We last saw the pumped fist salute as his vital win over Phil Mickelson helped Europe regain The Ryder Cup last September, but Phillip Price’s trademark celebration resurfaced once again on the final green of The K Club as he clinched a dramatic victory in the Smurfit European Open.
The 36 year old Welshman, who had never been out of the lead since he opened with a 66 on Thursday, eventually earned his third European Tour International Schedule victory with a brave birdie four on the 72nd hole for a 70 and a 16 under par total of 272, one shot ahead of Scotland’s Alastair Forsyth and Mark McNulty of Zimbabwe.
It was the sixth wire-to-wire victory of the 2003 European Tour season and the second Welsh winner of the year, Bradley Dredge having been first in the Madeira Island Open. It also represented the first time two Welsh golfers have won official events in the same season since 1994 when Price won the Algarve Open de Portugal and Ian Woosnam won the British Masters.
“I suppose I’m a bit short on titles and it has bothered me a little bit that I haven’t won more often, especially a big tournament,” said Price. “But I class this as a big tournament and to win here is just fantastic.”
In the end, Price pocketed €481,245 (£333,330) to move to sixth place on the Volvo Order of Merit with €695,660 (£481,842) to his name, but the bare statistics do little justice to the drama which unfolded over the final few holes.
Having started the day with a three shot lead, Price regained that advantage when he holed his bunker shot at the short 12th for a birdie two. It moved the Welshman to 17 under par but he gave the chasing pack, led by Forsyth and McNulty, hope when he bogeyed the 14th.
When the Scot and the Zimbabwean both birdied the last for matching final round 68s and set a joint clubhouse target of 15 under par 273, Price’s lead was down to one and it disappeared completely when he three putted the 17th for a bogey four.
Last year the huge Irish galleries held their breath as local hero Padraig Harrington and eventual champion Michael Campbell played out a final hole drama, this time round it was Price on whom all eyes were focused.
A perfect drive found the centre of the fairway but the Welshman’s four iron second shot from 225 yards skimmed through the putting surface and came to rest in the fringe grass at the back of the green leaving Price knowing he needed to pitch and putt to win.
Displaying nerves of steel, his crisply struck eight iron pitch and run trundled down the green before finishing two feet from the pin. After waiting for playing partner Angel Cabrera to hole out, Price took a deep breath and struck the putt firmly into the back of the hole.
“If I had holed my putt for par on the 17th I probably could have coasted down the last, but I left myself a bit of work to do,” he said. “But I quite fancied the chip. I was hoping I would hit it stiff but I hit it to two feet which was pretty good and it was a relief to see the putt go into the middle of the hole.”
The champion aside, one of the most consistent players all week at the venue for The 2006 Ryder Cup Matches was joint runner-up Mark McNulty, the 49 year old attempting to become the oldest winner in the history of The European Tour.
Making only three bogeys in 72 holes almost helped the charismatic Zimbabwean achieve the notable feat but he was still delighted with his finish and his flawless final round 68 which featured birdies at the third, fourth, tenth and 18th.
“I’m absolutely delighted with the week, thrilled. I think that is the best I have played for five years,” he said. “To play on a tough, demanding golf course like this and only drop three shots all week, is a fantastic effort.
“I said at the start of the week that I had been working hard with David (Leadbetter) and we found a little something that I have taken out onto the golf course this week and the difference has been night and day.
“My driving in particular has been fantastic and that has been the key. I only missed a handful of fairways all week and when I did it was only by a couple of feet which you have to do here because the rough can be very penal. As I said, I’m delighted.”
Consistency has also been the watchword of Alastair Forsyth, who made his 14th consecutive cut of the season and earned his second second place in three weeks after finishing runner up in The Diageo Championship at Gleneagles.
“I got off to a little bit of a poor start when I bogeyed the fourth which left myself a lot to do,” said the Scot, who moved up to eighth on the Volvo Order of Merit with €670,168 (£464,185).
“But I was really pleased with the way I hung in and battled back and to make five birdies in the last 13 holes, including two in the last three, was pretty good. The fourth hole aside, I never really looked like dropping a shot anywhere so I can’t complain, I played great.”
One shot behind Forsyth and McNulty, England’s Gary Evans matched the duo’s 68 to take fourth place on his own with 13 under par 275 while Ireland’s Darren Clarke, hoping to repeat his victory of 2001, threatened in the early stages when he eagled the fourth to move level with Price, but he could not maintain the momentum and fell back to finish in a share of fifth with Eduardo Romero on 12 under par 276, Clarke carding a 71 while Romero posted a 68.
