Brett Rumford has become the first Australian in 41-years to win back-to-back European Tour titles after capturing the Volvo China Open at Tianjin.
Rumford shot a final 68 to win by four shots with a 16-under par tally on the Binhai Lake GC course.
Brett Rumford becomes first Aussie in 41-years to win back-to-back on European Tour. (Photo – www.europeantour.com)
“As with my win last week I’m kind of speechless at the moment,” said Rumford.
“It’s quite surreal. It’s the first time I’ve actually played the week after a win so I’m more than pleased. It’s hard to get my head around it at the moment.”
The 36-year old Rumford set-up victory in holing a 45-foot putt for eagle at the par five at the par five 12th hole to break clear of Finland’s Mikko Ilonen who could manage only par to fall three behind.
Rumford then found himself six shots in front when he birdied the 13th and 14th holes while the Finn proceeded to bogey 13 and then the next.
He then dropped a shot at 15 and also bogeyed 17 as did Ilonen before chipping to within two feet for a par at the last while Ilonen secured his best finish in four years to shoot a 71 for second at 12-under par.
It had taken Rumford five years and 231 days and 121 Tour events to capture a fourth Tour title in winning last week’s Ballantine’s Championship and now he’s tasted success in a fifth just seven days later.
Rumford was not born when fellow Australians Jack Newton and Graham Marsh both won back-to-back in 1972 and the very first year of the European Tour.
“It’s quite a feat and that makes it very special so I feel very honored and special,” said Rumford.
Marsh also won the last two events of the 1977 season, the Colgate PGA Championship and the Lancombe Trophy but a Tour official indicated they were not official Order of Merit counting tournament.
Victory earned Rumford a first prize cheque of Euro 407,906 ($US 535,063) to move to him to the top of the Race to Dubai
And in a fortnight Rumford has moved from 253rd in the world to inside the top-80 and a jump of more than 170 places.
Portugal’s Ricardo Santos will head to his next fortnight’s defence of his Madeira Islands Open title with his fifth top-10 finish in nine events this year.
Santos, who was Rookie of the Year in 2012, shot a 69 for a share of fifth place on nine under par.
England’s Paul Casey secured his best finish in six months with the former event champion shooting a final day 70 for a share of eighth place on seven under par.
And 16-year old Chinese amateur, Dou Ze-cheng posted a final round 73 to finish tied in a share of 33rd place with defending champion, Branden Grace of South Africa (74).
Dou, and the only amateur to make the cut, finished ahead of former Ryder Cup stars Edoardo Molinari of Italy (72 & T41st), Niclaus Fasth of Sweden (73 & T59th) and Philip Price of Wales (77 & 63rd).
