Gonzalez is Inaugural Winner in Sevilla
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Ricardo Gonzalez (Argentina).
Photo - Getty Images
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34 year-old Ricardo Gonzalez of Argentina captured his
second title in Spain in the last six months, his third on the European Tour, by winning
the inaugural Open de Sevilla with a 30-foot birdie putt on the last hole when a par would
have been enough to avoid a playoff. After starting the day with a one shot lead on minus
11 he was soon back with the field but regained the lead when he birdied the 16th at the
same time as Jonathan Lomas bogeyed the last to take the clubhouse lead on -12. Gonzalez
holed a long putt for par on 17 and his final birdie gave him a 14 under par total of 274,
two shots clear of Lomas and Stephen Gallagher. |
| Scotland's Jonathan Lomas had started the day five shots off the lead but
after making a birdie on the 1st, a hole in one on the 3rd and another eagle on the 5th he
was soon making his prescence felt. Two more birdies on 14 an 16 put him in the lead at 13
under but he just failed to hole his long par putt on 18 and finished with a round of 66
giving him a final total of 276. |
Jonathan Lomas (England).
Photo - Getty Images
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Stephen Gallacher (Scotland).
Photo - Getty Images
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Stephen Gallacher finished the third round tied for 4th place, 3 shots off
the pace on minus 8. In a valient attempt to record his first European Tour victory he
made 5 birdies on the final day before dropping a shot on the 15th hole which he was
unable to get back on the last 3 holes and had to settle for a share of the runner-up
spot. This was his third top-ten finish of 2004 and his prize money here has moved him up
to 23rd on the Volvo Order of Merit. |
| José Manuel Carriles, tied in sixteenth place, was the
highest finishing Spaniard from a large local contingent which included recent winner
Miguel Angel Jiménez who could only manage a share of 28th position this week. |
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