GOLF Volvo PGA Championship: Scott Drummond stood beside wife, Claire, who cradled their four-week-old baby daughter, Kiera, bearing the bemused expression of a man trying to come to terms with a momentous triumph. In winning the Volvo PGA Championship, his life is about to change dramatically. After all he became the first man since Arnold Palmer in 1975 to win the tournament on his debut. Not a bad comparison.
He tried to comprehend the knock-on effect of this victory. "I suppose it's about the exemptions its going to get me although I'm not sure what other tournaments this might get me into."
It'll get him into the World Championship of Golf NEC Invitational for one.
"Claire and I just had a young baby, Kiera, four weeks ago. The first year on tour is always expensive. At times you wonder what am I going to do next year and with Kiera coming along, obviously I wanted to be financially secure: couldn't ask for more I suppose."
His remarkable achievement in keeping his composure as the battle reached its zenith is all the more laudable considering the calibre of his pursuers.
Angel Cabrera, the big-hitting Argentinian, was magnanimous in defeat. "I was happy with my 67, very happy, but someone shot a 64 to win. You can't argue with that." The tournament also suggested that Nick Faldo still knows how to contend in elite company. He demonstrated his affinity for a venue on which he has played over 100 competitive rounds and a championship he has won four times.
"It's always good here. It's a good atmosphere. I need the atmosphere to get me going. Tee-to-green I improved a lot in one week. Putting is still hard work and if I could work that out. It gives me a chance to set new goals and that's great."
Joakim Haeggman also threatened briefly but was left to rue bogeys on the seventh and ninth. He rallied with four birdies on the journey home but it was never going to suffice with Drummond even more prodigious (five under over the same stretch).
As for first-round leader Ernie Els, he had to settle for a closing 68, just languishing outside touching distance of the central contest, while the world number two, Vijay Singh, managed to banish a poorish 36 holes in the middle of the tournament, closing with a 68 and a 10-under-par total.
Darren Clarke's tied-fourth place meant a sixth top-10 finish on the European Tour this season. It illustrates how well he is playing and if he can just start holing a few more putts he is going to contend for winners' cheques. He'll take next week off before heading to the Buick Open in America in preparation for the US Open.
Graeme McDowell will reflect on a reasonably good week's work. His priority coming into Wentworth was to refocus and attain a mental sharpness that had been lacking since his win in the Italian Open in early May. He felt he was idling since then and identified this aspect of his preparation as an area in which he could make significant strides.
It was immediately evident, Thursday's performance disappointing but since then he's noticed an appreciable improvement. Yesterday, despite a bogey at the first he shot a three-under-par 69 for a five-under total; it could have been marginally better but his eagle putt on the home green stayed on the lip.
"I turned it round this week. Thursday was a struggle; Friday, Saturday, Sunday was a lot better. I feel I have moved on and that the game is sharp.
"I took my chances better (than I had been). I holed out better from eight feet in. I have been playing decent golf, driving the ball well; everything's there.
"A little sharpness from 100 yards in is what I need now. It's not far away at all. A good week is on the horizon. I'll play Celtic Manor, Gleneagles, have a week off and then play the whole run right up until the Scandinavian Masters."
He's pretty content with the state of his game. "My driving of the ball has been pleasing me for weeks and weeks and weeks. My wedge play is a little sharper than it has been; iron play is getting better. I'm working pretty hard. The putter has been a little cold this week but it's heating up gradually. It's not far away."
For Peter Lawrie, it was more a case of lady luck turning her back as he endured a frustrating afternoon on the greens in shooting, a two-under 70.
Playing partner Sandy Lyle sympathised: "Peter played beautifully but just couldn't get a putt to go in: they finished on the lip, went around the edge, everywhere but in. He could have shot a 65."
Lawrie, who has missed the cut in his last three tournaments, admitted: "I played lovely again today but just didn't hole any putts. I am hitting a lot of good putts but they're just not going in. The greens are difficult to read in that you can hit a lot of good putts but they don't go in.
"Having said that, I'm happy enough. I have to get the driver going for next week (the Welsh Open at Celtic Manor) because it's more of a driver's golf course: that's the job for next week. It's (Wentworth) an improvement from the past few weeks."
David Higgins suffered a "trial by putter", once again struggling on the greens as he had done all week. For once the rest of his game was a bit untidy too as he slumped to a 76.
Final standings
269 (19 under)
S Drummond 66 71 68 64
271 (17 under)
A Cabrera (Arg) 67 69 68 67
272 (16 under)
J Haeggman (Swe) 68 67 70 67
273 (15 under)
A Hansen (Den) 67 69 73 64
N Faldo 70 69 68 66
D Clarke 68 67 71 67
275 (13 under)
Ernie Els (Rsa) 64 71 72 68
276 - M Angel Jimenez (Spa) 65 74 70 67, T Levet (Fra) 72 66 70 68, D Fichardt (Rsa) 68 69 68 71
277 - C Hanell (Swe) 65 73 72 67, A Scott (Aus) 69 74 67 67, RGoosen (Rsa) 68 74 67 68, J Rose 67 66 72 72
278 - V Singh (Fij) 66 73 71 68, M Ilonen (Fin) 69 72 67 70
279 - P Fulke (Swe) 72 69 68 70
280 - P O'Malley (Aus) 69 74 69 68, T Bjorn (Den) 72 66 69 73
281 - S 74 70 69 68, M Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 70 72 69 70, R Green (Aus) 67 75 69 70, P Hanson (Swe) 70 73 68 70
282 - S Khan 68 72 72 70, P Hedblom (Swe) 69 68 74 71, A Wall 68 72 70 72
283 - S Lyle 71 70 74 68, D Gilford 67 72 75 69, G McDowell 71 73 70 69, N O'Hern (Aus) 71 73 70 69, E Romero (Arg) 69 71 73 70, B Lane 72 72 69 70, M Fraser (Aus) 71 73 69 70, J-F Remesy (Fra) 71 69 72 71, S Kjeldsen (Den) 71 71 67 74, P Price 70 65 73 75
284 - S Webster 71 69 73 71, P Lonard (Aus) 69 72 72 71, D Park 72 70 71 71, M Siem (Ger) 69 67 75 73, PCasey 68 73 70 73
285 - P Lawrie 69 73 73 70, S Dodd 65 71 77 72, R Sterne (Rsa) 69 73 71 72, J Bickerton 68 73 71 73, J M Olazabal (Spa) 72 72 68 73
286 - D Howell 72 69 74 71, M Lafeber (Ned) 68 71 75 72, C Montgomerie 70 70 73 73, R Rock 72 72 69 73, C Kelly 69 71 70 76
287 - M Roe 70 73 72 72, I Poulter 68 68 77 74, I Garrido (Spa) 67 76 69 75
288 - T Jaidee (Thai) 69 71 75 73
289 - K Ferrie 73 70 70 76, B Davis 75 68 68 78
290 - J Kingston (Rsa) 69 73 75 73, M Tunnicliff 69 74 72 75, M Olander (Swe) 70 74 70 76, N Colsaerts (Bel) 67 72 73 78
291 - R Russell 71 73 75 72, D Higgins 73 71 71 76
292 - R Jacquelin (Fra) 71 71 77 73, B Austin 71 72 75 74, R Gonzalez (Arg) 72 71 68 81
293 - P Wesselingh 71 71 78 73, P Lawrie 72 71 76 74, J Spence 70 72 76 75, G Orr 70 74 74 75
294 - R Drummond 74 69 76 75, F Andersson (Swe) 69 74 73 78
299 - J Sandelin (Swe) 71 72 77 79
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