Gary Murphy paid the price for a poor opening nine holes in the final round of the Legends Tour’s Vinpearl DIC Legends Vietnam as Brazilian Adilson da Silva went wire-to-wire for victory.
Two bogeys and a double bogey in the opening nine holes ended all hopes of an unlikely victory by Kilkenny native Murphy who started the final round seven shots behind the leader, but he’d respond by covering the final nine holes in one-under, making birdies on 10 and 12 with another bogey at 14 as he ended the week tied for 16th on +3.
With just one event to go in the Legends Tour season, da Silva needed a minimum top-five finish and a higher placing that Order of Merit leader Peter Baker to have any hopes of overtaking the Englishman, and he duly delivered.
An opening 66 saw him tied for the first round lead, following up with a 69 on day two to move two clear. His final-round three-under 68 was enough to see him run out a three-stroke winner, with nobody getting within two on the final day.
Australian Scott Hend who is set to compete in the LIV Golf Promotions Event next week was the nearest challenger at -7, with Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzales and New Zealander Michael Campbell one further adrift at -6.
It was da Silva’s fourth win of the season, notching victories in Austria, Switzerland, France and now Vietnam.
“I can’t,” he joked when asked to explain his incredible season, “maybe I need to get tested or something. But yeah, I’ve been working really hard on my mental side and I think that’s what helped me. My swing feels the same but I think mentally I feel more comfortable.
“Next week [the season-ending MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius] is going to be great, I really love the course there and I’m really looking forward to it.”
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