South Africa’s Haydn Porteous overcame Lee Slattery of England in an exciting final round to win the D+D REAL Czech Masters at the Albatross Golf Resort in Prague.
Haydn Porteous won the D+D REAL Czech Masters by two shots from Lee Slattery of England. It was the South African’s second European Tour title.
Porteous began the final round two behind Slattery but birdies on the first two holes saw the 23-year-old South African draw level with the Englishman.
Slattery began steadily with six straight pars and he re-took the lead with a birdie on the 7th. A three-putt bogey on the next hole saw him drop back again.
Both men struggled around the turn giving England’s Tom Lewis and Pontus Widegren a chance to get involved in the battle for victory. But a birdie on the 13th from Slattery and then one from Porteous on the 14th saw them pull clear of the pack.
Porteous was one shot ahead when the pair stood on the 16th tee and, after he put his tee shot on the par-3 to tap-in distance, the tournament looked to be his. But Slattery rolled home a 12-foot birdie putt to keep his hopes alive.
The Englishman couldn’t close the gap though and a bogey on the final hole meant that Porteous won by two.
“To get my second European Tour win under the belt just feels amazing,” he said. “I’m sure this evening’s probably not going to be the most professional moment of my life but there’s nothing wrong with having a bit of celebration.”
3 Talking points from the D+D REAL Czech Masters
1 – This was a second European Tour title for Haydn Porteous. The 23-year-old won the Joburg Open last season. But he then missed 14 of 16 cuts between then and the Dubai Desert Classic of this year. He didn’t record a top-10 until last week’s Made in Denmark but he now has a second Tour victory.
“It’s been a really torrid time through the last eight, nine months and I’ve really started doing the right things and slowly but surely the golf has got a little bit better,” said Porteous. “It’s just one tournament at a time, one shot at a time and just make sure I do the right things and be professional in the way I do everything.”
2 – Lee Slattery was disappointed to close with a 73 and miss out on tournament victory but the 39-year-old has other things on his mind at the moment. His wife is a week overdue with the couple’s second child.
“To have four weeks off, there has been a lot going on at home with the baby and moving house, so to come into this week and finish runner-up is a great achievement. I will always look back at that seven under par second round as one of the best rounds I’ve ever played in those conditions,” he said of the event and the superb 65 he posted in round two.
3 – It was another great week on the European Tour for English players. Slattery was second and Tom Lewis will be encouraged with a solid third place finish. Overall there were six Englishmen in the top-10. They were: Slattery and Lewis, James Morrison, Eddie Pepperell, Callum Shinkwin and Lee Westwood.
D+D REAL Czech Masters
Albatross Golf Resort, Prague, Czech Republic
Aug 31 – Sep 3
Purse: €1,800,000 Par: 72
1 Haydn Porteous (RSA) 70 69 67 69 275 €166,660
2 Lee Slattery (Eng) 72 65 67 73 277 €111,110
T3 Tom Lewis (Eng) 75 66 70 67 278 €56,300
T3 Pontus Widegren (Swe) 67 72 69 70 278 €56,300
T5 Oscar Lengden (Swe) 68 74 70 68 280 €33,100
T5 James Morrison (Eng) 68 70 72 70 280 €33,100
T5 Eddie Pepperell (Eng) 69 73 70 68 280 €33,100
T5 Jason Scrivener (Aus) 73 70 68 69 280 €33,100
T9 Scott Henry (Sco) 71 73 67 70 281 €18,820
T9 Mike Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 70 73 69 69 281 €18,820
T9 Matteo Manassero (Ita) 69 73 69 70 281 €18,820
T9 Callum Shinkwin (Eng) 66 75 69 71 281 €18,820
T9 Lee Westwood (Eng) 70 72 71 68 281 €18,820
Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist ball usage
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