April 6, 2014 – Marco Crespi, a veteran Italian golfer sponsored by TaylorMade Golf and Colmar, had a good start which was key to winning his first European Tour title at the NH Collection Open in Spain.

The 35 year old, who came through Qualifying School at the 11th attempt in November to earn a first season on The European Tour, completed victory on only his 25th career start. A three under par 69 gave the Italian a ten under total at La Reserva de Sotogrande Club de Golf and a two shot win over Spain’s Jordi Garcia Pinto and Scotland’s Richie Ramsay. Crespi turned in a four under par 32 to race into a three shot lead, but bogeys at the 12th and 13th jeopardised his chances.

The two-time Challenge Tour winner had only finished in the top ten of a European Tour event once before, finishing fourth at the South African Open earlier this season, but held his nerve and birdied the 14th before paring his way in for victory.

“I started very well today,” said Marco Crespi. “I birdied the first and that gave me the confidence to go low. I just had to manage my pressure on the back nine.”

“I lost a couple of shots on 12 and 13. On 12 I hit a very bad eight iron to the green, my only bad shot of the day. On 13 I had a very long iron, a three iron, and it wasn’t a really bad shot. But then I birdied the next; I really like the 14th because I birdied it every day. I played very good and I am very happy.”

Earlier Ramsay had birdied his first four holes to move into a share of the lead, with Crespi, who had birdied the first, and overnight leader Matthew Nixon. But Crespi had further gains at the fifth, eighth and ninth to surge clear, and a double bogey six at the ninth effectively ended the Scot’s chances of a third European Tour title as he signed for a closing 68.

Garcia Pinto birdied four of his last five holes for a 66 as the 24 year old posted his best European Tour finish, while Nixon and Chile’s Felipe Aguilar shared fourth on seven under.

SECOND VICTORY FOR COLMAR IN 2014

The final victory went to the perseverance of Marco Crespi, a player who has provided to Colmar Italian sportswear with the second title of the season on the European Tour, after the recent win of Alejandro Canizares at the Trophée Hassan II.

The Italian golfer, 35 years old, is playing his first season on the European Tour after eleven years as a professional. He is, in fact, the oldest debutante winner of the Tour’s history. His best result to date was a fourth place in South Africa.

The Italian, who started playing at the age of 13 because his father was a caddy at the Milan Golf Club, played the difficult greens of La Reserva de Sotogrande perfectly, and that gave him the victory. Today he was determined to take advantage of this opportunity that he’d been dreaming of for a long time, and full of emotion, dedicated the win to his wife and daughter.

Pictures: ©Michael Denker.

 

Por REDACCIÓN