Scot Marc Warren is heading to his first Ryder Cup this week to ‘soak in the atmosphere’ after sharing fourth place in the Wales Open.
Warren posted a final round 68 for a 12-under par tally but was left lamenting after charging up the leader board with four birdies in 11 holes only to hit a brick wall in taking a 12th hole double bogey that could have put him into a play-off with eventual new champion, Joost Luiten.
The Dutch-born Luiten was delighted in two-putting the last for par in ‘no frills’ level par 71 to capture his third Tour title by a shot with a 14-under par total on the Twenty Ten course.
Luiten had bogeyed his opening two holes and nearly threw away the title with a tee shot at 14 that cannoned off a cart path into the River Usk for an eventual bogey.
However the 28-year old was pleased to get his hands on the Welsh dragon trophy after being overlooked for a Gleneagles wildcard pick in favour of Lee Westwood.
Luiten, with two third places and a number of other top-10s this year, had finished 15th on the Team qualifying points table and with Westwood a spot behind.
He said: “I knew when the qualification ended I needed to play better so luckily I’m in good form now.
Callaway’s Marc Warren heading to Gleneagles on Friday to soak-up Ryder Cup action. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)
“I just wish the team all the best and hopefully they can win.”
Warren is hosting a corporate outing on Crail’s Balcomie Course on Thursday and will be heading to Gleneagles for Friday’s opening day action.
He said: “I’m looking forward to playing Crail on Thursday and then going to Gleneagles on Friday to sample the atmosphere and everything.
“Hopefully I will see Europeans going towards another big victory.
“And it’s going to be a little different for me as it will the first time I’ll go to Gleneagles without my golf clubs, so that’s going to a little weird.
“But I’m looking forward to cheering on the lads.”
Among those inside the ropes with be rookie Jamie Donaldson who continued to impress posting a 67 to share fourth place with Warren and also Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts (67), England’s Eddie Pepperell (67), and Italy’s Edoardo Molinari (69).
However Donaldson’s more-experienced Gleneagles team mates in Dane Thomas Bjorn (74) and England’s Lee Westwood (76) struggled to finish well down the field with respective one over par and two over par totals.
Bjorn said: “It’s been a strange week and I didn’t play particularly well early on but played pretty well on the weekend but didn’t score that well with my putter letting me down.
“But if that’s all I have to work on then that’s pretty good for my concentration levels going into the Ryder Cup.
“As well, my mind this week has been on Gleneagles so while my scoring was awful, the game is in pretty good shape and besides we now go to match-play and that’s a different format.
“I said I would use these three weeks to work on game and get myself ready for the Ryder Cup and it’s certainly taken a dramatic turn for the better this week.”
Westwood was five over after nine and seven over through 14 before birding two of his last three.
He said: “I needed to play some competitive golf and I’ve done that.
“I hit a few good shots this week, not so good today, but I probably had one eye on next week. I don’t think the concentration and the focus was there.
“The Ryder Cup is very special, I am looking forward to getting there tonight and preparing for Friday when it starts.”
