Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen withstood a late charge from Victor Dubuisson to win the US$1.75 million Perth International yesterday, his first tournament success in two years.
Dubuisson went into the final round eight shots adrift of overnight leader Olesen, but the Frenchman whittled down the gap to two strokes in a sizzling six-under-par round of 66 at Lake Karrinyup.
Olesen looked shaky after posting bogeys on the sixth, 10th and 12th holes, but the 24-year-old Dane birdied two of his next three holes to secure his second European Tour win after closing with a 71.
Photo: EPA
Olesen’s last win came at the 2012 Sicilian Open and he finished sixth at last year’s Augusta Masters.
The world No. 130 Olesen, who finished at 17-under 271, is now guaranteed a spot in the Race to Dubai finals series.
“Before this week, I was struggling. I was 64 in the ranking and I was not even sure if I was getting into next week,” Olesen said. “It’s a big relief and a big confidence boost to get into the last four events.”
Dubuisson finished three strokes behind Olesen at 14 under, while England’s Mark Foster (69) finished third at 12 under.
“It was very emotional out there,” Olesen said. “It was up and down and I didn’t play my best golf, but I kept fighting and made some great putts there in the end. I didn’t play my best golf these two days, and to keep fighting out there and keep believing in myself, I’m very proud of what I did there.”
Dubuisson later revealed he had been battling a fever.
“I was feeling so bad this morning. My muscles were hurting,” he said. “But then when I started to play, I tried to not think about it. Just on the last few holes it [affected] a little bit my game, but I made some good par putts to save.”
South African Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Augusta Masters champion, finished eight strokes behind Olesen in a tie for 15th on nine under after carding a final-round 72.
McGladrey Classic
Reuters
Will MacKenzie produced a roller-coaster, birdie-bogey-birdie finish to share the lead with fellow American Andrew Svoboda after the third round of the US$5.6 million McGladrey Classic at Sea Island in Georgia on Saturday.
MacKenzie, who had delivered the shot of the day with a spectacular ace at the par-three sixth, fired a five-under-par 65 in ideal scoring conditions on the Seaside Course to post a 12-under total of 198.
In pursuit of his third career victory on the PGA Tour, the 40-year-old from North Carolina ended the round with a flourish by draining a monster putt from 44 feet at the par-four last.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely