GolfPlus- Dec19 Digital Edition (Dec 19) | Page 27

ON THE EUROPEAN TO UR
BENJAMIN POKE
Tournament: European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage
Venue: Lumine Golf Club, Tarragona, Spain
GROVES TAKES
INAUGURAL EDGA DUBAI
FINALE TITLE
orld Number One George Groves held off the challenge of
America’s Chad Pfeifer to win the inaugural EDGA Dubai
¿ nale.
The 36 hole event featured some of the world’s best Golfers with
Disability and was taking place alongside the European Tour’s season
ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
It was the second EDGA event taking place in conjunction with
a Rolex Series event on the 2019 Race to Dubai after Groves ¿ nished
second to Brendan Lawlor at the EDGA Scottish Open, held during the
weekend of the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open.
The Englishman has Erb’s Palsy, a condition which leaves him
with 20 per cent strength in his left arm after a medical accident during
birth, but that has not stopped him from rising to the top of the World
Rankings for Golfers with Disability.
An opening 77 handed him a three shot lead and it looked like he
might run away with things when he birdied the ¿ rst in round two.
enjamin Poke completed an emphatic six-stroke victory at
European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage to run away
with the title as 28 players earned life-changing European
Tour cards.
The Dane, who led from the second round at Lumine Golf Club,
was in complete control throughout the marathon test, breaking 70
each day to post rounds of 67-67-69-67-69-64 and seal victory ahead
of three-time European Tour winner Grégory Havret, who came
second on 19 under par.
Poke, 27, has just completed his rookie season on the European
Challenge Tour and will be joined on the top tier by his 18-year-old
countryman Rasmus Højgaard, who overcame an opening-round 74
to ¿ nish Final Stage in a share of ¿ fth place on 16 under par.
The promise of a thrilling conclusion to Final Stage was ful¿ lled
again on the Lakes Course as American Sihwan Kim carded an
eight under par ¿ nal round of 63 to jump 38 places and ¿ nish the
tournament with a European Tour card in hand, as he cemented a
share of 17th place.
VAN ROOYEN DEFEATS WILLETT TO WIN THE HERO CHALLENGE IN DUBAI
South African Erik van Rooyen defeated former Masters Champion
Danny Willett to win the ¿ nal Hero Challenge of 2019 in Dubai.
Van Rooyen ¿ red one ‘bullseye’ 50 in the ¿ nal to ¿ nish with 140
points, edging out Willett’s total of 105.
It was Van Rooyen’s debut in the European Tour’s innovative
shootout which was played under lights in front of the spectacular
Atlantis, The Palm, in Dubai where the Tour’s leading players are
gathered for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
Willett will begin his defence of that Rolex Series title at
Jumeirah Golf Estates on Thursday, but he was unable to overcome
Van Rooyen in the ¿ nal of the Hero Challenge, with the Scandinavian
Invitation champion claiming victory on his debut in the event.
“That was awesome,” said van Rooyen. “It was a lot of fun and
really cool to have all the people around and hit from the stage over
the water.
GolfPlus
DECEMBER
2019
31