Swede success at last for Van Rooyen
Scandinavian Invitation report: What happened at Hills Golf Club?
While the sporting world was watching a spectacular climax to the third Ashes Test at Headingley, the Scandinavian Invitation was producing a dramatic finish of its own.
Erik van Rooyen and Matthew Fitzpatrick had gone blow-for-blow throughout the final round, and when the South African bogeyed 17, his English counterpart was making birdie up ahead at 18.
It moved them both to 18-under par for the championship and Fitzpatrick, a winner here in 2016, could only watch on from the clubhouse.
Van Rooyen didn’t make it easy for himself, leaving his approach short at the par-5 18th, but he got up and down for birdie and an emotional victory that’s been a long time coming for the 29-year-old.
Just look what it meant to him:
Erik Van Rooyen is a European Tour winner! 🙌@FredVR_ #ScandinavianInvitation pic.twitter.com/ShIS25J0mH
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) August 25, 2019
Henrik Stenson, who skipped the FedEx Cup Play-offs to play in his home tournament, and Dean Burmester finished tied for 3rd at 14-under, while a host of players, including Wales’ Jamie Donaldson, finished a shot further back.
The English trio of Sam Horsfield, Andrew Johnston and Matthew Southgate were among the pack on 12-under.
It’s the third year in a row the Scandinavian Invitation has been the setting for a first-time European Tour champion. Van Rooyen joins Renato Paratore and Paul Waring as maiden champions in Sweden.
Joe Hughes
Tour editor covering men's golf, women's golf and anything else that involves the word golf, really. The talk is far better than the game, but the work has begun to change that.
