Kruger Wins Maiden European Event

Jbe Kruger overcame a late wobble to claim his first European Tour victory at the Avantha Masters in New Delhi.

The 25 year old South African looked to be coasting towards the title when, having shaken off the challenge of Spain’s José Manuel Lara, he stood on the 17th tee with a three shot lead.

However, he overcooked his approach and failed to get up and down, the resulting bogey his first for 46 holes.

A wayward drive at the last then struck a camera, and his second went left in to trees, but faced with a daunting third over the water Kruger displayed nerves of steel to stick his approach to ten feet.

He missed the resulting birdie putt, but par was good enough for a round of 69 and 14 under par total at DLF Golf & Country Club.

That was two better than Spain’s Jorge Campillo, whose 67 was the joint-best effort of the day, and German Marcel Siem – who had a sniff of a chance at the last until his third found the bunker, the resulting par leaving him with a 70.

Lara and Australian Marcus Fraser shared fourth on 11 under, two-time winner Lara finding water at the final hole to sink his chances after a brilliant outward 32 had given him a share of the lead.

“I’m very relieved to win for the first time,” said Kruger, who putted beautifully all week. “If you want to win you need to make putts on the final day and I did that today.

“It’s a big relief now that I’ve won but I think I needed all those second-placed finishes to be able to appreciate it. There was no pressure even when I made my only bogey of the day on the 17th. 

“I felt that victory was inevitable when I got to the 14th hole. I knew that I had a good chance as I had a comfortable three-shot cushion then. I like to know what’s going on and I’m aware of the movements on the leaderboard.” 

Earlier a red-hot putter moved Lara into contention as the 34 year old holed 15 foot birdie putts at the first and third, before curling in a monster 60 footer at the fifth.

Overnight leader Kruger responded with a birdie at the fourth from 12 feet, and both gained a shot on the long sixth, before Lara almost holed-in-one at the par three eighth, leaving a tap-in birdie.Kruger holed a birdie putt from 20 feet at the eighth to enter the back nine with a one shot lead, and the decisive fourth birdie of the day followed at the par three 11th.

Lara was struggling from the tee by this point, and although he scrambled pars at the ninth, tenth and 12th, he caught a flyer on the 13th and his 25 foot par putt finished a fraction short to leave Kruger three clear.

Lara found water at the last, allowing Campillo snatch a share of second with a chip-in birdie on the same hole, while Siem - fourth last week in Dubai – had six birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey, the highlight coming when the 31 year old struck his approach from the rough to five feet to set up a birdie at the first.

“I started really well and the whole time was up there on the leaderboard,” said Challenge Tour graduate Campillo, who holed a 30 footer on the eighth to complete a hattrick of gains. 

“So it was great fun and very exciting. I just tried to play my best. I played okay on the back nine, not great, but I didn’t make many mistakes and I chipped in on the last for birdie so it was nice to finish strongly.

“It was just very exciting. I knew I was playing well and all of a sudden after eight holes I’m up at the top of the leaderboard. It’s the first time I’ve been in that situation and I think I handled it pretty well. Next time this happens maybe I can just do slightly better on the back nine.”

There was disappointment for Scotland’s Peter Whiteford, however. Chasing his maiden European Tour title, the Scot was only one behind overnight, but eagle-eyed viewers alerted European Tour Chief Referee John Paramor to an incident on the 18th fairway during the third round.

Whiteford’s ball moved fractionally after he had addressed it, and having already signed for an incorrect score he was informed of his disqualification upon reaching the fourth tee.

Red Hot Kruger Takes Narrow Lead

South Africa's Jbe Kruger shot a 66 to ensure he will take a narrow one-shot lead into the final round of Avantha Masters in New Delhi.

Kruger - who is looking to secure his first European Tour title - heads a trio of players in second at 10-under-par; long-time leader Peter Whiteford of Scotland, France's Jean-Baptiste Gonnet and experienced German Marcel Siem.

But a bunched leaderboard also sees six players within two shots of the lead at nine-under - including Ireland's Paul McGinley and Marc Warren of Scotland - and five more just a further stroke adrift.

Kruger's rise to the top of the field came on the back of a third round at the DLF Golf and Country Club that included two eagles, two birdies and not a single dropped shot.

His first eagle came courtesy of a 20-foot putt at the par-five sixth, with the second arriving when he holed a putt from off the green for a two at the driveable 15th.

Whiteford, who led after 18 and 36 holes, had to settle for a level-par 72 and was joined by Siem and Gonnet who shot 68 and 69 respectively.

Serene progress

While Kruger's progress was serene throughout, Siem endured a nightmare start and had to dig deep to overcome double-bogeys on each of the first two holes.

Whiteford also had his problems, double-bogeying the sixth - after careering through the green - and then the 17th, but remained in the hunt thanks to six birdies.

Spain's Jose Manuel Lara catapulted himself into contention with an eight-under 64 to join McGinley and Warren in a tie for fifth alongside Thailand's Prom Meesawat (71), Italy's Andrea Pavan (67) and Australia's Marcus Fraser.

With a total of 14 players within three shots of Kruger, the leader acknowledged he still has plenty to do to get over the line on Sunday.

"I'm going to try to play how I played today," he told the European Tour's official website. "If it's meant to be my week, it'll be mine, so I don't want to think too far ahead yet.

"The putts need to go in and I think that's what defines the winner. I've been reading the greens a little better as I've been struggling with it during the week.

"My putting has been good and if I can see the line, I'm confident my putts will go in. I'm improving and I'm a lot more experienced, and I think that will give me the edge."

Daly Wild at Avantha Masters

John Daly had a day to forget at the Avantha Masters, as Alejandro Canizares and Peter Whiteford stormed to the top of the leaderboard.

Daly had a tough time at the Australian Open in November, walking off the course after firing a string of shots into the water and claiming he had run out of balls. He went some way to redeeming his reputation with fine displays in recent weeks, but he crashed down to earth with a 79.

Bogeys came his way at four and five, with the American paying the price for wayward tee shots. But things unravelled on the par-five 14th with a triple-bogey eight.

It got no better coming home, as a truly awful approach to the 18th green found water and resulted in a bogey - which left him to sign for a seven-over 79.

He is almost certain to miss out on the weekend, but two players who will be around are Canizares and Whiteford who both opened with impressive rounds of 66. A stunning back nine of 31 shots helped Whiteford into a share of the lead.

Rising US star Peter Uihlein birdied three of his final four holes to post an impressive three-under 69. His effort was matched by Scott Jamieson and Marcel Siem - the latter looking to mount a challenge for the second successive week following his fine effort in Dubai.

An eagle three on the ninth was the highlight of Paul McGinley's opening round of 70, a score matched by Rhys Davies at the DLF Golf and Country Club in New Delhi.