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| -20 T Bjorn (Den); -13 J Kingston (SA), S Brown (Eng); -12 C Dennis (US), A Da Silva (Bra); -11 P Archer (Eng), P Eales (Eng), M Long (NZ), MA Martin (Spa), -10 J Haeggman (Swe), A Raitt (Eng). |
| Selected others: -6 J Sandelin (Swe), P McGinley (Ire), -5 E McIntosh (Sco), -2 P Price (Wal) |
| Full leaderboard |
Former Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn won the Legends Tour’s season finale in Mauritius as James Kingston claimed the senior circuit’s order of merit.
The Dane shot a closing 67 in the MCB Championship at Belle Mare Plage to win by seven strokes from South African Kingston and England’s Simon Brown.
He led by four going into the last day after a course-record 61 on Saturday.
Kingston recovered from an opening 74 to seal the merit title from Brazil’s Adilson de Silva, who was tied fourth.
Kingston’s first round had given Da Silva hope of an unlikely victory in the merit race but the leader in the overall standings responded with a 64 and a 65.
Those rounds, combined with his closest challenger bogeying the last, meant Kingston finished a shot ahead of Da Silva in Mauritius and more than 500 points in front on the order of merit.
“”I am quite relieved I must say. To think a whole year’s play came down to the last tournament, the last round, the last few holes, unbelievable!” said Kingston.
Wales’ Philip Price – who could have claimed the merit title had he won in Mauritius – carded a poor final-round 75 to slip down to a share of 25th, although the 2010 Ryder Cup hero remained third in the overall standings.
Paul Lawrie – who did not play in Mauritius – was fourth in the order of merit, with his fellow Scot Euan McIntosh in sixth.
McIntosh’s decision to turn professional again three years ago continues to look a good one.
He originally joined the paid ranks in 1990 but, after regaining his amateur status, he become the oldest player in 35 years to win the Scottish Amateur when he did so aged 49 in 2018.
That victory encouraged him to turn pro again and he earned his Legends Tour card the following year.
Bjorn, whose previous tournament performance was in Madrid in October, began shakily on the Legend course at Belle Mare Plage, making three bogeys in his first seven holes.
But his bogey on the 7th was the last shot he dropped all week, playing the subsequent 47 holes in 19 under par.
“I had no form as such coming into this event but as soon as I saw the course at Belle Mare Plage I loved it. It just suited my eye,” said Bjorn, whose son Oliver caddied for him.
“I took advantage of the par fives and once I got in front I was able to play sensibly and not give the others a feeling they could catch me.
“That was Oliver’s first time on the bag for me so he is one-for-one; I’ve told him he needs to do another week when I don’t do so well so he sees what I am really like.”
Miguel Angel Martin played with Bjorn in the final group but while the former Ryder Cup player made no bogeys in his five-under final round, the Spaniard dropped four shots in nine holes in the middle of his to fall away.
Martin’s 72 left him in a share of sixth on 11 under with Englishmen Paul Eales and Phil Archer as well as New Zealander Michael Long.
Swedish pair Joakim Haeggman – last week’s winner at Constance Lemuria in the Seychelles – and his fellow former Ryder Cup player Jarmo Sandelin were in the group behind but failed to mount a challenge as they shot 72 and 77 respectively.
The charismatic Sandelin accidentally snapped his driver on the 18th tee on Saturday and used a new one only twice in his final round, making double bogey on both occasions.
He finished in a tie for 16th with former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley while two former major champions, Tom Lehman and Michael Campbell, were in a share for 37th.
