Dubuisson in 3-way tie for lead at French Open halfway stage
PARIS – Home favorite Victor Dubuisson was in a three-way tie for the lead after the second round of the French Open on Friday, while Ryder Cup teammate Graeme McDowell’s bid for a third successive title came to an early end.
Dubuisson and Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello had been part of a four-way tie for the lead after the weather-delayed opening round was completed in the morning and they both carded a 1-under 70 in the second to finish the day level with Martin Kaymer (69). They had a 4-under 138 total.
Kaymer made four birdies to go with a double bogey on the 15th.
McDowell missed the cut on 8 over after a round of 78 that contained two double bogeys, three bogeys and no birdies. It was his worst score in 32 rounds at Le Golf National.
Kieffer leads way on storm-hit 1st round of French Open
PARIS – Maximilian Kieffer of Germany was leading on 4 under par with four holes to play when the first round of the French Open was suspended for the day because of thunderstorms on Thursday.
Victor Dubuisson, Bernd Wiesberger, and Jaco van Zyl completed their rounds in 3-under 68, while Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Andrew Dodt were on the same score with one hole left.
Graeme McDowell, seeking a third straight French Open title, was 1 over after 17 holes.
Two thunderstorms disrupted play for a combined 2 1/2 hours at the start of the day.
Kieffer is the most consistent player on the European Tour this season after making 16 cuts – more than anyone else. He birdied three of the first five holes, then Nos. 9, 11 and 12 at Le Golf National – the course that will host the Ryder Cup in 2018.
Pablo Larrazabal wins BMW International Open by one shot
MUNICH – Pablo Larrazabal won the BMW International Open by one shot Sunday for his fourth European Tour title.
The Spaniard, who also won the tournament in 2011, closed with a bogey-free 6-under 66 to finish with a 17-under 271 on the Eichenried Golf Club course.
Sweden’s Henrik Stenson shot five birdies and an eagle for a 65 but finished a stroke back after Larrazabal seized the lead with his sixth birdie on the par-4 16th hole.
Larrazabal is the third golfer to win the tournament for the second time after Paul Azinger of the United States and Thomas Bjorn of Denmark.
Chris Paisley was in contention until a bogey on the 17th left him two shots behind in third with a 71. It was a career-best finish for the Englishman.
Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat (68), Spain’s Carlos del Moral (69) and South Africa’s Retief Goosen (67) were three strokes behind Larrazabal for a share of fourth.
Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey and Sweden’s Peter Hansen were another stroke back.
Overnight leader James Morrison of England finished in a group in 11th place, his hopes ended by five bogeys in a 77.
England’s James Morrison claims 2-stroke lead in Munich
Morrison, who began the day one stroke behind Spain’s Cabrera-Bello, made six birdies and would be further ahead if not for a bogey on the final hole. He was at 16-under 200 heading into Sunday’s final round on the Eichenried Golf Club course.
“I played steady, didn’t really do too much wrong and nearly had a bogey-free round,” said Morrison, who can win his second European Tour event in as many months after claiming the Open de Espana in May.
“(There are) miles to go yet, especially on this golf course,” the 30-year-old Morrison said. “Anyone can win from any score. I mean you can shoot 63 in a heartbeat.”
Cabrera-Bello had five bogeys and finished with his third birdie for a round of 74 and share of eighth place.
Chris Paisley of England scored 66 to move into second on 14 under, one stroke ahead of Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee (68) and two ahead of Sweden’s Peter Hanson (67).
“Never enjoyed a round of golf as much as today. So excited to go at it again tomorrow!” Paisley tweeted.
Spain’s Carlos del Moral, compatriot Pablo Larrazabal, and Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey were tied for fifth, five strokes off the pace. Del Moral shot a 65 for the day’s best round.
After his frustrating round, Cabrera-Bello slipped level with Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat (68) and France’s Victor Dubuisson (67).
Home favorite and 2014 U.S. Open winner Martin Kaymer failed to make the halfway cut.
Cabrera-Bello takes 1-stroke lead in Munich
MUNICH – Rafa Cabrera-Bello of Spain shot a 5-under 67 for a one-stroke lead in the second round of the BMW International Open on Friday.
Cabrera-Bello, who opened with a 65 Thursday for a three-way lead with Lasse Jensen of Denmark and Daniel Gaunt of England, made six birdies and a bogey, leaving him at 12-under 132 halfway through the European Tour event.
Jensen (69) dropped two strokes off the pace while Gaunt (73) fell six behind after three birdies were undone by a double bogey on the par-4 16th and two bogeys.
James Morrison of England shot a 66 to move second, ahead of Jensen and Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey, who shot a 65 including nine birdies for the day’s best round on the Eichenried Golf Club course.
“I didn’t hit it 100 percent pure, but scored really well,” Hoey said “I’d rather it be like that than the other way round.”
Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand missed a good birdie chance on the 18th and had to be content with fifth after shooting a 67.
Former winner Pablo Larrazabal of Spain shot a 66 for a share of sixth with compatriot Alejandro Canizares and England’s Chris Paisley. All three were four strokes off the pace.
Home favorite and 2014 U.S. Open winner Martin Kaymer missed the 2-under par cut by one stroke with four bogeys in a round of 71.
“It’s very, very frustrating,” said Kaymer, who won the tournament in 2008.
Four players were tied for ninth on 7-under and 13 were in a group on 8-under, including Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, the 2006 champion.
