England’s affable Lee Slattery ended a four-year and 105 European Tour victory to capture the M2M Russian Open.
Slattery, 37 posted rounds of 66, 67, 67 and 69 to win by two shots with a 15-under par tally.
And Slattery’s second win has taken him to the top of the 2016 European Ryder Cup points table, and in the first qualifying event of the year long Hazeltine selection process.
Slattery capped his round in holing a superb chip shot for birdie from rough behind the pin at the 17th before a par at the last.
England’s Lee Slattery ends a 4-year victory drought to capture the M2M Russian Open. (Photo – www.europeantour.com)
“When you secure your first win you kind of expect to be there again pretty soon after but for me it’s been pretty difficult to get to this point again,” he said,
“I’ve had plenty of chances going into the last day but I have not been in contention to take that second win, so it’s was fairly difficult out there and also playing alongside two good friends made it a little bit tougher.
“In the back of your head you want those fellows to do well but then you want to beat them, as well.”
However it’s been a year of many emotions for Slattery including missing out on retaining full 2015 Tour membership by one place along with getting married to Faye, the birth of their first child but also learning his father-in-law has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
And it was in mentioning this that Slattery became very emotional and dedicating his second Tour victory, after first capturing the 2011 Bankia Madrid Masters, to his father-in-law.
“It’s been … I am getting a little bit emotional here …. going back to off the course … I will try and pull myself together here. I got married over the last year-and-a-half, I’ve had a baby, moved into a new house and …. sorry guys (overcome with emotion) and yes, my wife’s dad has been very, very ill and this win is for him.”
Slattery earns a one-year exemption to the end of the 2016 season.
Argentina’s Tanyo Goya (68) was in second place on 13-under par and one shot fewer than defending M2M Russian Open champion David Horsey (68) on 13-under par.
