Haig nails first European Tour win
Brad Morgan
5 February 2007
Up-and-coming Anton Haig made a big splash at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Phuket at the weekend, securing the title in a three-way playoff against fellow South African Richard Sterne and England's Oliver Wilson.
It was the 20-year-old's seventeenth time competing on the European Tour and the victory brought with it a valued exemption on tour until the end of 2009.
The Johnnie Walker Classic is co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the Asian Tour and it was Haig's second Asian Tour win following his breakthrough victory at last year's Malaysian Masters.
Topped Els and Goosen
In winning the title, Haig saw off the challenges of South Africa's world top-10 ranked Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. Els previously won the title in 1997 and 2003, while Goosen tasted victory in 2002.
Haig's win also boosted his bank balance by a sizeable $410 000.
Both Els and Goosen have tipped him as a player to watch
for the future and he lived up to their favourable assessment of him, carding rounds of 71, 64, 70, and 70 for a four-round total of 13-under-par 275. His final round included a birdie on the last hole as Sterne and Wilson carded pars to send the event into a playoff.
Sterne posted rounds of 75, 64, 64, and 72, while Wilson went around in 68, 66, 70, and 71.
On the first playoff hole, the par-four 403 yard fourth, Sterne failed to sink an eight-foot birdie putt, which just caught the edge of the hole, and when Haig sank his birdie putt the title was his.
Inspiration
Speaking after his win, Haig admitted that he had drawn inspiration from Els and Goosen from a young age. He said both players had provided him with plenty of inspiration to aim high and credited Goosen for his never-say-die attitude, and Els for his rhythm. He also praised their down-to-earth approach to the game.
Sterne shone after his opening round 75. In fact, he
said he expected to miss the cut following that effort, but two successive eight-under-par 64s lifted him to the top of the leaderboard with 18 holes to go.
Goosen finished alone in fourth on 10-under-par 278 after posting rounds of 68, 68, 72, and 70.
Close but no cigar
Els was in with a shout until near the end; he pulled within three shots of the leaders, but bogeys on the thirteenth and the seventeenth saw him fall out of contention. He ended on 280, alongside compatriot David Frost, Colin Montgomerie, and India's Gaurav Ghei.
The Big Easy felt his game was as good as it has been all year away from the greens, but he failed to make putts and that cost him the chance of challenging for the title.
Further down the leaderboard, Keith Horne finished on level-par 288 after rounds of 68, 71, 73, and 76. Henrik Buhrmann struggled and totally fell apart in the final round, posting a terrible 16-over-par 88 to end the tournament on
308.
Leaderboard
275 Anton Haig (RSA) 71 64 70 70(Won at the first play-off hole.), Oliver Wilson 68 66 70 71, Richard Sterne (RSA) 75 64 64 72
278 Retief Goosen (RSA) 68 68 72 70
279 Mike Weir (Can) 66 78 68 67
280 Gaurav Ghei (Ind) 69 73 74 64, Colin Montgomerie 69 70 70 71, Ernie Els (RSA) 73 70 67 70, David Frost (RSA) 69 70 72 69
288 Keith Horne (Rsa) 68 71 73 76
308 Hendrik Buhrmann (Rsa) 71 73 76 88
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