Cabrera-Bello, Jessen, Gaunt share overnight lead in Munich
MUNICH – Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello overcame two bogeys to shoot a 7-under 65 for a three-way share of the lead in the opening round of the BMW International Open on Thursday.
Cabrera-Bello was joined by Lasse Jensen of Denmark, who holed seven birdies, and Daniel Gaunt of England, who overcame a bogey with eight birdies of his own on the Eichenried Golf Club course.
Early leader Andrew Johnston of England finished one stroke behind after starting on the 10th hole with a bogey, then carding seven birdies for a 66.
Five players were tied for fifth on 67, including Henrik Stenson, the champion in 2006. The Swede recovered from a triple bogey on the par-4 16th with eight birdies altogether.
“I got off to a pretty good start and I didn’t do too much wrong on 16 but wound up with a triple bogey. I hung in there and tried to just keep on going. Then I wrapped up with a nice string of birdies on 5, 6, 7 and 8,” said Stenson, who has broken par in 14 consecutive rounds.
James Morrison and Tommy Fleetwood of England, Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand, and Victor Riu of France joined Stenson in fifth.
Local favorite and 2014 U.S. Open winner Martin Kaymer made up for a double bogey and two bogeys with four birdies to finish on level par, while two-time winner Thomas Bjorn was one over par after three bogeys.
Chris Wood comes from 5 strokes behind to win Lyoness Open
ATZENBRUGG, Austria – Chris Wood came from five strokes behind to win the Lyoness Open on Sunday for his second European Tour title.
The Englishman had a bogey-free round of 5-under 67 to finish on 15-under 273, two strokes clear of 2009 champion Rafa Cabrera-Bello of Spain.
Overnight leader Gregory Bourdy of France faltered, carding a 78 and dropping to a tie for sixth place. Cabrera-Bello, who was two strokes off the lead going into the final round, shot a 72.
English trio Robert Rock (66), Robert Dinwiddie (68) and Matthew Fitzpatrick (71) shared third, five strokes behind.
“I had in my mind today that, regardless what (Bourdy and Cabrera-Bello) did today, I needed a good score,” Wood said. “That was all I could do.”
Wood set the tone by picking up three strokes on the first six holes, and added two straight birdies on the back nine.
By that time, the Englishman had already overtaken Bourdy and Cabrera-Bello. The Frenchman double-bogeyed the par-3 second and had five bogeys in total, while the Spaniard lost his grip on the trophy after three straight bogeys between the ninth and 11th.
The win capped Wood’s comeback from a wrist injury that ruled him out of the final months of last season after he tripped in the gym and tried to break the fall with his hand.
“I was off injured, broke a bone in my wrist, so I was quite a while away from playing,” he said. “I have been working so hard, so I deserved a victory. But you never know when they are going to come so you take them when you can.”
The 124th-ranked Wood, who won the Qatar Masters two years ago and finished fourth in the PGA Championship at Wentworth three weeks ago, will climb around 40 places in the rankings after becoming the fifth English winner of the Austrian Open and first since Kenneth Ferrie in 2011.
Bourdy takes 2-stroke lead into final round of Lyoness Open
ATZENBRUGG, Austria – Gregory Bourdy of France carded a 69 to maintain his lead at the Lyoness Open Saturday, two strokes clear of Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello and five ahead of England’s Chris Wood.
Bourdy, eyeing his fifth European Tour win and the first since the Wales Open two years ago, had four birdies to go 15-under 201.
Cabrera-Bello eagled the par-4 third along with six birdies for a 6-under 66.
Wood trailed Bourdy by four overnight but the Englishman lost another stroke, mainly because of a double bogey on the last hole of his front nine.
Scott Jamieson shot a 7-under 65 for the lowest score of the round and the Scotsman climbed to shared fourth position, six strokes off the lead.
Play was interrupted for more than 90 minutes because of thunderstorms.
Bourdy shoots 67 to extend lead to 4 strokes at Lyoness Open
ATZENBRUGG, Austria – Gregory Bourdy widened his lead at the Lyoness Open Friday by shooting a 5-under 67 to go four strokes clear of fellow Frenchman Gary Stal and Chris Wood of England.
Bourdy, seeking his fifth European Tour title, followed up his 65 from Thursday with five birdies on his front nine before dropping his first stroke of the week. He’s at 12-under 132 at the midway stage.
Stal carded five birdies on his way to a 68, while Woods had two bogeys on the front nine to go with five birdies for a 69.
Spanish pair Carlos Pigem and Rafa Cabrera-Bello shared fourth, another stroke off the lead.
Former champion Bernd Wiesberger, at No. 37 the highest-ranked player in the field, shot a 67 but missed the cut following his 79 from the first day.
Bourdy holds 2-stroke lead after opening day of Lyoness Open
ATZENBRUGG, Austria – Gregory Bourdy of France carded a bogey-free 7-under 65 to take a two-stroke lead on a warm and sunny opening day of the Lyoness Open on Thursday.
Bourdy, who missed just one green, hit four birdies on the front nine and seven in total to go two strokes clear of a group of four: England’s Chris Wood and Robert Dinwiddie, Spain’s Carlos Del Moral and Germany’s Maximilian Kiefer.
Former champion Bernd Wiesberger, at 37 the highest-ranked player in the field, had a disappointing 7-over 79. The Austrian, who was beaten for last year’s title by Mikael Lundberg of Sweden in a playoff, had a round without a birdie for the first time this year.
Defending champion Lundberg dropped three strokes on his first three holes but finished on par.