Tue, Feb 02, 2010 page19

• Crane unknowingly wins San Diego

  • REUTERS
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  Ben Crane was so locked in to his strategy for Sunday’s final round of the San Diego Open he had no idea he had won the tournament on the 72nd hole.

  The 33-year-old American parred the last at Torrey Pines to triumph by a stroke, but he only became aware of his achievement when told by playing partner Ryuji Imada of Japan.

  “I did not know that I had won when it was over,” a smiling Crane told reporters after ending a victory drought of more than four years on the PGA Tour with a two-under-par 70. “I didn’t know who was playing well. Certainly the cameras followed us most of the day, but I did not know if someone ahead of me made a good score.”

  “I had no idea really what was going on, and I’m thankful that I didn’t,” said Crane, who posted a 13-under total of 275 in the fourth PGA Tour event of the year. “Someone said: ‘One-shot lead’, when we were going to the last hole, so I thought he might be right.”

  “It was nice to get through the last putt and the first person who told me was Ryuji. He goes: ‘Congratulations’. And I go: ‘Did I win?’ He kind of looks at me. I said: ‘Did I win the tournament?’ He’s like: ‘Yeah.’ I go: ‘All right, thanks,’” Crane said.

  Crane, who is known for his slow pace of play, began Sunday’s final round two shots behind the pacesetting Imada but forged two ahead with three birdies in the first five holes.

  Despite a few nervy moments over the closing stretch, including a missed birdie putt from six feet at the 12th and a three-putt bogey at the 13th, he held on for victory.

  “It’s really cool to know that I’m going the right direction,” Crane said. “But in the past when I’ve played well, I think I’ve rested on it. Now I think I have a better plan in place for this year. So this [winning] is a nice by-product.”

  ■QATAR MASTERS

  AFP, DOHA

  Sweden’s Robert Karlsson won the US$2.5 million Qatar Masters with a three shot win over Spaniard Alvaro Quiros at the Doha Golf Club on Sunday.

  Karlsson shot a brilliant bogey-free seven-under-par 65 in the final round for an aggregate of 15-under-par 273, while last year’s winner Quiros shot a 67 for a total of 12-under-par 276.

  England’s Lee Westwood and Australian Brett Rumford were a shot behind in joint third with 11-under-par 277. England’s Oliver Wilson (71) finished with three birdies in a row to share fifth at eight-under-par 280 along with overnight leaders Bradley Dredge of Wales and Paul Casey of England.

  Karlsson, who was two shots off the pace set by Dredge after the third round on Saturday, virtually steamrollered the field on the final day as his rivals failed to exploit perfect golfing conditions at Doha’s only championship course.

  The 40-year-old, who became the first Swedish player to capture the Harry Vardon Trophy as Europe’s No. 1 in 2008, suffered a frustrating last year when he missed several months of action because of blurred vision in his left eye caused by fluid build-up in his retina.

  But yesterday the Monaco resident produced near-flawless golf to pick up three birdies on the front nine and four, including two consecutives ones on the final two holes to comfortably win his first title in 16 months.

  Karlsson’s last title came at the Dunhill Links Championship in October 2008.

  Karlsson was engaged in an engrossing duel with Westwood for the title, but the Englishman’s hopes vanished on the 16th hole, which he bogeyed after a string of four birdies on the 10th, 11th, 13th and 14th holes.

  However, in the final analysis, it was his poor front nine, on which he had three bogeys that put paid to his hopes of winning his first title in Doha.

  Westwood’s lackluster final round helped Quiros the most as the Spaniard played steadily to finish second.
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