Fuente: © Asian Tour
http://www.asiantour.com/

GOLF: ASIAN TOUR: 2007 REWIND: HEDBLOM BLOOMS AGAIN AFTER 11-YEAR WAIT

/noticias.info/ The Asian Tour now heads to Malaysia for this week’s US$2 million Maybank Malaysian Open.

The Kota Permai Golf and Country Club will host this year’s event with the promise of another exciting week with the top players on course in the likes of Liang Wen-chong, Jeev Milkha Singh, Thongchai Jaidee coupled with Darren Clarke, David Howell, Rory McIlroy, Charl Swartzel and defending champion Peter Hedblom.

Asiantour.com takes a look at last year’s event when Hedblom raised the trophy which ended an 11-year drought.

Players were pondering if they were at the US Open after golf’s bandwagon rolled up for the Maybank Malaysian Open.

Fast and firm fairways, ankle-deep rough and treacherous greens greeted the stars of the game that it ruffled some feathers well before the first ball was struck in the opening round.

Europe’s Ryder Cup star Darren Clarke, making a return to Malaysia for the first time in eight years, sized up the challenge by saying: “It’s a bit more like a US Open than the Malaysian Open! It is a very, very difficult test of golf and it is going to be a long week to grind out some scores.”

Indeed, the Maybank Malaysian Open was a battle for survival. And after four gruelling days, perhaps, it was only fitting that the new Maybank Malaysian Open champion was a player whose career has survived the pitfalls of the professional game.

Sweden’s forgotten man, Peter Hedblom was the last man standing at Saujana as he savoured a sweet victory some 11 long years after his maiden triumph in Europe.

"Unbelievable," said Hedblom, who totaled eight-under-par 280 for the week. "I've been shaking. It's almost 11 years now and to win again, I've worked so hard to get back and try to win a tournament and now I've won it. It's unbelievable.

"When you haven't won for that long, you question whether you can win again."

A career breakthrough triumph in the 1996 Moroccan Open was meant to be the gateway to stardom but Hedblom’s fortune dried up in the desert winds. He subsequently endured years of frustration and even played on the Challenge Tour in Europe for several seasons to sustain his career.

At Saujana, Hedblom was five over par through 21 holes on Friday and found himself fighting for survival once again. But two eagles en route to a second round 71 gave him wings to fly and after safely making the halfway cut, two further rounds of 68s were good enough to triumph over Frenchman Jean Francois Lucquin by one stroke.

“At five over, you are trying to make the cut. Honestly, I was thinking about making top 10, so to win this tournament is so good. By winning twice, you know you are a champion,” said Hedblom.

Lacquin charged into contention with a flurry of birdies but threw away his title hopes with a three-putt bogey from 30 feet on the last hole during a thrilling final round that saw five players being tied for the lead and seven others lying one back at one stage.

Asia’s best places finishers were Thai duo Chinarat Phadungsil and Prom Meesawat, who shared seventh place while compatriot Thongchai Jaidee, whose two Malaysian Open wins were recorded at Saujana, were amongst the big guns who misfired.

Australian Gavin Flint, a regular on the Asian Tour, enjoyed the honour of shooting the season’s first albatross when he holed his second shot with a three wood at the par five 580-yard 18th hole during the second round. notas_de_prensa_archivo