Weekend winners: Paul Broadhurst tames Carnoustie, Vegas wins in Canada
Paul Broadhurst wins the Senior Open Championship at Carnoustie
Paul Broadhurst produced a career-defining performance at Carnoustie by capturing the Senior Open Championship on his debut in the event.
With an immaculate sense of symmetry, the 50 year old produced a bogey-free 68 over the notoriously tough Carnoustie links to bookend the 30 editions of the Senior Open with champions from England.
It was Neil Coles who lifted the veterans’ version of the Claret Jug in the inaugural edition back in 1987, and it was Broadhurst who became only the second English winner of the championship with his heroics at Carnoustie on the 30th anniversary of the event.
Broadhurst signed for an 11 under par total of 277 and a two stroke winning margin over American Scott McCarron, with third round leader Miguel Angel Jiménez sharing third place with Swede Magnus P Atlevi a further shot back.
Not surprisingly, Broadhurst acknowledged his love of golf in Scotland. On his debut as a 50-year-old last August, he claimed the Prostate Cancer UK Scottish Senior Open title – an event he plans to defend at Archerfield Links next month.
Now, at the scene of his highest Open Championship finish back in 2007, ‘Braveheart’ Broadhurst was back on top of the pile, but more importantly with a cheque for £213,040 in his back pocket and a lofty position as No.1 on the European Senior Tour Order of Merit.
Broadhurst, who won six times on the European Tour and enjoyed a 100 per cent record from two starts in the 1991 Ryder Cup, had no doubts that victory at Carnoustie was the cherry on the icing on top of the cake.
“This is bigger than all of those wins, I think,” he reflected. “A lot, lot bigger. It’s absolutely massive. I played some of my best golf this week. I hit the ball really nicely and my iron play was really good. The hard work I’ve put in paid off.
“It’s difficult to compare this with the Ryder Cup but, personally, this is the biggest achievement of my career. Yes, the Ryder Cup was massive but that was the result of a load of performances. It was an accumulation of points that got me there. I think this has got to rank higher than the Ryder Cup.”
Jhonattan Vegas wins the RBC Canadian Open
Jhonattan Vegas shot a 12-under 276 at the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club to clinch his second career PGA Tour victory.
Vegas ended the tournament with three consecutive birdies to tally a final-round 64.
There were a few players looking to join the Venezuelan on -12, including US Open champion Dustin Johnson but the American was unable to eagle to par-5 18th.
Johnson finished one-shot back in a tie for second with fellow American John Rahm and Scotland’s Martin Laird.
The win qualifies Vegas to compete at the PGA Championship this week.
“It’s incredible,” Vegas said after earning first win since the Bob Hope Classic in 2011.
I was surprised, I think there were a bunch of guys around 11 or 10. We had I think Dustin Johnson, Brandt Snedeker, a bunch of guys, really close.
“Great players that I mean, I knew if I got lucky, it was going to be a playoff. Super surprised when I saw that, you know, nobody got to 12.
“That’s the fortunate breaks that sometimes you need to be a champion on the PGA Tour.
“It’s a great feeling. I mean, last week, I had a six-shot lead going into the weekend and lost by three. I was five back starting today and won by one. It’s a crazy sport. You’ve just got to keep your head down and play hard at every shot.”
The 31-year-old used an entire bag of Nike equipment, including a Nike RZN Tour Platinum ball, to finish with 23 birdies, tied for the most in the entire field.
Vegas averaged 323.5 yards off the tee and consistently found the green, finishing second overall in strokes gained from tee to green, with his Nike Vapor Pro irons and Nike Engage wedges.
What’s in Vegas’ bag?
Driver: Nike VR 8.5˚
Fairway Woods: Nike Vapor Speed 15˚ & 19˚
Irons: Nike Vapor Pro (3-PW)
Wedges: Nike Engage 54˚ (toe sweep) & 58˚ (square sole)
Putter: Nike Method Core MC-12W
Ball: Nike RZN Tour Platinum
Footwear: Nike Lunar Control 4
Isabelle Boineau wins the Ladies Scottish Open
Frenchwoman Isabelle Boineau claimed her first Ladies European Tour title in amazing fashion after she grabbed the lead with a hole to play at the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open.
On a day when the lead changed hands three times, the 27-year-old from Marseille crept up on long-time leader Linda Wessberg to win with a par on the par-5 18th at Dundonald Links in North Ayrshire after the Swede’s four-foot birdie putt to tie rolled over the hole.
“What a tournament to win: the Scottish Open! I’m so happy and I want to thank my parents and my sponsors for encouraging me to play even when I didn’t want to. Today is just one of the best days of my life,” said Boineau, who ended one clear of Wessberg on 11-under after a final round of 68, containing five birdies and a bogey.
Buoyed by fond memories of playing at the venue as an 18-year-old in the 2007 Duke of York Young Champions Trophy, in which she finished second, she was thrilled to have conquered the treacherous 18th, despite a nervous chip over the burn.
“I was very nervous on the last. I was shaking but I didn’t want people to see,” said Boineau, a third year Ladies European Tour professional. “Hitting my rescue, I was so nervous, because I had memories from when I played in 2007 when I think I was in the lead as well.
“I pushed it because I got scared of the water and finished second, so I thought, ‘Don’t do the same.’ I had my friend, Alexis, on the bag, which helped, because when you’re nervous time can go so fast. The putt was still difficult but when Linda missed hers I felt some relief. I thought, at worst I’ll be in a playoff.”
American Paige Spiranac made the cut in just her second LET event to silence some of her critics.
James Savage
Former equipment editor of NCG. Inconsistent ball-striker and tea-maker.
