Christian Cévaër lands European Open title

It was the tournament that nobody wanted to win. But in the end, Christian Cévaër did just enough yesterday to claim the European Open crown in front of 30,000 spectators at the sun-drenched London Club, near Ash, in Kent.
The 39-year-old Frenchman, who had started the final day as joint leader with Jeev Milkha Singh, had a round of 74 for a seven-under-par total of 281 and victory by one stroke from Steve Webster, Álvaro Quirós and Gary Orr. Among those one shot farther back was Chris Wood, who finished equal fifth as an amateur at the Open Championship last year and who came admirably close to registering his maiden victory in his rookie season on tour.
It says everything about the final day that nobody seemed capable of pulling away from the pack. Each of those within two strokes of the winner got themselves into contention only to drop shots at key moments. In truth, it was a desultory procession made up mainly of journeymen golfers unable, or unwilling, to seize the day.
By the time Cévaër arrived at the final tee he was surprised to find that he needed only a par for his second victory on tour and his first win since the Spanish Open in 2004. The 18th had been one of the most difficult holes all week - putting paid yesterday to Webster and Quirós, who bogeyed it - but Cévaër had played it as well as anybody, with pars there on the first two days and a birdie in the third round.
This time he steered his drive down the middle of the fairway and used a utility club for a 185-yard approach shot that finished in the fringe at the back of the green, from where he took two to get down after rolling his first shot to within a foot. “I'm proud of the way I played the hole,” Cévaër said. “I knew that as long as I hit the fairway, I could attack the green.”
He is not long off the tee, but one of his strengths is a skilful short game and excellent putting. He used both to good effect here. After reaching the turn in 39, he did not drop a shot on the back nine and came home in 35.
Cévaër's victory was a triumph of hope over adversity. His health has suffered recently because of the stress of a falling-out with his management company and the imminent birth of his second child, made all the more difficult because his wife, Fabienne, has miscarried three times. “It's amazing what choosing to be happy can do,” he said. He won £300,000 and playing rights on tour until 2014. “Wow, what a gift,” he said.
Wood briefly shared the lead on eight under par after seven holes, but dropped strokes at the 8th and 9th and thereafter was unable to make much headway. Rory McIlroy, his playing partner, had a 75 and also fell away. He will take a two-week break in a bid to rest a strained lower back before the US Open.
With the recession beginning to bite in professional golf - the prize fund for the European Open, for instance, was considerably down on the previous year, the winner alone receiving £100,000 less - George O'Grady, the head of the European Tour, warned yesterday that he expects more commitment from his leading players.
It follows on the heels of the BMWPGA Championship at Wentworth last week, billed as the tour's flagship event but one that was unable to attract the likes of Padraig Harrington, Sergio García, Ian Poulter, Geoff Ogilvy and Trevor Immelman.
While not wishing to be too critical, O'Grady gave the impression that without a full commitment to such tournaments from the players, it would be increasingly difficult to keep the likes of BMW on board. And with doubts also being raised as to the amount of money the tour can expect from its Dubai backers, there could be shaky times ahead. “We have to get back to a situation with our PGA Championship where every player who is a member of the tour wants to play in it,” O'Grady said.
Source:The times