Moynihan delivers career-best European Tour finish in France

Bernie McGuire
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Gavin Moynihan (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Bernie McGuire

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Gavin Moynihan heads to this week’s Portugal Masters with a real chance of holding onto his Tour card.

Moynihan secured a Tour career best of a share of fifth place thanks to a closing round of 71 at the Open de France in Versailles.

The 25-year old also collected the second biggest prize cheque of his pro career in earning Euro 57,280 in very cold conditions on the Le National layout.

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Moynihan arrived in France lying a lowly 162nd on the Race to Dubai and is now up to 140th heading to The Algarve where a top-three finish would lift the Dubliner inside the cut-off mark of 117th and thus full 2020 Tour membership.

Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts ended a seven-year winless drought in signing for a one-over par 72 but holding on to win by a shot with a 13-under par total.

Though the 36-year old former Ryder Cup star had to do it the hard way in forfeiting a three-shot overnight lead in tumbling to second place after bogeys and five, six and 12.

Colsaerts then in a 30-minute run brilliantly birdied 12 and chipped-in for an eagle ‘3’ on 14 but only to horribly put a ball into water on 15 and fall back into a tie for the lead with Dane Joachim Hansen.

A Hansen bogey on 17 in his eventual round of 68 handed a very emotional and teary-eyed Colsaerts, who parred his closing three holes, the honour of becoming the first Belgium-born in 61-years to lift the gleaming silver trophy.

Victory also secured Colsaerts the bigger prize of a two-year Tour exemption when staring at losing his Tour card in what could have been his penultimate event of 2019.

He said: “This is a very special moment for me as the French Open has always been very special given I am French speaking, and I have been coming here for I don’t know how many years.

“It’s been a long road and I’ve had so many people supporting me over the years, and that is why I am so emotional.

“I went through up-and-downs for so many years now that is just so good to win again.

“This win also changes everything for me for the next couple of years. Lighter schedule. I have a wife at home and a little kid now that I am going to be able to spend a bit more time with now, which is nice.”

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