Wedge joy for Aguilar, cash for Lawrie
Felipe Aguilar finished 2-2 to win on 22-under par at Laguna National. Picture: David Lloyd / www.golffile.ie
Felipe Aguilar was probably only marginally happier that Peter Lawrie after he finished birdie eagle — 2-2 — holing a 142-yard wedge at the last for a 10 under 62 to snatch The Championship at Laguna National in sensational fashion.
As Lawrie closed with a 69 to finish tied for 20th with Simon Thornton (68) and pocket his first cheque for six months — €12,430 — the Chilean stormed home in 28 blows to win by a shot on 22-under par from Dane Anders Hansen and American David Lipsky.
The 39-year old Chilean played his final 11 holes in nine under and racked up no fewer than five twos, taking just nine putts on the back nine (zero on the 17th and 18th) and 25 in all.
It is the first time a player has won a European Tour event by holing his second shot on a par four finishing hole.
After two birdies on the front nine, Aguilar birdied the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 15th to get within three of the lead.
He then crept over the lake with his tee shot at the par-three 17th and holed the putt from the fringe to get within two of the lead on 20 under.
Hansen crucially dropped a shot on the 16th hole just moments after Aguilar’s eagle finale for a closing 67 that ended a six year wait for his second victory European Tour following his maiden title in the Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesian Open in 2008.
“On the 17th green I told my caddie if I make a birdie on 18 I might put some pressure on the leader and he said you might make two," Aguilar said. "I looked at him and said they way I’m hitting the ball I might make two and I did.
"It’s very, very special. I didn’t think I had made it until my caddie came back and told me and the other players congratulated me. That was the cherry on the cake, definitely.
“It’s been a bit of a drought for the last six years. I’ve lost a couple of times in play-offs and had a couple of top threes and top fives, but never was able to get the round going on the last day, so it is nice to finally do it.”
Hansen didn't know what to say.
“He finished two, two," the Dane said. "It’s just one of those days. He had a good day, and played well obviously. I thought I played well too.
“If you go out last group and shoot 67 and finish -21 you think you’re in with a chance but you come up short. That’s just life.
“It’s just really, really, disappointing. To finish two-two on 17 and the 18 and hole your second shot, I don’t know what to say.”
Peter Lawrie is finally on the board in the Race to Dubai. Picture: David Lloyd / www.golffile.ie
As for the Irish, Lawrie's share of 20th gave him his first pay cheque since he finished 18th in the ISPS HANDA Perth International last October and put him 195th in the Race to Dubai.
Gareth Maybin had 35 putts in a closing 75 to finish 54th, earning € 3,450 for 190th in the money list.
Irish positions in the Race to Dubai
14 Rory McIlroy (5) €504,165*
32 Graeme McDowell (4) €322,263*
34 Michael Hoey (12) €307,799*
83 Pádraig Harrington (2) €116,761*
____Top 110____
115 Darren Clarke (3) €68,183*
118 Simon Thornton (11) €66,123 *
121 Kevin Phelan (9) €64,940
124 Damien McGrane (14) €64,183
163 Paul McGinley (4) €26,252*
166 David Higgins (6) €22,612
188 Shane Lowry (8) €14,063
190 Gareth Maybin (9) €13,743
195 Peter Lawrie (12) €12,430
Complete final round scores from Laguna National Golf & Country Club (par 72)
266 F Aguilar (Chi) 65 67 72 62,
267 D Lipsky (USA) 64 68 70 65, A Hansen (Den) 67 66 67 67,
269 R Gangjee (Ind) 66 67 71 65,
270 C Wood (Eng) 68 67 68 67,
271 A Lahiri (Ind) 67 70 68 66, G Bourdy (Fra) 66 70 67 68,
273 R Jacquelin (Fra) 69 70 68 66, T Fleetwood (Eng) 68 67 69 69, D Drysdale (Sco) 68 70 70 65,
274 B Seuk-Hyun (Kor) 66 67 72 69, R Karlberg (Swe) 70 68 70 66, S Chowrasia (Ind) 68 68 71 67, P Pittayarat (Tha) 63 68 69 74, T Pilkadaris (Aus) 68 70 66 70, A Lascuna (Phi) 68 69 69 68,
275 K Broberg (Swe) 65 69 73 68, P Meesawat (Tha) 66 70 72 67, N Elvira (Esp) 68 69 71 67,
276 A Vongvanij (Tha) 65 69 71 71, P Lawrie (Irl) 68 72 67 69, S Thornton (Irl) 72 67 69 68, K Sung-Hoon (Kor) 68 68 72 68,
277 R Derksen (Ned) 68 67 67 75, L Ki-Sang (Kor) 68 69 71 69, A Levy (Fra) 70 66 70 71, S Hend (Aus) 67 65 73 72, C Lee (Sco) 72 68 66 71, S Barr (Aus) 66 72 67 72, C Phadungsil (Tha) 67 71 69 70, J Edfors (Swe) 70 67 68 72, F Calmels (Fra) 68 69 72 68,
278 P Junhasavasdikul (Tha) 69 69 71 69, M Warren (Sco) 69 67 72 70, R Kakko (Fin) 70 67 71 70,
279 W Ormsby (Aus) 68 71 70 70, R Fisher (Eng) 73 67 68 71,
280 V Riu (Fra) 67 71 75 67, S Kim (Kor) 69 67 73 71, J Knutzon (USA) 69 71 71 69, G Stal (Fra) 70 70 69 71, N Fung (Mas) 68 71 72 69, C Kim (USA) 67 68 72 73, L Bjerregaard (Den) 68 70 72 70, B Wiesberger (Aut) 71 68 70 71, B Ruangkit (Tha) 67 69 73 71,
281 L Chih-Bing (Sin) 71 67 72 71, R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 66 71 71 73, P Waring (Eng) 70 69 73 69, M Perera (Sri) 65 71 73 72,
282 J Campillo (Esp) 73 67 73 69, K Bi-O (Kor) 68 72 71 71, B Rumford (Aus) 70 67 70 75,
283 A Sullivan (Eng) 69 69 72 73, M Kyong-Jun (Kor) 66 72 73 72, G Maybin (Nir) 71 67 70 75, N Dougherty (Eng) 69 70 73 71, L In-Woo (Kor) 68 69 72 74, S Jamieson (Sco) 64 71 74 74, A Otaegui (Esp) 69 70 70 74,
284 C Nirat (Tha) 71 69 72 72, S Kjeldsen (Den) 68 71 71 74, A Dodt (Aus) 70 70 75 69,
285 M Kawamura (Jpn) 70 70 75 70, K Gi-Whan (Kor) 68 71 72 74, J Janewattananond (Tha) 70 69 73 73, C Kumar (Ind) 69 70 72 74, A Da Silva (Bra) 69 71 74 71, J Singh (Ind) 67 72 74 72,
287 Q Quek (Sin) 64 74 72 77,
288 F Zanotti (Par) 70 68 74 76,
** K Byung-Jun (Kor) 64 76 DQ
