Fasth holds on to record first win

Niclas Fasth collects his first European Tour trophy today. Allsport.

Swede Niclas Fasth led from start to finish to claim his maiden European Tour title, the Madeira Island Open, by two strokes on Sunday.

His victory followed a dismal collapse by his closest rival going into the final round, Englishman Jim Payne.

While Fasth played patient golf in carding a one-over-par 73 and for a nine-under-par 279, Payne slumped to a 78 to leave another Swede, Richard S. Johnson, and two other Britons, Mark Davis and Ross Drummond, sharing second place.

"It was tougher to win my first title than I thought," said Fasth. "It was difficult to be patient when you aren't making birdies, but I concentrated on safe play and stayed steady.

"I said at the start of the week that I would win sometime soon and it has come this week. I've had a 10-year project with my coach, working on many things and I've got the result.

"Now I've got really big plans."

It was the fourth Swedish victory in the event in eight years and earned Fasth $88,000.

Fasth began the final round two strokes ahead of Payne and the Englishman's birdie on the long third reduced the margin to one.

But then Payne's hopes nosedived. His ball took a hard bounce on the short fourth green and leapt over a bunker into oblivion down the mountain as he ran up the first of successive double-bogeys to slide out of contention and eventually into joint 14th on two under par.

Johnson carded 69 on the final day, and Drummond and Davis 67s to keep the winner on his toes.

All Fasth could find at first were pars and even though Payne had disappeared from contention, a bogey on the eighth put the Swede under pressure until he relieved it with birdies on the 10th and 11th.

Among the Gothenburg pro's plans are to go back to the US Tour for which he qualified in 1998. "I tried to play both tours two years ago and it didn't work crossing the Atlantic every week and I was nowhere near keeping my card," added Fasth.

"I have definite plans to go back because it was fun but this year it is the European Tour and this win means I have to have a complete change of schedule.

"I've no idea why Swedes keep winning here. It might be because we have good physiques for climbing up the hills."

Fasth follows compatriots Mats Lanner (1994, 1998) and Jarmo Sandelin (1996) into the Madeira record book.

Paul McGinley failed in his bid to overtake Welshman Phil Price on the rankings list to seal a Ballesteros Trophy place next month in Sunningdale as the Irishman finished down the field following a closing 75.

McGinley is now hoping for a wild card from Britain and Ireland team captain Colin Montgomerie for finishing next best on the current order of merit.

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page