Rooke Kakko sealed his card for
The 2014 European Tour season as
the Finn claimed his first title as a
professional with a nerveless
The 2014 European Tour season as
the Finn claimed his first title as a
professional with a nerveless
performance and a two-shot win in
the inaugural National Bank of
the inaugural National Bank of
Oman Golf Classic.
In searing hot conditions at the majestic Almouj Golf, The Wave in
the Omani capital of Muscat, the 31 year old produced a final round
worthy of the occasion in the penultimate event of the European
Challenge Tour season.
The victory, courtesy of a three under par final round of 69, elevated the Orlando-based player from 17th to sixth in the Rankings,
guaranteeing him one of the cards that will go to the leading 15 in
the Rankings after this coming week's Dubai Festival City Challenge
Tour Grand Final hosted by Al Badia Golf Club.
While Kakko began with two birdies to extend his one-shot
overnight lead to three before moving four clear at one point, it was
no walk in the park for the man whose only previous victory on the
Challenge Tour came as an amateur and on home soil back in 2004.
Dane Lucas Bjerregaard made an almighty push for the title
midway through the day when he carded three consecutive
birdies from the tenth hole to get within one of Kakko.
A bogey for Bjerregaard at the 13th and a birdie for Kakko at the 14th meant the gap was back to three and, while the Dane picked up one more shot at the par five 16th to ensure a nervy finish, Kakko pierced the middle of the fairway with his drive down the 18th
before finishing with a solid par to clinch the title on 14 under.
"Today I felt like this was my moment, when I was going to grab
hold of it, so it feels amazing," said Kakko, who let out an almighty
roar when he holed the final putt. "What an accomplishment. I'm
just so proud of how I handled myself on the golf course and how I
kept hitting good shots and good putts.
"After I hit that tee shot at 18 I figured that had to be pretty much it.
I saw that Bjerregaard made par on the last so the drive was the big
one, not the putt. I haven't won as a professional and that's why
we're here every week. We want to win these tournaments and I've
had a couple of chances.
"It's unbelievable to have a European Tour card secured. When
you set yourself a goal for top 15 and then accomplish that, it's
such a fulfilling feeling.
"I don't have words for it. I'm so happy, just delighted. I get to go
home now to my family after Grand Final and I don't have to go to
Qualifying School, so that's such a big plus. I think I get to play the
World Cup with Mikko Korhonen too so that's going to be a nice
Christmas present."
Bjerregaard, meanwhile, was disappointed to have missed out
having come close, but having needed a huge result this week just to
secure a place in the season-ending Grand Final, he was delighted to have achieved that goal by moving from 57th in the Rankings to 35th.
"It was a day of mixed emotions alright," said the 22 year old, who
signed for a five under 67 to finish on 12 under. "I needed a second
place or maybe third alone. I went out there and knew what I had to
do and I did it so I'm feeling very good right now."
Daniel Im, meanwhile, struggled to keep up with his playing partner
Kakko throughout the day and could only manage a level par 72 to
finish in third place on ten under par, but that was enough to move him inside the top 15 of the Rankings - from 21st to 13th - heading
into the crucial finale.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
274 R Kakko (Fin) 70 69 66 69
276 L Bjerregaard (Den) 76 68 65 67
278 D Im (USA) 69 69 68 72
281 B Stone (RSA) 71 68 74 68, M Ford (Eng) 72 74 68 67
283 J Carlsson (Swe) 72 72 70 69, J Huldahl (Den) 76 67 66 74, B An (SKor) 79 68 71 65
284 S Kim (Kor) 71 74 68 71, N Elvira (Esp) 74 70 73 67, A McArthur (Sco) 71 74 69 70, N Ravano (Ita) 68 72 75 69, M Crespi (Ita) 72 67 69 76, G Cambis (Fra) 76 66 73 69, L Goddard (Eng) 78 67 69 70, T Pilkadaris (Aus) 71 69 72 72
285 S Arnold (Aus) 71 71 72 71
286 G Stal (Fra) 74 72 68 72, J Elson (Eng) 74 73 72 67, G Murray (Sco) 74 72 66 74, R Russell (Sco) 75 70 68 73, W Besseling (Ned) 74 72 70 70, N Kimsey (am) (Eng) 71 72 74 69
287 S Walker (Eng) 74 73 73 67, R McGowan (Eng) 72 72 75 68
288 A Marshall (Eng) 72 74 69 73, J Dantorp (Swe) 74 70 72 72
289 J Moul (Eng) 72 69 71 77, D Ulrich (Sui) 73 75 70 71, K Borsheim (Nor) 75 69 74 71, E Dubois (Fra) 72 75 70 72, D Stewart (Sco) 71 72 72 74
290 R Davies (Wal) 77 68 75 70, N Lemke (Swe) 71 74 71 74, B Longmuir (Sco) 74 74 69 73, S Tiley (Eng) 78 70 72 70, B Paolini (USA) 72 74 71 73, J Guerrier (Fra) 68 74 72 76, M Jonzon (Swe) 75 72 73 70
291 V Riu (Fra) 75 71 70 75, A Otaegui (Esp) 74 74 69 74, A Domingo (Esp) 72 71 71 77, A Gee (Eng) 71 73 74 73, A Pavan (Ita) 72 71 73 75, D Huizing (Ned) 75 69 70 77, F Praegant (Aut) 78 70 67 76, J McLeary (Sco) 72 74 75 70
292 L Jensen (Den) 74 71 76 71, C Del Moral (Esp) 74 66 74 78, C Aguilar (Esp) 71 70 79 72, B Ritthammer (Ger) 76 71 73 72
293 M Lampert (Ger) 73 75 71 74
294 T Nørret (Den) 75 72 74 73, J Barnes (Eng) 72 72 76 74, R Dinwiddie (Eng) 75 70 75 74, O Wilson (Eng) 74 70 79 71
295 P Archer (Eng) 77 71 75 72, N Dougherty (Eng) 73 68 76 78, M Haastrup (Den) 74 74 72 75, P Dwyer (Eng) 73 68 71 83
296 L Saltman (Sco) 76 72 76 72, J Fahrbring (Swe) 74 72 74 76, C Ford (Eng) 70 78 78 70
297 J Abbott (Eng) 74 72 77 74
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