TOURNAMENTS

Oliver Farr dedicated his maiden European Challenge Tour win to his late grandfather after the Welshman produced a stunning birdie at the final hole to claim a two-shot victory at the Turkish Airlines Challenge. The 26 year old carded a two under par final round 70 to finish two shots clear of a packed field after a dramatic day in which the lead exchange hands several times at National Golf Club. The pristine parkland course in the southern Turkish resort of Belek

once again provided a stern test for the players, but Farr produced the goods at crunch time to come from three shots back at the start of the day and finish top on two under par. Despite a slow start, bogeying the first hole on the way to a level par front nine, the Shropshire man came out fighting on the back nine and, while a birdie at the par three 11th was soon followed by a bogey at the 14th, he cancelled that out straight away with a four at the par five 15th.

Then came the performance of a true champion, as he placed a perfect drive down the 18th before firing a superb approach over the greenside water hazard to five feet, tapping in for a birdie and a first Challenge Tour title in just the fourth tournament of his rookie season. “I'm ecstatic with the win,” said Farr, who won two of the last three events to win the satellite EuroPro Tour Order of Merit last year. “They were three of the best shots of my life. It was a fantastic wedge to five feet and it’s a putt you always want to win a tournament. It’s a great feeling. Third round leader Jerome Lando Casanova could not maintain the momentum gained through consecutive rounds of 71 and had to settle for a share of second place after a three over par 75.

He was joined on level par by Englishman Dave Coupland, who signed for a two over par 74, and Denmark’s Jeppe Huldahl, who moved into the all-important top 15 in the Rankings after a one over par round of 73.

Things to remember
Brilliant Ritthammer ‘Tames the Tiger ‘ in the second round at the National setting a new course record of 66 ( 6 under par)