Grégory Bourdy completed a sensational weekend for French golf when he followed Michael Lorenzo-Vera’s Challenge Tour success with his own maiden European Tour title in the Mallorca Classic.
The 25 year old from Bordeaux carded a final round 67 for a 12 under par total of 268 and a two shot victory over England’s Sam Little, who matched Bourdy’s final round 67 for 270, but who had the substantial consolation of ensuring his playing privileges for The 2008 European Tour season after coming into the week in 136th place on the Order of Merit.
Third place at Pula Golf Club went to Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen on nine under par 271 while Scotland’s Alastair Forsyth finished strongly with a 66 for 273 to leapfrog Ireland’s Peter Lawrie and take fourth spot.
But the day and the week belonged to Bourdy whose success was greeted in the now-traditional way as he was drenched in champagne on the 18th green by his fellow countrymen, Thomas Levet, Jean-Francois Lucquin and Christian Cévaèr.
“To get my first win on Tour feels absolutely fantastic,” said the Frenchman whose previous best had been victory in the 2006 South African PGA Championship on the Sunshine Tour. “I had a great day out there and this is just unbelievable.”
Bourdy became the 18th first time winner of the season – a new record number of maiden winners in one season on The European Tour – and his first prize cheque for €333,330 also guaranteed him a place in next week’s season-ending Volvo Masters at Club de Golf Valderrama.
Having started the final round in a share of the lead with Derksen, Bourdy was consistency personified and did not drop a shot all day, his only departures from par coming with birdies at the sixth, ninth and tenth holes.
However, every champion needs a bit of good fortune to go with their undoubted ability and for Bourdy that came on the 442 yard 16th. After a pulled drive into the rough, and with Little watching from the adjacent fairway, Bourdy’s club turned over in the long grass and his second shot seemed destined for the water in front of the green.
Somehow, though, it had enough in its trajectory to land dry, a mere foot over the edge of the water from where the Frenchman chipped and putted for par. He parred the 17th and, although he missed a three foot birdie attempt on the par three 18th after a stunning six iron tee shot, it was immaterial in the overall big picture.
“I did think it was in the water at the 16th so I was very relieved when I saw it bounce in the rough in front of the green,” admitted Bourdy. “It was a bit lucky but sometimes these little things go your way and perhaps that signifies that it is your day.”
Little, with other weighty issues on his mind, battled superbly in the circumstances and indeed for a while it looked like the 32 year old Londoner might take away a two year Tour exemption for actually winning the tournament instead of just the one for keeping his card.
Like Bourdy, he did nothing wrong and three birdies around the turn kept his hopes of victory alive. They were dented when he dropped a shot at the 15th – his only bogey of the day – but he showed the strength of character evident in his play all week by bouncing straight back with a 15 foot birdie at the 16th.
Third placed Derksen shared the lead with Bourdy going into the final round but, as has been the case for the consistent Dutchman so often this season, when he has needed the extra spark to ignite a title challenge, it has not been apparent.
A three putt bogey at the opening hole set the winner of the 2003 Dubai Desert Classic and the 2005 Madeira Island Open off on the wrong foot and although he battled bravely throughout, too many birdie chances on the 6850 yard Pula Golf Club lay-out stayed above ground.
For the majority of the final round, it looked like Lawrie would take fourth place at the very least but an ugly double bogey six at the 16th and a bogey four to finish put paid to that notion and his hopes of featuring in next week’s Volvo Masters, allowing Forsyth – who had six birdies in his 66 – to overtake him.
Further down the leaderboard, pre-tournament favourite Sergio Garcia had a day to forget on the greens. The World Number Ten got within touching distance of the leaders in the early stages before his blade went cold on the putting surfaces. In the end his challenge was extinguished when he shed four shots in four holes from the 12th, eventually finishing in a tie for 16th place on three under par 277.
