CRAMPTON TRIUMPHS IN CHIBERTA GRAND PRIX
James Crampton from Lincolnshire became the first British
winner of the event when he won the Chiberta Grand Prix in
Biarritz.
The 32 year old from the Spalding club carded a closing 64,
one shot outside the course record, for an aggregate of 266,
14 under par, and a two stroke victory from the French duo
of Michael Lorenzo-Vera and Julien Guerrier.
Crampton, the reigning English Club champion and Deputy Secretary
of the Championship Department of the English Golf Union at
Woodhall Spa, was in the leading group throughout all four
rounds but didn’t get his nose in front until the back
nine of the final day.
An opening 67 left him one shot behind Spain’s Alvaro
Velasco, and although he followed with 68, that saw him trailing
Guerrier by three at halfway, the Frenchman having compiled
a 65.
A third round 67 failed to improve Crampton’s position
as Velasco went round in 64 and Guerrier in 67.
However, Crampton made a flying start to his final round
with an eagle-three at the first followed by birdies at the
fourth, fifth and sixth. That left him one adrift of his two
main rivals but three putts at the seventh and tenth left
him two behind Velasco.
Again the Lincolnshire man mounted a surge with three birdies
in a row from the 11th to tie the lead. However, a bogey-five
at the 15th saw him trail again only for Velasco and Guerrier
to drop shots and when Crampton parred the 16th he was ahead.
He strengthened his grip with a birdie-three at the 17th
but looked to have shot himself in the foot when he hooked
his drive into the trees off the final tee. He had to chip
out sideways then fired his approach a foot off the back of
the green.
Then with his rivals looking on, Crampton putted from around
30 feet into the cup for his par, a 64 and a two stroke triumph.
"I knew the exact position all the way in the final
round because there were carry boards with our match,"
said Crampton.
"It was a great week, the weather was magnificent after
a windy opening day, the course superb, and to win the title
was the icing on the cake."
England just failed to win the Nations Cup, decided over
the opening two rounds, finishing second, three shots behind
France.
The other members of the England team were James Ruebotham,
who finished ninth on 279 and Ross McGowan 18th on 281.
Leading final scores:
266 J Crampton (England) 67 68 67 64
268 M Lorenzo-Vera (France) 69 67 67 65, J Guerrier (France)
67 65 67 69
269 A Quiros (Spain) 72 68 64 65
271 A Velasco (Spain) 66 69 64 72
277 A Gabellon (France) 74 69 68 66
278 P Erice Ibanez (Spain) 70 72 69 67
Other scores:
279 J Ruebotham (England) 72 68 70 69
281 R McGowan (England) 68 68 75 70
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