European Am: Home Victory for Dubuisson

August 22, 2009 | by

2009 European Amateur Champion

Frenchman Victor Dubuisson comes from three strokes behind to win Continental Europe's biggest championship

Story from the European Amateur website

CHANTILLY, FRANCE (August 22, 2009)--Frenchman Victor Dubuisson had started the final round three strokes behind the leading scot pair composed of James Byrne and Ross Kellett. With a final 66 -5, he won the tournament, two years after another french, Benjamin Hebert, winner in Germany. France might have put two players on the podium, the young Clement Sordet finishing with the same total as the englishman Billy Hemstock... We'd announced yesterday evening that the final round would be full of suspense, and it was !

The final word was written on the last two holes ! Birdie for the frenchman Victor Dubuisson, bogey for the scot Ross Kellett, par for both on the last hole, Victor Dubuisson caught the gold medal for France, following the victory of Benjamin Hebert two years ago in Germany.

"Many thanks to Chantilly golf course and the green keeper who allowed us to play on a wonderful course... I will wait a little before turning pro, to enjoy playing the Open Championship on the Old Course ! I came here with a great motivation : a win to play the Open, a top 5 to get directly in the PQ2... I am so happy to have won the european title before turning pro !"

Andrew Morgan, EGA past President underlined the "good health of the european golf, Matteo Manassero (ITA) winner of the British Amateur, Victor Dubuisson to play the 2010 Open Championship..."

The final race for gold started on the first holes, Ross Kellett making a very good start with birdie on the second, while his country fellow James Byrne made a bogey on hole 4... James never succeeded to come back..

Playing just behind them, Victor Dubuisson took two birdies on 5th and 6th.

After nine holes, Victor Dubuisson with four birdies, joined Ross Kellett (SCO) at -6.

From this point, Kellett and Dubuisson were quite apart, in a dual match, bogeys leaving their challengers two strokes behind.

With a birdie on the 9th, Ross Kellett regained his leadership, -7. No more birdies for Victor Dubuisson on the following four, one more for Ross Kellett on the 12th, to make the break, -8 and two strokes ahead.

A bogey on the 14th put him back at -7, Dubuisson one stroke behind, and Clement Sordet, another frenchman, one stroke further, followed by two englishmen.

A position which could have figured the final podium, without a birdie for Dubuisson on the 17th, a bogey for Kellet, on this same hole, and a bogey for Sordet on the last 18th to loose his advantage, -5 to -4 total...

19 years old, Victor Dubuisson, 6th in the European ranking, 14th in the World Ranking, leader of the first round with a 65 -6, stepped a little back on the two following rounds and was to give the best of his golf today to come back and win ! And he did it ! Great emotion at the recording, so affraid to see Kellett catch the victory on the last...

Hard 17th for Kellett, leader for two rounds, leader up there, and finally second..

The other french heroe of the week was the young Clement Sordet, 16 years old : he never left the Top 5 or 10 and showed today a wonderful pugnacity, eight birdies, four in a row, for a final 68 -3, offensive from beginning to the end : "I am so happy ! I have nothing to regret, I just flyed my second stroke on the 18th, trying to catch the flag... I don't know what will be my final rank, but I am happy with it !" Clement was cadeyed today by Julien Brun, another member of the Boys national team.

Struggle for the bronze medal has been hard : three players were at -4 with four holes to play, Billy Hemstock (ENG) Clement Sordet (FRA) and Matthew Nixon (ENG). Hemstock made the difference by finishing without any bogey !

To be noticed on this final round, the nice final round of Matteo Manassero, leader of the european Ranking, n°4 of the World Ranking, 68-3 today, his first under par score of the week, to finish in the Top 10.

Nice final scores too for Pontus Gad (SWE) and Pierre-Alexis Rolland (BEL) 67 -4.

Desillusion for Maximilian Kieffer (GER) triple bogey on the 13th to lose his last hope of medal, and for James Byrne (SCO) co leader after three rounds, +3 today.

Among the first 50 of the european ranking, 33 were engaged in the tournament. 18 of them made the cut, number 1 Matteo Manassero (ITA) and number 2 Sam Hutsby (ENG) not so well ranked after three rounds, and we can notice that 5 of the ten first of the ranking missed the cut....

This french victory is a nice present for Chantilly GC, which is celebrating this year its centenary.

End of this nice week, nice game, nice weather, next year the european elite will meet in Finland...

Results: European Amateur

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Victor Dubuisson	, France	1500	65-75-71-66--277
2	Ross Kellett	, Scotland	1000	67-66-75-70--278
T3	Billy Hemstock	, England	700	72-69-70-69--280
T3	Clement Sordet	, France	700	69-70-73-68--280
5	Matthew Nixon	, England	700	73-69-68-71--281

View full results for European Amateur

About the European Amateur

The premier championship in Europe, conducted by the European Golf Association, which is comprised of 38 member countries. 72 hole stroke play format. After 54 holes the field is cut to the leading 60 players and ties. The winner earns a spot in the ...