Fireworks in Austria: Thornton 64, McGee 62

Nacho Elvira. Picture courtesy GEPA Pictures

They didn't win but Simon Thornton and Ruaidhri McGee walked away From the Kärnten Golf Open presented by Mazda with a spring in their step after some sensational scoring on the final day.

As Spain's Nacho Elvira secured his second Challenge Tour title in a month, and third overall, after a wondrous wedge to the 72nd hole sealed a one stroke win, Thornton closed with a seven under 64 and McGee with a career low 62 to share 16th spot on 14 under par. 

In bright sunshine on a dramatic final day, Elvira clinched victory – and with it a cheque for €28,000 which propelled him to the top of the Road to Oman Rankings – courtesy of a pitch perfect approach to the 18th for a closing birdie which cancelled out his bogey on the 17th.

That late gain was the final act of a round of 65 which moved him to 21 under par and just beyond the clutches of Sweden’s Jens Dantorp, who pushed the champion all the way with a closing 64 at Golfclub Schloss Finkenstein, in Gödersdorf.

Third place was shared on 19 under par by Frenchman Sebastien Gros and England’s Ryan Evans, who closed with seven straight birdies to rampage through the field with a round of 62.

Gareth Shaw shot 67 to finish tied 22nd on 13 under with Kevin Phelan tied 41st on 10 under after a 70. 

McGee, who had seven birdies and an eagle three in his immaculate 62, is fifth in the Race to Oman Rankings with Thornton 63rd, Shaw 95th and Phelan  131st.

Final Results

263 N Elvira  (Esp) 64 67 67 65,

264 J Dantorp (Swe) 63 65 72 64,

265 R Evans  (Eng) 66 71 66 62, S Gros (Fra) 65 71 64 65,

266 A Björk (Swe) 66 65 67 68,

267 R Gouveia (Por) 67 68 66 66, P Maddy (Eng) 68 65 66 68, B Virto Astudillo (Esp) 67 65 69 66,

268 D Huizing (Ned) 67 68 65 68, H Joannes  (Bel) 68 68 67 65,

269 G Porteous (Eng) 66 67 71 65, D Im (USA) 62 72 68 67, N Ravano (Ita) 66 71 67 65, D Ulrich (Sui) 66 69 66 68, M Röhrig (Ger) 69 67 66 67,

270 A Rota (Ita) 65 73 66 66, R McGee (Irl) 68 70 70 62, M Trappel  (Aut) 70 66 67 67, S Arnold  (Aus) 67 65 71 67, B Rusch (Sui) 65 69 69 67, S Thornton (Irl) 68 70 68 64,

271 G Woolgar (Eng) 71 67 66 67, G Shaw (Nir) 67 69 68 67, J Stalter (Fra) 66 66 73 66, M Delpodio  (Ita) 69 69 69 64, S Heisele (Ger) 68 68 66 69, S Tiley (Eng) 69 68 68 66, G Boyd  (Eng) 67 67 67 70,

272 W Harrold (Eng) 67 71 67 67, A Halvorsen  (Nor) 67 69 67 69, B Åkesson (Swe) 67 66 72 67, B Paolini (USA) 67 67 67 71, S Kim (USA) 68 67 70 67, J Sarasti  (Esp) 67 66 70 69,

273 S Wakefield (Eng) 68 70 66 69, J Maurer  (Aut) 68 66 70 69, S Reeves (USA) 70 66 71 66, C Arendell (USA) 65 70 69 69, T Nemecz (Aut) 69 69 69 66, J Fahrbring (Swe) 66 69 71 67,

274 J Guerrier  (Fra) 68 69 70 67, M Søgaard  (Den) 66 70 70 68, K Phelan (Irl) 68 67 69 70,

275 B Stow (Eng) 68 69 68 70, R Santos  (Por) 70 68 71 66, R McGowan  (Eng) 65 69 70 71, T Gornik (Slo) 65 73 69 68, J Kunzenbacher (Ger) 68 68 70 69,

276 L Astl (Aut) 71 67 66 72, S Manley (Wal) 71 67 68 70, M Kramer  (Ger) 69 68 71 68, E Dubois (Fra) 66 69 67 74,

277 P Figueiredo  (Por) 65 72 71 69, J Hahn (USA) 64 71 70 72, T Lawrence (RSA) 69 68 69 71, S Walker (Eng) 68 69 67 73, T Murray (Eng) 65 67 71 74, A Snobeck  (Fra) 70 68 71 68,

278 C Aguilar  (Esp) 69 69 68 72, B Parker  (Eng) 66 70 72 70, T Elissalde  (Fra) 66 72 70 70,

279 D Law (Sco) 66 72 72 69, N Bertasio (Ita) 69 67 72 71,

280 F Bergamaschi (Ita) 61 74 73 72, L Lipold (am) (Aut) 70 68 73 69,
 281 J Winther (Den) 71 66 72 72, N Quintarelli (Ita) 70 68 72 71,

283 K Subregis  (Fra) 64 74 74 71