Global Golf Post - July 18, 2011

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Scotland’s Knox Top Banana

CINCINNATI, OHIO | Overnight leader
Russell Knox fired a closing 66 Sunday
at the TPC River’s Bend to pull away at
the Chiquita Classic for his first Nation-
wide Tour victory. The former Jackson-
ville University standout won by three
shots over Billy Hurley III.
Scotland’s Knox posted a winning
total of 25-under 263 that earned him
first place money of $99,000. The key to
his victory was a sizzling 63 on Satur-
day.
Brian Stuard and Greg Owen tied
for third at 20 under, just ahead of
Chris Nallen and Josh Broadaway, who
shared fifth. Nallen carded a Sunday 63.
Knox began the third round four
shots back and tied for seventh and
was just hoping to stay within shouting
distance.“I wanted to be within four or
five of the lead,” he admitted. “I just
got off to a great start. This course is
perfect for me.”
Knox, who began the year with no
status on Tour, was a Monday qualifier
at the Fresh Express Classic in Califor-
nia back in April and finished second,
one shot back of Daniel Chopra. He was
in position for a chance at victory there
but had to settle for runner-up when
heavy fog rolled into the San Francisco
Bay area and forced the cancellation of
the final round.

HEBERT UP TO SWISS CHALLENGE
Benjamin Hebert banished the dis-
appointment of five successive missed
cuts to claim his debut Challenge Tour
title in supremely testing conditions at
the Credit Suisse Challenge Sunday.
The Frenchman arrived in Switzer-
land on the back of a wretched run of
form, but after using the last fortnight
to correct some technical issues in his
swing on the practice range back home
in Brive, he bounced back to form in
spectacular style with a hugely impres-
sive victory at Golf Sempachersee near
Lucerne, Switzerland.
Despite driving rain, Hebert carded a
superb level par round of 71 to finish on
12-under par and take the title by four
strokes over Englishman Jamie Moul, one
of only five players to break par all day.
His winner’s cheque for €24,000
moved Hebert up to 21st in the Chal-
lenge Tour Rankings and within sight of
a return to the European Tour, having
lost his playing privileges last season.
In stark contrast to Hebert, Moul
arrived at the €150,000 event buoyed
by his first Challenge Tour victory at
last week’s Acaya Open, and the former
world amateur No. 1 continued his hot
streak with a runner-up finish courtesy
of a closing round of 70 for an 8-under
par aggregate total.

GARNETT WINS SECOND STRAIGHT
Brice Garnett, of Gallatin, Mo., card-
ed a final-round 64 in the eGolf Tour’s
seventh annual Southern Open on
Saturday to collect his second consecu-
tive win. He also earned the $30,000
first-place prize and a spot in the
Nationwide Tour’s Price Cutter Charity
Championship with his performance at
the Davis Love III-designed Club at Irish
Creek in Kannapolis, N.C.
Garnett was in a three-way tie for
the lead at 15-under par with Adam
Mitchell, of Atlanta, and Clint Jensen, of
Jupiter, Fla. Garnett’s 64 left him with
a 72-hole total of 22-under 263. Jensen
closed with a 66 and took second place
with a 20-under 265 total. Mitchell could
do no better than 70 and placed fourth
on 16 under. Chesson Hadley moved into
third with a 66 to finish on 17 under.
“It feels pretty good. I’ve been work-
ing hard and analyzing what I did last
year on the Nationwide Tour,” said

Russell Knox grabbed his
first Nationwide Tour
win at the Chiquita Classic.

Garnett. “I’ve been working more on my
short game this year after spending too
much time on my long game. It’s nice
that it’s finally paying off.”
to read more.
WIRATCHANT WINS INDONESIAN OPEN
Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant
proved indomitable once again as he
recorded a brilliant victory in the $1
million Indonesia Open Sunday.

The 44-year-old prevailed by one
stroke from Indonesia’s rising star
Rory Hie, defending champion Michael
Hendry from New Zealand, and Korean
Choi Jin-ho.
awkward lie on the edge of a bunker on
the par- 4 closing hole.
He had to play that shot with his feet
in the trap and he splashed it out to
Thaworn lifted his first title on
OneAsia after making a battling par on
the 18th at Damai Indah Golf’s Pantai
Indah Kapuk Course in Jakarta.
10 yards short of the green. Handling
the pressure with the experience of a
true champion, he chipped to a foot to
secure the crucial par.
to read more.
The Thai star had led by three at the
start of the day and closed with a 73,
while Hie shot 70, Hendry carded 71
and Choi a 69.
SIMARRO SHINES IN MADRID
The victory also marked his second
success in this event as he triumphed
in 2005, and it marked the 15th victory
of his illustrious career.
Carlos Garcia Simarro won the Peu-
geot Tour Alps de Espana in Madrid on
Saturday. The 35-year-old closed with
a 69 and a 10-under total, leaving him a
stroke ahead of fellow Spaniard Eduardo
De La Riva and England’s Jason Barnes.
He led by one shot playing the final
hole and a sudden-death play-off
beckoned after his tee shot found an
Barnes took the lead in the Alps
Tour Order of Merit.
Staff and Wire Reports