Two perfectly-struck shots in the white heat of tournament battle effectively sealed victory for Sweden's Pierre Fulke in the Volvo Masters here at Montecastillo yesterday. Each one gained him a stroke on playing partner Darren Clarke, who eventually had to give best in what had become a matchplay situation.
It was a wonderful performance by the 29-year-old, especially in view of serious wrist problems which kept him out of action for the first five months of this year. And it came at the end of an extremely testing afternoon in which he and Clarke fought grimly for ultimate supremacy, having been joint leaders overnight.
Early on, it seemed as if Lee Westwood would turn irresistible heat on Clarke, as he had done by coming from seven strokes back to beat the Tyroneman in the European Open last year. But after two opening birdies, which narrowed the gap to three strokes, Westwood's challenge suddenly faltered through a bogey at the long third.
Colin Montgomerie, written off after a dismal third-round 76 on Saturday, then sprang most improbably into the picture. But even with an admirable, eight-birdie 65, the big Scot's target of 10 under par wasn't sufficient to intimidate the leaders.
Next came Michael Campbell, who seemed destined to struggle for a place in the top 20 after three-putting the first. From there, however, he carded eight birdies and an eagle in a breathtaking 63, setting the far more realistic target of 13 under. "I finally believe I have reached the top rung of players," said the New Zealander, with some justification.
Meanwhile, the Irish challenge was very much centred on Clarke. Ronan Rafferty crumbled to a 77 for a total of 297 and £6,300, while Paul McGinley finished as he had started, with a 73. An aggregate of 286, which gave him a share of 34th place for £15,300, ensured his presence at Valderrama later this week as the 18thplaced player in the Order of Merit.
Padraig Harrington did considerably better. With a final round of 71 for 281, he earned £50,888 for a share of 14th place. The Dubliner was making steady progress at one under after five holes yesterday, when he was knocked back on his heels by a double-bogey at the sixth, where his second shot found water.
From then on, it became a struggle to regain his overnight position of tied eighth. On a hot-scoring day, he didn't manage it, despite birdies at the remaining par fives - the ninth, 12th and 16th.
"My game hasn't really been sharp enough to allow me make a serious challenge this weekend," he said. Though Fulke came here with victories in the 1999 Lancome Trophy and this year's Scottish PGA Championship to his credit, the feeling was that he would succumb eventually to the inevitable pressure exerted by higher-ranked rivals. Indeed, barring the unforeseen, one would have imagined a final round of 68 from Clarke would be more than sufficient to wrap up the title.
But the Swede showed himself to be made of surprisingly stern stuff, putting pressure on Clarke from the outset by snatching the lead with an opening birdie from 20 feet. As he later remarked: "I got the pace of the greens with that first putt and it stayed with me all afternoon." Indeed it did. Fulke may not have the most elegant of swings, in that it contains quite a degree of lateral movement, but his putting stroke is one of the silkiest and most productive on tour. In the event, he and Clarke were never more than a stroke apart .
After a birdie from six feet at the long 12th, it was the Tyroneman who took the lead. And when Fulke levelled with a birdie at the next, Clarke moved ahead once more at the 173-yard 14th where he punched a five-iron under the wind and then sank a 12foot birdie putt. Given Clarke's experience of victory here two years ago, it looked like a winning lead.
Down the long 16th, however, Fulke delivered the first body-blow. After Clarke had pushed his drive into rough on the right, so effectively placing the green out of reach, the Swede faced up to a shot of 216 yards, into the wind and with water beckoning on the right. It was struck to perfection, setting up a successful eagle putt from 25 feet.
As it happened, Clarke did well to pitch and hole a 12-foot putt for birdie, following Fulke into the hole. "I thought that putt would dent his confidence," he said. Not a bit of it. Fulke proceeded to split the fairway with a superb drive down the treacherous 17th, where water threatens all the way down the right.
That was the second body-blow. By way of response, Clarke's swing quickened perceptibly and the result was a ruinous hook, sending the ball wide of the cart-path on the left to a horrible lie in scrubland. The best he could do was to play a nine-iron recovery almost pin-high into rough left of the green. And where Fulke made a safe, two-putt par, Clarke never looked like doing better than a bogey.
Down the equally dangerous 18th, the Swede's nerve never flinched. With a closing 67, he had proved himself to be a worthy champion.
