Round 4 - Joost Luiten snatches win with closing 63

September 12, 2016

Local favourite Joost Luiten lived up to his billing as the home hero with a record-equalling final round 63 to clinch the Dutch Open in Spijk on Sunday.

The 30-year-old produced a dazzling display of iron play and long-range putting to deny Austrian Bernd Wiesberger by three shots.

The pair went blow for blow for much of the fourth round but three birdies in his final five holes helped Luiten to a 19-under-par total of 265.

Luiten was the first Dutch player to win his home Open twice since it joined the European Tour in 1972 - following his win in 2013 - and makes him a five-time winner on Tour.

"The first one was special but this one is very special," he said.

"To have the Dutch people behind me all week and to be able to stand here with the trophy in my hands is very special.

"It was one of those days where everything I looked at went in the hole.

"These are the kind of days that make it all worth getting out of bed for."

This was his first win for almost two years and reward for a brilliantly consistent 2016 so far that saw him come into the week with eight top tens, including two runner-up finishes, and represent the Netherlands at the Olympic men's golf competition in Rio.

South Korea's An Byeong-hun was third at 13 under after matching Austria's Wiesberger with a 65, a shot ahead of Spaniard Alejandro Canizares, English duo Ben Evans and David Horsey and Australia's Scott Hend.

England's Chris Hanson and Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera were then at 11 under, a shot ahead of Tommy Fleetwood, Scott Jamieson, Simon Khan, Mikko Korhonen, Lee Soo-min and Brandon Stone.

Round 3 - Late birdies lift Scott Hend in to lead

September 11, 2016

Scott Hend picked up four shots in his last five holes to finish at 14 under and take a one-shot lead into the final round of the KLM Open on Saturday.

The Australian eagled the par-5 15th and birdied the last, while Italian Nino Bertasio had a double-bogey seven on the 18th to slip to second place at 13 under. Bertasio bogeyed the final hole also on Friday when he had a chance to take the lead.

The 2013 KLM Open champion, Dutchman Joost Luiten, shot his first bogey of the week on the par-3 16th but made up for it with a birdie on the 18th to move into a four-way tie for third place at 11 under.

South African Brandon Stone shot an 8-under 63 at The Dutch to take him to 10 under.

Round 2 - Bernd Wiesberger edges ahead

September 10, 2016

Bernd Wiesberger of Austria shot his second straight 5-under 66 to take the lead Friday in the KLM Open, one shot ahead of playing partner Joost Luiten, who was one of three players tied for second.

Wiesberger opened his round bogey, par, bogey, before recovering with four birdies on the front nine and three more coming home on The Dutch, which is hosting the tournament for the first time.

Luiten, the 2013 KLM Open champion, had the lowest round of the day with a 7-under 64. That included a birdie on the par-3 16th thanks to a long, curling putt and also a birdie on the last hole.

Nino Bertasio could have snatched the lead late, but bogeyed the par-5 18th to drop to 9-under with Luiten and Mark Foster.

Round 1 - Ben Evans leads with opening 65

September 9, 2016

Ben Evans shot five birdies in his first six holes and finished with a 6-under 65 and a one-shot lead in the opening round of the KLM Open on Thursday.

''I need one good week to keep my tour card,'' said Evans, who is ranked 143 in the European Tour's season-long Race to Dubai. ''Hopefully that is this week.''

Eight players, including Dutch amateur Rowin Caron, were bunched behind Evans on 5 under at The Dutch, a par-71 Colin Montgomerie-designed course hosting the tournament for the first time.

Defending champion Thomas Pieters, a captain's pick in the Europe Ryder Cup team, pulled out of the tournament after being stung by a bee this week.

''One bee sting on Monday during the golf challenge against Joost Luiten led to a major allergic reaction with flu symptoms, and forced me to pull out of my favorite tournament of the year,'' Pieters said in a statement on his website and social media accounts.

Chris Wood, who also is scheduled to make his Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine, struggled as the wind picked up in the afternoon and could manage only a 1-over 72. He's attempting to regain his rhythm after taking a break from golf to get married.

Scores

 

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