth and seventh, before yet another birdie on the ninth turned the back nine into a victory stroll as Koepka finished the week a staggering 24 under par. Dubois eventually finished alongside Germany’s Bernd Ritthammer and home favourite Luis Claverie in a tie for second place.

“It was tough out there today,” said Koepka, who won €25,600 to extend his lead at the top of the Challenge Tour Rankings.

“I gave away a couple of shots early and I was coming down but then holed the putts I needed to. It feels great to win again. It’s been a great week, to play at the top of the mountains here in such beautiful surroundings, the place is unbelievable.

“It feels great to break the record for the biggest win on the Challenge Tour. That’s a pretty cool record to have.”

Kopeka’s ten-shot margin of victory beats the previous record of eight strokes, shared by Bradley Dredge (2003 Madeira Islands Open) and Markus Brier (2004 Austrian Open).

Complete Fourth Round Scores:

260 B Koepka  (USA) 64 66 64 66;

270 E Dubois (Fra) 63 67 68 72; L Claverie (Esp) 69 66 69 66; B Ritthammer (Ger) 67 70 65 68;

271 A Garcia-Heredia (Esp) 70 65 68 68; J Guerrier  a(Fra) 64 70 71 66; D Im (USA) 74 65 66 66;

272 D Brooks (Eng) 69 66 70 67; T Pilkadaris (Aus) 67 69 68 68; R Steiner (Aut) 69 67 68 68;

273 S Kim (Kor) 69 68 67 69; A Pavan (Ita) 70 68 68 67; P Relecom  (Bel) 67 68 68 70;

274 J McLeary  (Sco) 72 68 72 62; B An (Kor) 70 69 66 69; S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp) 69 71 69 65; L Bjerregaard  (Den) 67 74 67 66; D Wuensche  (Ger) 70 65 70 69;

275 N Meitinger  (Ger) 64 72 67 72; M Haastrup  (Den) 71 66 72 66; D Stewart (Sco) 68 73 63 71; M Pastor (Esp) 67 69 71 68; S Hutsby  (Eng) 68 71 69 67; D Ulrich (Sui) 67 68 72 68;

276 C Russo (Fra) 70 71 65 70; C Devlin (Nir) 69 68 67 72; A Bernadet  (Fra) 69 72 67 68; S Manley (Wal) 71 69 68 68;

277 B Hafthorsson (Isl) 71 71 68 67; E Johansen  (Nor) 72 69 69 67; S Walker (Eng) 72 68 70 67;

278 M Ford (Eng) 70 67 74 67; J Legarrea (Esp) 65 70 72 71; A Velasco (Esp) 76 65 71 66;

279 A Maestroni  (Ita) 73 68 68 70; V Riu  (Fra) 67 69 70 73; T Fournier  (Fra) 71 70 71 67;

280 P Archer (Eng) 71 69 71 69; J Fahrbring (Swe) 72 70 71 67; G Piris Mateu (Esp) 73 69 71 67; D Frittelli (RSA) 70 69 72 69;

281 G Shaw (Nir) 70 70 67 74; L Goddard  (Eng) 70 70 72 69; E Espana (Fra) 71 70 70 70; D Palm (Swe) 70 72 69 70;

282 D Geminiani (Ita) 71 70 71 70; R Kellett (Sco) 71 71 71 69; M Haremza (Ger) 70 69 73 70; C Kim (USA) 73 68 71 70; P Edberg (Swe) 75 66 74 67;

283 R Mattila (Fin) 72 70 71 70; J Abbott (Eng) 71 69 69 74; O Whiteley (Eng) 69 70 73 71; J Barnes (Eng) 72 68 76 67; P Herreria (Esp) 66 76 67 74; J Bragulat  (Esp) 71 68 74 70; J Timmis (Eng) 69 69 72 73; A Otaegui  (Esp) 68 74 70 71;

284 S Fallon (Eng) 72 67 71 74; J Watts (Eng) 70 67 72 75;

285 I Korvenmaa (Fin) 67 72 72 74; K Ferrie (Eng) 75 65 76 69; D Kemmer (USA) 75 67 74 69;

287 T Nørret (Den) 72 70 73 72;

288 J Maurer  (Aut) 68 72 74 74; E Bertheussen (Nor) 68 72 73 75;

290 M Quiros (Esp) 70 69 75 76;