McIlroy third in Korea as Bae holds his nerve to capture second title

GOLF DIGEST/ONEASIA TOUR:Rory McIlroy finished tied for third place at the Korea Open after shooting a one-over-par 72 in yesterday's final round.

The 20-year-old began the fourth round in a share for the lead at the Woo Jeung Hills Golf Club. But he ended with a six-under-par total of 278, four shots behind winner Bae Sang-Moon from South Korea, who completed back-to-back titles with a round of 67.

Bae finished with a four-day total of 10-under-par 274 and ended one shot ahead of compatriot Kim Dae-sub, who carded a 69.

Bae endured a nervy end to the tournament, however, as Kim holed his third shot on the 18th for an eagle that put him just one shot off the lead.

But Bae remained calm to find the green with his third shot before two-putting for par and securing the victory.

The win was Bae’s second major success this year after he won the Caltex Maekyung Open in May and he admitted choosing to forego some advice from close to home proved pivotal.

“I struggled the first two days and could not really get going but I drew upon my experience from last year and stayed patient,” he said.

“My mum has been telling me all week to be more aggressive with my second shot on the 18th. She has been a bit mad with me all week about that but I am pleased I laid up today after Kim hit that shot.”

“It just wasn’t to be today,” Kim said. “I really had a good chance to win but nothing happened for me on the back nine and Bae just played great. Well done to him.”

CHALLENGE TOUR:Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts captured his second Challenge Tour title in just over a month after recovering from a shaky start to win the Dutch Futures by four strokes from Julien Quesne and Andrew McArthur.

Colsaerts, who began the final round with a one-stroke advantage over Challenge Tour Rankings leader Edoardo Molinari, opened with a bogey – his first in 34 holes — and dropped another shot on the fourth hole.

That saw him slip from the top of the leaderboard after Molinari had birdied the second hole but the Italian had back-to-back bogeys on the sixth and seventh holes, while Colsaerts eagled the eighth hole, draining a 30ft putt, to reignite his title hopes.

He maintained his lead with four straight pars before stepping it up a gear with back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th holes. The 26 year old then sealed his second victory of the season, following the SK Golf Challenge in Finland at the start of August, with a birdie on the last hole to card a 69 and finish on 17 under par 271, becoming the third player to win twice on the Challenge Tour in 2009 after Robert Coles and Rhys Davies.

“It feels great to win again, especially as it means I have just about secured my European Tour card now,” said Colsaerts. “My parents celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary last week so this is the best present I could give them.”

Colm Moriarty finished in a tie for 12th place on nine-under-par 279 after a final round of 72.

Colsaerts’ victory moves him up to third in the Challenge Tour Rankings with €94,374, behind Molinari, who closed with a 74 to finish tied sixth, and England’s Andrew Butterfield, who shared fourth place with Jose-Filipe Lima. Scotland’s McArthur shot a final round 70 to finish in tied second on 13 under par, his best performance of the season so far which boosts his chances of making the all important end of season top 20 which would secure a European Tour card for 2010.

Frenchman Julien Quesne, winner of the Trophe du Golf de Geneve, signed for a final round 69 to share second spot with McArthur.