Published July 17, 2008 on July 30, 2018

Richard Seals Dream Victory in European Open

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Richard McEvoy claimed a dream maiden European Tour victory at the Porsche European Open as the Englishman overcame World Number 23 Bryson DeChambeau, Masters Champion Patrick Reed and a host of pretenders to the throne in a dramatic final day battle, courtesy of a birdie at the last.

The 39-year-old’s win comes in his 285^th European Tour appearance, 17 years after making his debut on the tour and just seven days after triumphing on the developmental European Challenge Tour.

There were twists and turns aplenty at Green Eagle Golf Courses as the leaders struggled in the afternoon wind but McEvoy played a safe game throughout and, having shared the lead with DeChambeau heading into the final round, a one over closing 73 was enough.

With German amateur Allen John – who is profoundly deaf and won gold at last year’s Deaflympics – Swede Christofer Blomstrand and Italy’s Renato Paratore all in the clubhouse on ten under par, McEvoy required a birdie four on the risk-reward par five 18^th hole to avoid a four-way play-off.

Against the advice of his caddie, the three-time Challenge Tour winner opted to lay up and that decision paid dividends when he knocked his third shot to 15 feet and duly holed the putt for an 11 under total, and an emotional first European Tour success.

McEvoy said, “It was a rollercoaster ride today, big time. I fought hard, I believed and even at the last hole I overpowered my caddie to lay it up to give myself the best opportunity to make birdie and I managed to do that.

“Last week on the Challenge Tour obviously was another boost to the confidence and it’s come good again this week. It was a lot of hard work, a lot of bad years, a lot of good years and it never quite happened. But it was my time on the 18^th green, holing that putt, so I’m very pleased.”

 

Final Scores:

277 R McEvoy (Eng) 70 65 69 73,
278 R Paratore (Ita) 72 66 70 70, C Blomstrand (Swe) 72 67 71 68, A John (am) (Ger) 68 73 70 67,
279 H Tanihara (Jpn) 69 70 71 69, R Wattel (Fra) 67 69 72 71,
280 M Schwab (Aut) 68 67 70 75, P Casey (Eng) 69 69 69 73,
281 D Drysdale (Sco) 69 67 72 73, C Schwartzel (RSA) 70 69 72 70, P Reed (USA) 70 66 69 76, M Nixon (Eng) 73 71 69 68,
282 J Wang (Kor) 73 65 72 72, A Levy (Fra) 69 68 76 69, S Jamieson (Sco) 70 71 70 71, T Detry (Bel) 72 72 69 69, B Dechambeau (USA) 66 68 70 78, D Lipsky (USA) 69 75 68 70,
283 M Calderon (Chi) 71 72 69 71, M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 67 75 70 71, S Hend (Aus) 68 71 69 75,
284 C Syme (Sco) 68 72 72 72, S Kjeldsen (Den) 69 72 74 69, D Kataoka (Jpn) 71 71 71 71, L Johnston (Sco) 72 70 72 70, M Warren (Sco) 73 71 67 73, J Winther (Den) 70 72 73 69, J Lima (Por) 70 71 74 69,
285 J Choi (Kor) 69 75 72 69, L Jensen (Den) 68 72 71 74, T Aiken (RSA) 73 71 72 69, B Dredge (Wal) 68 69 73 75, O Wilson (Eng) 73 71 73 68, M Kieffer (Ger) 69 71 71 74, L Herbert (Aus) 75 67 75 68, F Aguilar (Chi) 72 68 71 74, R Cho (Kor) 72 72 67 74, P Mejow (Ger) 69 69 73 74,
286 R Ramsay (Sco) 75 69 70 72, D Horsey (Eng) 69 73 67 77, O Fisher (Eng) 68 71 73 74, L Bjerregaard (Den) 75 68 74 69, R Sterne (RSA) 72 71 72 71, M Lundberg (Swe) 71 70 75 70,
287 J Walters (RSA) 72 72 70 73, J Stalter (Fra) 67 76 69 75, N Geyger (Chi) 72 69 77 69,
288 T Pulkkanen (Fin) 71 72 69 76, C Shinkwin (Eng) 71 70 70 77, S Horsfield (Eng) 70 71 69 78, S Heisele (Ger) 71 69 72 76, S Gros (Fra) 72 70 74 72, B Hafthorsson (Isl) 72 70 75 71,
289 C Mivis (Bel) 71 69 73 76, S Brown (Eng) 68 73 77 71, M Siem (Ger) 71 70 75 73, J Guerrier (Fra) 72 72 71 74, A Dodt (Aus) 68 74 74 73, M Pavon (Fra) 72 70 77 70, A Saddier (Fra) 72 71 72 74, N Elvira (Esp) 72 72 69 76, H Sturehed (Swe) 70 71 74 74,
290 S Fernandez (Esp) 72 68 77 73,
291 O Farr (Wal) 70 74 71 76, C Sordet (Fra) 71 72 75 73, K Koivu (Fin) 72 70 73 76, J Smith (Eng) 71 72 75 73,
292 Ó Serna (Mex) 73 69 72 78, J Morrison (Eng) 70 70 76 76, A Otaegui (Esp) 70 74 74 74,
293 J Kolbing (Ger) 73 70 74 76,
294 P Hanson (Swe) 70 71 73 80, B Staben (Ger) 67 77 75 75,
298 J Thomson (Eng) 78 65 74 81,
220 L Cianchetti (Ita) 72 72 76 0,
221 N Cullen (Aus) 73 71 77 0, N Højgaard (am) (Den) 69 75 77 0,
222 K Johannessen (Nor) 71 72 79 0,
224 J Kruger (RSA) 73 71 80 0,