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Henrik Stenson

Weekend winners: Stenson back with a bang, Heath triumphs at Spey Valley

Stenson captures his first win since Dubai at the end of 2014 and James Heath claims an emotional victory in Scotland
 

European Tour: BMW International Open – Henrik Stenson

Just a week after withdrawing from Oakmont through injury Stenson came through 36 holes for a three-shot win in Germany.

He led by one after a bogey-freee 67 in the morning before dropping shots at four of the first 10 holes in the afternoon. But birdies at 13 and 15, both par 5s, and 17, where he drove the green, to edge clear of Darren Fichardt and Thorbjørn Olesen who will rue three straight bogeys from the 8th.

Stenson has now won this tournament twice and he was second the past two years. It looks likely that he will move up to fifth in the world. He now has 10 wins on the European Tour and this ended a drought that goes back to Dubai at the end of 2014.

What Stenson said: “I’m delighted; I came close here the last two years so it feels pretty special to get my hands on the trophy again. It was hairy all the way; it was a tough one. I had to dig deep to come back. I didn’t play well on the front nine; made a couple of mistakes; got caught out by the wind a few times and missed one or two putts I should have made as well.

“I felt like I was starting to make a bit of a mess of it and then I came back and made the birdies on the par 5s. I made some good putts closing out. I really feel like I played well in 2015 and I just couldn’t get my hands on a trophy. It was a bit hard at times but you’ve just got to keep on trying and put yourself in position. I did that once again and this time I managed to go all the way.”

PGA Tour: Quicken Loans National – Billy Hurley III

Converting a number of key putts down the closing stretch gave Billy Hurley III his first PGA Tour title at Congressional

Leading after 54 holes, only the second time in his career he has faced that pressure, the Maryland native got off to a great start with the birdie on the 1st.

But, after his round threatened to unravel around the turn, he drained a 10-footer for par on the 13th, chipped in from 35 yards on the 15th and birdied the next as he beat Vijay Singh by 3 shots.

“I think this has been the culmination of about the last probably six months every day working on my game really,” Hurley said. “I’ve worked really hard this winter. We built a new house and put about 600 square feet of a golf room and a gym in the basement. So over the winter I really worked hard on my swing hitting into the screen there.”

LPGA Tour: Walmart Arkansas Championship – Lydia Ko

Who can stop the world number 1? She’s not long turned 20 but victory in the Arkanas Championship was her 13th career win on the LPGA Tour.

A final round 68 saw her set a new tournament record total of 17-under par and was the third win of the season for the New Zealander, who added the title to the Kia Classic and ANA Inspiration.

It’s the fastest she has ever racked up three wins and Ko was just too good for Candie Kung and Morgan Pressel. But she still said she had to dig deep and won despite a bogey on the final hole.

“I think the sun kind of got to me a little bit,” she said. “I could definitely feel the heat. I was kind of grinding out there.

“I hit the ball really well on the front nine but I didn’t hit it that well on the back, and that kind of happened for my second shot on the last hole. Not the most fanciest way to finish off a championship, but I’m just going to think of it as me bogeying another hole.”

Challenge Tour: Scottish Hydro Challenge – James Heath

Three birdies in four holes around the turn helped Heath to his first victory in 10 years, just months after losing his mum and then having a first child.

The former Lytham Trophy winner, he somehow won there with a four-round record aggregate of 266 to beat Ross Fisher by eight shots, has played two seasons previously on the European Tour and he is now up to 9th in the Road to Oman rankings.

At the last he found the right rough but kept his nerve to find the green, two putt and beat New Zealander Ryan Fox by two shots.

Jordan L Smith of England and Frenchman Damien Perrier, both winners already this year, shared third place on 18 under par after respective rounds of 64 and 65.

What Heath said: “Did I feel pressure? Probably from about the time I woke up at 5:40am this morning! My stomach was churning and all that stuff. When you’re in contention on both of the final days, it feels the same both days.

“It’s been a very tough year so far for my family, so it was nice to give them something to be happy about. It goes without saying that this one is for my mum.”

“I wasn’t even going to play this week. I made a double bogey on the 17th hole last Sunday in Saint Omer and I just thought, ‘I’ve had enough’. But I had a pep talk from my brother on Monday night and it was tough love.

“That conversation was the best thing that could have happened to me. It just narrowed my focus. I was annoyed with myself recently because I didn’t think I was doing the right things but sometimes that’s just me being hard on myself. My brother just said, suck it up, get out there and you’re in control of your own destiny – just man up basically. It went down a treat.”

James Heath

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