Swede Peter Hedblom breathed a huge sigh of relief at Gleneagles tonight after winning the Johnnie Walker Championship. The 39-year-old’s ecstasy was not just that he had grabbed only his third European Tour victory in 364 starts, but also that he did not need a play-off.
Four times Hedblom has gone into sudden death in his career and four times he has lost — the most recent of them last Sunday in Holland when England’s Simon Dyson sank an 18-foot birdie putt.
On this occasion, though, a five under par 67 gave the former Malaysian and Moroccan Open champion his first success actually on European soil.
Hedblom beat compatriot Martin Erlandsson by one after Erlandsson, joint 20th overnight, had set the clubhouse target with an astonishing 62, the lowest round of his life.
After a magical nine birdies in his first 12 holes the world number 365, who last week closed the KLM Open with a course record-equalling 63, had moved from six behind to two in front.
Erlandsson, taking his mind off the search for his first Tour win by studying his thumb of all things, added another birdie on the short 17th.
His round would have counted as another course record but for the fact that placing of the ball was allowed all week on the wet fairways.
By then, however, Hedblom had reeled off four birdies in a row around the turn as well, but he then failed to get up and down from rough left of the 15th green.
So one more birdie was needed and it came with a superb pitch to four feet on the long 16th. Then two closing pars — not easy on bumpy greens he reckoned to be the worst of the year — gave him the €270,00 first prize with a 13 under total of 275.
Defending champion Gregory Havret and Scotland’s former Open champion Paul Lawrie shared third place.
Damien McGrane was the best of the Irish finishers, closing with a 68 to finish on five under and a share of 14th place. Gary Murphy was a shot further back after he signed for a 69. Jonathan Caldwell’s disappointing weekend ended with a one over par 73 as he finished the tournament on one under.
