Bjorn storms to four-stroke victory
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Shanghai Daily, September 5, 2011
Thomas Bjorn made it back-to-back victories when he claimed the European Masters title in Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland, yesterday with a spectacular closing 9-under 62.
An unassailable finishing burst by the 40-year-old Dane for a 20-under 264 four-round total left him four shots better than Germany's world No. 5 Martin Kaymer (65).
Two blistering bursts by Bjorn earned him his third win of the season and a US$477,000 first prize. He won last week at Gleneagles, Scotland
First the Dane ran in four birdies in five holes to the turn. Then he produced a magnificent finale, picking up six shots in five holes with an eagle and three birdies.
Kaymer, starting four shots adrift of the lead, began the day in breathtaking fashion, too, eagling the first and fifth holes to move to the top of the leader board. Bjorn soon came chasing after the German, though, and caught him with his run to the turn.
As Kaymer failed to make any further headway - a missed two-footer on the long 14th resulting in a three-putt - Bjorn pressed the accelerator pedal. His 14-foot eagle putt on the 15th put him two ahead of the field and birdies on 17 and 18 extended his margin of victory.
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy shot 68 to finish tied for third at 15 under with Jaco van Zyl of South Africa and overnight leader Jamie Donaldson of Wales.
In Norton, Massachusetts, Masters champion Charl Schwartzel joined Bubba Watson and Australia's Adam Scott in a three-way tie for the lead at the halfway stage of the Deutsche Bank Championship on Saturday.
Watson, playing in the morning when conditions were ideal for low scoring, grabbed the early clubhouse lead when he a shot a 64 to reach 10 under and was then joined by Schwartzel of South Africa and Scott, the joint runner-up at Augusta this year, in the afternoon.
The trio ended the day one shot ahead of Brandt Snedeker, who aced the par-3 16th hole, and two clear of Nick Watney. Five players, including Ernie Els, were bunched together at 7 under on a condensed leaderboard.
Scott shot a 63, the best round of the day, after a bogey-free round featuring six birdies and an eagle.
Schwartzel shot a 66 for the second day in a row. The South African made seven birdies, including six in a seven-hole stretch, and two bogeys.
Snedeker hit a nine-iron from 146 yards for his hole in one then drained a 21-foot putt on the 18th for eagle in his round of 64 while Watson, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour this season, eagled the par-5 seventh hole when he struck his approach from 232 yard to within 12 feet of the hole.
