Victorious Ryder Cup star and former World No. 1 Lee Westwood has been impressed by the efforts of ultra-talented Swedish golfer, Kristoffer Broberg.
Broberg created Challenge Tour history in winning a fourth tournament in just six secondard Tour starts following victory in the Crowne Plaza Challenge in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Kristoffer Broberg’s forth Challenge Tour success in six starts impresses Ryder Cup winning hero, Lee Westwood. (Photo – www.europeantour.com)
The Swede began competing on the Challenge Tour in August and in six events he has finished – 9th, 1st, 1st, 3rd, 1st and 1st
Broberg went into the last round on Sunday in front and a last day of a four under par 67 in the Danish capital was good enough for him to seal a three stroke victory from Englishman Simon Wakefield, who finished with a 68.
Westwood arrived in Shanghai mid-afternoon Monday local time for this week’s $US 7m BMW Masters being staged at the Lake Malaren course.
And when it had been brought to Westwood’s notice Broberg won again on the Challenge Tour, the English golfer responded: “Woh! Did he win again. That’s pretty impressive.
“I’ll be looking forward to catching up with him next year on the European Tour.”
However Brobery is not about to rest on his laurels and will tee-up in this week’s season-ending Challenge Tour Championship in Italy also looking to create another European Tour first and that is to win six events in seven starts.
England’s Warren Bennett holds the record of having capturing five tournaments in a span of event events in 1998.
“It feels absolutely amazing,” said Broberg, who came through satellite tour the Nordic League.
“This is a dream and I never imagined I would be this successful so quickly.
“I wasn’t nervous at any point today. I knew I was playing very well and I was just having fun out there. We had a big crowd watching and it is a fantastic course, so it has been another very enjoyable week.
“Now I have to think about my goals. I want to finish top of the Rankings next week, but after that who knows. I would love to play in The Ryder Cup one day.”
Broberg is the third player to win four times in one season, following Thomas Bjørn in 1995 and Warren Bennett, who won five titles in 1998. His incredible record reads: tied ninth, first, first, tied third, first, first.
“It is great to be one of only three players to have done that,” the 26 year old added.
“Maybe I can make it five by winning next week (in the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final). I honestly don’t know how I’ve done it. I practise for ten to 12 hours a day, so that’s probably the key.”
Wakefield was gracious in defeat, safe in the knowledge that he consolidated his position in the Rankings’ top ten and is guaranteed to return to The European Tour next season.
“I’m delighted,” he said. “I knew it was going to be difficult to catch Kristoffer given his record this season. It was always going to be a tough day and I’m glad I was able to keep my position.
“I made one mistake by hitting it in the water on the 16th, but apart from that I played very nicely.”
The top 45 players in the Rankings now qualify for next week’s season-ending Apulia San Domenico Grand Final, after which the top 20 players earn a European Tour card for the 2013 campaign.
