Round 4 - Alexander Levy wins in a playoff

September 26, 2016

French golfer Alexander Levy wasted a four-shot lead but beat Ross Fisher of England in a playoff to win the shortened European Open on Sunday.

Levy had bogeys on the 16th and the 18th and narrowly missed a birdie putt on the 17th to finish the day at 2-under 69 and 19-under overall.

Fisher shot 7-under 64 on the final day but also missed a birdie putt on the 17th and tied with Levy on 19 under. Levy then made a birdie on the second playoff hole to claim the title.

The tournament was reduced to 54 holes because of fog delays over the first three days.

Levy entered the third and final round with a four-shot lead at 17 under after 36 bogey-free holes.

He had three bogeys in his first five holes as playing partner Fisher kept closing the gap to be one shot behind on the final tee.

The Frenchman put his second shot into the spectators' area to send it into a playoff.

Levy missed his first three cuts of the season and then had two spells on the sidelines in the summer due to injury. But he has been in fine form since his return at the start of the month, finishing in a tie for seventh at last week's Italian Open.

Two Swedes, Robert Karlsson (65) and Michael Jonzon (68), tied for third at 16 under.

Round 3 - Alexander Levy leads by four

September 25, 2016

France's Alexander Levy closed in on a third career European Tour triumph on Saturday when he stormed to a four-shot lead at the fog-hit European Open.

After being badly affected by the weather on Thursday and Friday when seven hours were lost, the tournament suffered three more hours of delays on Saturday, forcing organisers to declare a 54-hole event.

The third and final round will be played on Sunday.

Levy, who won two titles in 2014, came into Saturday with just one hole of his delayed second round to complete.

He made par on the ninth to stay at 17 under.

Ross Fisher made a birdie on the seventh in his final three holes to cut the Frenchman's overnight lead to five shots but it was Swede Michael Jonzon who surged through the field, shooting a 63 to get to 13 under.

Jonzon only found out he was playing on Wednesday afternoon after being fourth reserve for the event, but he will now have the chance to win his third European Tour title, 19 years after claiming his first at the Portuguese Masters.

"I always said I function well under these circumstances," said 44-year-old Jonzon.

"I struggle more just trying to make cuts because I can put a lot of pressure on myself. I know what I can do and sometimes I try too much.

"I've been there before. I'm just going to go out tomorrow and try to shoot as good as I can, whatever happens after that is not in my control."

Round 2 - Alexander Levy vaults six clear

September 24, 2016

Frenchman Alexander Levy galloped six strokes clear of the field after an incomplete second round at the European Open in Bad Griesbach on Friday.

Levy crammed 13 birdies in 26 holes to finish on 17-under-par with one hole still left to be played on Saturday morning, six ahead of European Ryder Cup player Martin Kaymer (17 holes), Britain's Ross Fisher (15) and Robert Karlsson of Sweden (15).

The first round was also incomplete on Thursday and early-morning fog on Friday continued to hold up proceedings.

Former European number one Karlsson is threatening the magic number of 59, albeit with preferred lies, as he is nine-under for his round with three holes to go at the par-71 course.

"It's fantastic and hopefully a 59 will happen whether it's tomorrow or another day," he told reporters.

Kaymer bemoaned the delays and the two long days the players had experienced.

"It's not the perfect preparation for the Ryder Cup," the German said.

Belgian Thomas Pieters, who will be Kaymer's team mate when Europe bid to win the Ryder Cup for the fourth edition in a row at Hazeltine, Minnesota next week, was three-under with two holes left to play in his second round.

Round 1 - Bernd Wiesberger leads with opening 63

September 23, 2016

Bernd Wiesberger shot nine birdies and one eagle to lead the European Open by two strokes after a shortened opening day on Thursday.

Play started 3 hours, 25 minutes late because of fog, and some leading contenders did not complete the first round in fading light.

Wiesberger finished with an 8-under 63, notching five birdies on the back nine, where he started. The Austrian, who hasn't missed a cut on the European Tour this season, produced a double bogey on the first, and had another bogey on the fourth, but recovered with an eagle on the eighth.

Renato Paratore of Italy was two shots adrift, with six birdies and an eagle to compensate for a double bogey on the fifth.

Denmark's Lucas Bjerregaard, American Daniel Im, and England's Steve Webster all held the lead before Wiesberger's late charge took him to the top, and they finished the day at 5 under, along with Sweden's Michael Jonzon.

England's Matthew Southgate was also at 5 under through 11 holes.

Scores

 

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