Jacobson claims first Tour title

Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson has secured his maiden Tour victory after six second-place finishes by winning the Hong Kong Open by two shots.

A five-under-par final round of 64 put Jacobson 16-under for the event, co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours.

Argentina's Jorge Berendt and Sweden's Fredrik Nystrom, with three closing birdies, tied for second place at 14-under.

Welshman Stephen Dodd, Scotland's Gary Orr and Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen finished tied for fourth place at 13-under.

Jacobson, who lost a play-off to Argentina's Eduardo Romero for the Scottish Open title earlier this year, started the day a stroke behind the three overnight leaders, which included Dodd and Berendt.

A birdie at the seventh put the 28-year-old level with Dodd. A birdie followed at the ninth, then a bogey at the 11th before another birdie helped him regain a share of the lead.

Dodd then handed his Swedish rival the outright lead when he missed a three foot putt for par at the 15th and from there on Jacobson was never headed.

He moved to 16-under with a birdie at the 14th and ended with four straight pars, including a testing putt at the last that just managed to find the bottom of the cup.

"I felt fine out there and it is one of the few times I didn't look at any leader boards," said Jacobson, who commenced his career on the European Tour in 1995.

"I just stuck with my game plan and it's a big relief, a great relief.

"I have been second six times before and to finally win before the winter break is so good. It's the first time too I will be exempt going into a new year and that's also a great relief."

Jacobson's run of near misses began in 1997 with second place in the Madeira Island Open. He was then pipped by Lee Westwood at the Belgacom Open a year later and twice finished runner-up in 2000. Last year he was forced to settle for a share of second behind Bernhard Langer in the German Masters.

His victory in Hong Kong lifts him to second place on the 2003 European Tour order of merit behind Ireland's Padraig Harrington who claimed last week's season opening Asian Open in Taiwan.

England's Nick Faldo carded a closing round of 67 and heads to Melbourne for next week's Australian Masters happy with his form.

A last hole double bogey blotted the copybook to leave Faldo on 10-under.

"Overall it's been a very good week to pack in the suitcase and take to Melbourne," he said.

"I am very pleased with my swing, my putting and everything is good but we'll just have to wait and see what the slippery slopes of Melbourne are like and if they are running at 18 on the meter.

"I've played a few Australian Opens of late but it's a long time since I contested an Australian Masters."

India's Jyoti Randhawa goes into this week's Asian PGA Tour swansong event with a slender lead over Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee.

Randhawa finished with a 67 in Hong Kong for 11-under-par as he strives to unseat Jaidee as the Asian number one spot.

Jaidee carded a last day 70 for a three-under-par total. Randhawa will head to Kuala Lumpur leading Jaidee by $33,706 with a first prize of $90,000 up for grabs in the Malaysian capital.

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