Weekend winners: Sixteen years on Wall doubles up and Knox holds nerve
European Tour: Paul Lawrie Match Play – Anthony Wall
Wall first won on the European Tour 16 years and 204 days (and 431 events) ago – now he is a winner again after beating Alex Noren at the last. Both are, not surprisingly, records.
The 41-year-old, who has seven second places, lost the first two holes but was level by the 6th. He went ahead with a birdie at the 11th and the last seven holes were halved, thanks to a variety of up and downs from the Englishman. Noren, bidding for an Aberdeen Asset double after his win at Castle Stuart, saw a putt lip out at 17 and another slide by at the last.
Over the course of the week Wall was taken to extra holes against Richard Green in the last 16 and beat Oliver Fisher at the 22nd hole in Saturday’s semis.
NCG columnist James Morrison won the third-place play-off against Fisher – the Englishman started birdie, eagle, birdie and eventually won 4&2.
Mid-round interview: Anthony Wall tells us what it's like to play in these severe winds. https://t.co/DwMrJjKCvL
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) August 7, 2016
What Wall said: “It’s funny – the other one in 2000 felt like yesterday! It’s amazing because it’s such a hard job to beat everyone because everyone is so good.
“I did wonder whether it would ever come again. I’m just so pleased for my parents – they put in so much when I was young. I’ve got two children that just want to see their dad win; I’m speechless, it’s phenomenal.”
PGA Tour: Travelers Championship – Russell Knox
The tournament will always be remembered for Jim Furyk’s closing 58 but this victory could have an added significance when Europe meet America at Hazeltine.
Scotland’s Knox added a second win on Tour when he drained a 15-foot par putt on the 72nd green to hold off Jerry Kelly.
The par gave him a 68 and 14 under total but he was made to sweat down the closing stretch. His playing partner and overnight leader Daniel Berger followed his Saturday 62 with a 74 after starting the back nine with four straight bogeys and Knox had, until the last, seen his final round littered with a succession of close shaves on the green.
But, after finding sand at 18 and a timid recovery, he knocked his putt straight in to join a stellar list of mulitiple winners; Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Adam Scott.
Furyk’s 12-under piece of history was enough to get him a share of fifth place.
What Knox said: “Right before I asked him (my caddy) what he thought, how much break, I told him, I got it because I didn’t want to hear what he had to say in case it was slightly different from what I was thinking. I just trusted my read, and it was just a nice gentle, right-to-left putt. I played it just a little higher to the right, and about halfway I had a good feeling it was right in the middle.
“Fred Funk is my idol. Of course when he won The Players he had the famous hat throw, and then Tiger has obviously done it at Bay Hill once or twice. I think Aaron Baddeley might have chucked it a few weeks ago when he won.”
Russell Knox wins Travelers, gives us best hat toss in PGA Tour history pic.twitter.com/R1A37XMW9H (via @mshamburger1)
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) August 7, 2016
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Mark Townsend
Been watching and playing golf since the early 80s and generally still stuck in this period. Huge fan of all things Robert Rock, less so white belts. Handicap of 8, fragile mind and short game
