Fisher cruises to European Open

ROSS Fisher buried not just one, but two nightmare memories to win the European Open in inspired fashion at a wet and windy London Club yesterday.

The 27-year-old Englishman, who began the tournament with a course-record 63 playing the Kent layout 'blind', completed a majestic seven-stroke win by holing a bunker shot on the last.

That summed up the week, one that began with him qualifying for The Open and contemplating pulling out of the European Tour event because of tiredness.

Sergio Garcia thought a closing 68 might give him a chance given the conditions. The Spaniard then produced a 66 he called one of the top-five rounds of his career and "definitely the best putting round I've ever had". Yet, he would have had to shoot an unprecedented 59 just for a play-off.

Fisher, three ahead of closest challenger Graeme McDowell and nine clear of Garcia overnight, finished with a 68 for a 20-under-par total – and with it moved from 21st in the Ryder Cup standings to 11th.

"Just a great week," he said. "I felt really calm all day, very composed, comfy with my game.

"I got my fair share of luck as well – at the last I was just thinking, 'Try and put it on the green'. I'm delighted."

In November, Fisher led the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai by one with one to play and with closest challenger Phil Mickelson in the water on the par-5 last, he was odds-on to win. But he chipped over the green into the lake, ran up a double-bogey seven and lost the play-off.

Before that, he was joint leader with a round to play in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth – his home club – but collapsed to a closing 84.

Now he has a second Tour title to his name and having done it in such style against some of the circuit's biggest names, the future can only look bright for the former England amateur international.

Fisher said: "They say the second win is harder. I might have made it look easy, but it certainly wasn't." As for the possibility of a Ryder Cup debut, he added: "I'd love it, but it's still a long way off."

Northern Irishman McDowell took third place, despite managing only a 73 and that put him in the 10th in the Ryder Cup standings.

South African David Frost, at 48 trying to become the oldest winner in Tour history, finished fourth and that gave him the Open exempt spot up for grabs at the event.

Fisher's 50-foot eagle putt on the fifth was the one that left the rest with too much ground to make up, providing he avoided disaster. To play the remaining holes in three under with birdies on the 12th, 15th and 471-yard 18th – there were only 25 birdies there all week and he had three of them – was majestic stuff.

Open champion Padraig Harrington, who was an incredible 18 shots back in 17th place after a 75, said: "I don't think any player out here would be surprised at Ross's performance.

"He is well capable of doing this and more regularly."

Garcia, told of Rafael Nadal's progress at Wimbledon as he went round, had just 21 putts and

is now up from fifth to second in the Ryder Cup race. "Obviously I came here trying to win, but my second goal was to get as many cup points and that's helped a lot," he said.

"I would expect to putt like that every single round. I'd love to, it would be an easy game. Now I feel what Tiger Woods feels 90 per cent of the time on the greens – it's a great feeling."

Garcia is going home for a week's practice before heading to the Open at Royal Birkdale, while Harrington, as he did last year, will play the Irish PGA championship as his final warm-up.

Paired with the Dubliner, defending champion Colin Montgomerie tumbled to a 77 and to 24th place, not what he was looking for after his runners-up finish in the French Open. He stays 14th in the Ryder Cup points race and for him it is the Barclays Scottish Open next.

SCOREBOARD

(GB & Ire unless stated, par 72):

268 Ross Fisher 63 68 69 68

275 Sergio Garcia (Spa) 71 64 74 66

276 Graeme McDowell 65 67 71 73

277 David Frost (Rsa) 65 72 69 71

281 Soren Hansen (Den) 69 67 72 73

282 Peter Hanson (Swe) 68 71 71 72, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 74 66 73 69

283 Stephen Gallacher 70 68 71 74, Markus Brier (Aut) 71 71 71 70

284 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 68 72 69 75, Sion Bebb 74 67 71 72, Rory McIlroy 67 71 72 74, Jamie Donaldson 73 70 73 68

285 Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 69 73 73 70, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 69 68 71 77, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 71 71 70 73

286 Anthony Wall 70 70 75 71, David Howell 71 72 73 70, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 72 71 67 76, Paul McGinley 69 68 71 78, Simon Dyson 73 69 76 68, Padraig Harrington 72 70 69 75, Thomas Levet (Fra) 72 70 72 72

287 Gary Orr 73 67 72 75, Colin Montgomerie 70 67 73 77, Oliver Fisher 72 70 74 71