The very first text message Thomas Bjorn and now double winning Omega European Masters champion received was from Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley.
Bjorn, 42 emerged from the Alpine mist and stead rain to capture a 14th Tour title, and his first since winning in Switzerland two years ago, after defeating Scotland’s Craig Lee in a play-off at Crans Montana.
Both players ended regulation play locked at 20-under par and with Bjorn posting a 65 and Lee, despite his birdie putt lipping out on the last, signing for a 67.
Thomas Bjorn wins a second Omega European Masters title in three years. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
The Dane then sealed Lee’s fate in holing a 12-footer in extra time and then after the prize-giving formalities pulled out his mobile to reveal McGinley’s text.
“When I get into situations like today I really how to grind it out and I have to say I’ve been pretty good at closing out tournaments in my career,” said Bjorn.
“I give everything in those situations and I just grind, and grind and grind even knowing that I don’t need to play great.
“That’s what it’s about late on Sunday afternoons and I’ve just got that in me.
“Then the last time I won here in Switzeland I had already won twice in the season including the week before at Gleneagles, so I was on kind of a roll and to win here was a bonus.
“This year I have come up short a few times including the hurt in Munich but I came here really desperate to win this golf tournament so this one is very sweet for me given I am 42 years of age”
Bjorn and McGinley were fellow vice-captain’s in the 2010 and 2012 victorious European Teams and the Dane’s win has taken to second on the Gleneagles qualifying table.
Padraig Harrington collected his firs points of the new Ryder Cup campaign albeit Euro 13,420 worth to be inside the top-30.
However Harrington seems no closer to ending a more than five-year winless drought after a disappointing final round in the Omega European Masters.
After clawing his way to within just three strokes of the lead after two rounds, Harrington found himself buried under an avalanche of bogeys over the weekend and careering down the Alpine leader board with rounds of 72 and 73 for a four under par tally.
Dressed in all-black for the final day, Harrington birdied the opening two holes before dropping a shot at five ahead of birdies at seven and nine.
However the back nine mirrored his attire with Harrington managing just one birdie but also four bogeys and an par three, 11th hole double bogey where he missed the green well right to find himself in trees from where he put his next into a greenside bunker and then needed a further three shots, including missing a four-footer for bogey.
It was Harrington’s first appearance in the Alps since 2000 and he confessed on the eve of the event he was simply competing for the Ryder Cup ranking points.
His eventual share finished in a share of 41st place and his poor weekend effort will see 91st world ranked Harrington head to this week’s KLM Open closer to falling the outside the top-100.
Ballyclare’s Gareth Maybin was the best of the remaining Irish shooting a last day 68 for a seven under par total and a tie for 22nd.
