Andy DevaneyDarren Fichardt finally closed the account at the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, winning by five shots at Trump International Golf Links, Aberdeen, 12 months after the title slipped away in a play-off.
The South African began Sunday four clear, wobbling just enough to make the final round interesting before finishing with a flourish: a four-under 68, a 12-under total of 276 and an eagle at the last.
Fichardt turns unfinished business into a lead
There was an obvious bit of history hanging around Fichardt’s final round. Last year he lost to Bo Van Pelt on the first extra hole. This time he had a cushion, but golf has never considered a four-shot lead legally binding.
“I was thinking about it last night. It just slipped out of my hands last year,” said the five-time DP World Tour winner.
“The weather was completely different today, so I was a little nervous and didn’t know what to expect. I thought the guys were going to go really low.”
For two holes, it looked as though nobody would get close. Fichardt opened birdie-birdie to reach ten-under. Then came bogeys at six and seven, and suddenly the leaderboard had acquired a pulse.
Lundberg and Donaldson make the chase interesting
Mikael Lundberg, playing two groups ahead, picked up shots at the fourth and sixth, then again at the 12th and 15th. Jamie Donaldson had made a double bogey early but recovered with birdies at the fourth, seventh and eighth.
Fichardt answered with successive birdies around the turn, only to drop another shot at the 11th. His advantage was down to two and Donaldson was properly involved.
Then the Welshman’s challenge unravelled at the 13th with a triple bogey. Lundberg kept pushing, birdied the 18th and signed for a five-under 67, setting seven-under as the clubhouse target.
The par save that steadied Fichardt
The decisive moment was not a birdie, nor the eagle that would provide the polished finish. It came at the 14th, where Fichardt saved par while his round was threatening to become needlessly theatrical.
“The putt on 14 for par was crucial for me,” he said. “I felt like I was all over the place when things weren’t going my way. “When I made that, I said to my wife, ‘Okay, I think we’ve got it.’”
He birdied the par-five 15th, then reached the par-five 18th with the tournament under control. A 4-iron finished a couple of feet from the hole, leaving the sort of eagle putt a champion is generally happy to see on the final green.
“I started stumbling a bit midway through the round, but then I reset and pulled myself together, which was good, and had a nice finish there on 18,” he added.
Links golf gets its full examination
The week had offered two versions of Aberdeen links golf. Saturday brought wind and rain; Sunday was calmer and scoring improved markedly. Fichardt’s assessment was less meteorological than practical.
“It definitely tests your character, that’s for sure,” said Fichardt. “I hit every single shot this week – low, high, left to right, right to left, punches, everything. Links golf certainly tests every facet of your game.”
Peter Baker provided the clearest evidence of the better Sunday scoring conditions, shooting a seven-under 65 to set the New Course record and climb from three-over to four-under. He shared fourth with Johan Edfors after improving by eight shots on his third-round 73.
“I just hit some good iron shots, really,” said Baker. “Set yourself up off the tee, hit some more fairways, and then hit some really good iron shots, which gave me opportunities, and obviously holed the putts, which has been missing of late.”
Fichardt leaves Aberdeen with the one he missed
David Howell closed with a 69 to finish sixth on three-under. Michael Campbell matched that score and shared seventh on two-under with Stephen Gallacher, the leading Scot after a closing 71. Greig Hutcheon and Alastair Forsyth tied 13th on one-under.
David Drysdale, who started the day in contention, fell to a 77 and tied 18th on one-over alongside tournament host Colin Montgomerie. Montgomerie finished with a 70 and liked what he had seen from the New Course on its first professional tournament week.
“I think the greens are super, and the design is good, and I do hope the lads have enjoyed it,” said Montgomerie. “I’m getting feedback from them, and they appear to be, so that’s good.”
For Fichardt, the arithmetic was considerably simpler. One year after a play-off defeat, he left Aberdeen five shots clear, trophy in hand, and as the first professional tournament winner on the New Course.
The Staysure Legends Tour now moves to the Staysure English Legends at Chart Hills Golf Club from August 28–30. Fichardt, meanwhile, has already dealt with the unfinished business.
