WEIRD AND WONDERFUL
The Swedes dominated European golf this weekend, but it was play-offs that held the spotlight in the US.
In Germany Niclas Fasth, fresh from his 4th place at the US Open, held of fast-closing local favourite Bernhard Langer to win the BMW International Open by two shots at the Munich Eichenried Golf Club while in France fellow Swede Linda Wessberg picked up her second European Ladies Tour title with a one shot victory over England’s Trish Johnson in the Vediorbis Women’s French Open at Le Golf D’Arras.
Coincidence? Then how about this.
Both Hunter Mahan and Lorena Ochoa had to win play-offs before they were able to claim their respective titles at the inaugural Travelers Championship and Wegmans LPGA.
Mahan had to fight every inch of the way for his maiden PGA win before a brilliant approach at the first extra hole of sudden death edged him to victory over a tenacious veteran journeyman Jay Williamson.
Likewise Ochoa, caught at the tape in the regulation last 18 holes by Korean In-Kyung Kim, had to wait until the second extra hole for her third win of the season and what turned out to be the perfect warm-up for the US Women’s Open starting at Pine Needles in North Carolina on Thursday.
More coincidence? Perhaps, but it’s funny how often similar results occur in the weird and wonderful world of golf.
Cheers
Neville Leck
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