Final Porsche European Open leaderboard
The final Porsche European Open 2018 leaderboard from Green Eagle, where Richard McEvoy finally made his European Tour breakthrough
Final Porsche European Open 2018 leaderboard:
Position | Name | Nation | Score |
1 | Richard McEvoy | England | -11 |
T2 | Christofer Blomstrand Allen John Renato Paratore | Sweden Germany Italy | -10 |
T5 | Romain Wattel Hideto Tanihara | France Japan | -9 |
T7 | Mattias Schwab Paul Casey | Austria England | -8 |
T9 | Charl Schwartzel David Drysdale Matthew Nixon Patrick Reed | South Africa Scotland England United States | -7 |
European Open report
It’s been a life changing couple of weeks for journeyman Richard McEvoy. After winning last week at Le Vaudreil Golf Challenge on the Challenge Tour, the Englishman held off some of the world’s best to lift the trophy at the Porsche European Open at Green Eagle Golf Courses.
The Englishman held a share of the overnight lead with Bryson DeChambeau heading into the final round, and it proved to be a rollercoaster of a day, topped off with a lengthy birdie putt on the 18th green to secure a one-stroke victory.
Playing in the final group, McEvoy and DeChambeau had a dramatic head-to-head battle. When McEvoy made back-to-back bogeys at 12 and 13, it seemed that DeChambeau was on his way to a first European Tour win and to add to an ever-improving CV.
But McEvoy kept within touch, and when the Scientist went down in flames over the final stretch of holes, the 39-year-old was there to pounce.
It all started on the par-5 15th when DeChambeau put his second shot into the water on his way to a bogey. The American bogeyed the following par-5, narrowly avoided the water hazard on the 17th, and viciously hooked his tee shot on the final hole into the water where he’d make a triple-bogey to play his final four holes in five-over-par.
Allen John, Christofer Blomstrand and Renato Paratore were all in the clubhouse at 10-under, and so when DeChambeau rinsed his ball on the 18th, McEvoy’s task was very simple: make birdie to win.
Standing in the middle of the 18th fairway, McEvoy had just over 200 yards to the green, over the water hazard guarding the front of the putting surface. He’d lay up to leave just a flick with a wedge, which he left 20ft short of the pin.
He set the putt out to the right, curling it back perfectly to nestle in the middle to spark jubilant scenes.
It’s taken him 285 events in 17 years as a pro, but McEvoy is finally a winner on the European Tour.
Click here for Keel Timmins’ full round-up from Green Eagle, including final-round highlights.
What did you make of Richard McEvoy’s victory? Were there any surprises on the final 2018 Porshce European Open leaderboard? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.