GOLF EUROPEAN AND US TOURS:ENGLAND'S DAVID Horsey benefited from a dramatic collapse by Bradley Dredge yesterday to win the BMW International Open title.
Horsey claimed his maiden tour victory with a five-under-par 67 for an 18-under 270 total, a shot better than Ross Fisher (70).
Welshman Dredge, three shots ahead of the field overnight and the leader for the first three rounds, had to settle for a share of third, two strokes behind Horsey, after slumping to a 74.
England’s Kenneth Ferrie (68), Spaniards Pablo Larrazabal (68) and Rafael Cabrero-Bello (68) and Germany’s Alex Cejka (67), were on the same mark.
Dredge still looked in control when he reached the turn two shots ahead of the field, but then lost his way, running up three bogeys in five holes.
Two three-putts allowed Larrazabal to go past him, only for the Spaniard to fall back with a double-bogey at the 16th.
Horsey, who began the day five strokes behind Dredge, kept his cool, producing a faultless round with five birdies.
As the 25-year-old Englishman, second in the Italian Open earlier in the season, rounded off his day with a six-foot birdie putt, Dredge was running up a double-bogey on the 16th.
Last year’s World Matchplay champion Fisher grabbed runner-up spot with a 12ft eagle putt on the last.
Ireland’s Simon Thornton started the day just three shots off the lead, and an eagle three at the sixth kept him up with the leaders.
But a double bogey at the 10th and dropped shots at the 13th and 15th saw him slip to a share of ninth on 14 under par.
That was still worth €42,000.
Shane Lowry closed with a 68 and Peter Lawrie a 69 to finish on 12 under par to collect €25,400.
“Never in my wildest dreams last night did I think I could win from five shots back,” the winner, €333,330 richer, said.
“That was until I looked up at the big screen on 18 and saw Bradley in the reeds, then it came home to me.
“I’d thought I’d have to dig really deep to win. But I learned a lot from just missing out in Italy and the key was staying patient, the birdies would come.”
A crestfallen Dredge said: “The 16th killed me. I decided to try to play out of the hazard and it didn’t come off. I’m really annoyed with myself.”
Frenchman Jean-Francois Lucquin earned himself a BMW car for a hole-in-one at the 17th.
Dredge had led from the opening day and had only one bogey in his first 63 holes, but it all started to go wrong for him – and his hopes of climbing into contention for a Ryder Cup debut on home soil in October – when he three-putted the 10th.
He did the same on the short 12th, missing from under 12 feet.
Horsey, winner of the “second division” Challenge Tour in his first full season as a professional, said: “It’s unbelievable and it’s not sunk in yet.
“Coming down the last I didn’t know what was going on. I just wanted to concentrate on what I was doing.
“The last few weeks have been a bit of a struggle (having missed three cuts in a row) and I just wanted to relax this week.
“This win is what I’ve been trying to get for over a year. I felt I was good enough coming out on Tour, but maybe I put a little bit too much pressure on myself.”
He has further reason for celebration as his mother has just finished treatment for cancer.
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