A nightmare start for Tom McKibbin left the 21-year-old with a mountain to climb and it proved too steep as he eventually was forced to settle for ninth with Matteo Manassero ending a near 11-year wait to once again become a DP World Tour winner.
Day four of the Jonsson Workwear Open at Glendower GC saw ideal conditions for golf and the pack would deliver. A mighty tussle at the top of a stacked leaderboard saw the top 15 separated by four strokes for much of the day. Overnight leader Manaserro would set the pace for much of Sunday, hotly pursued by South Africans Shaun Norris and Oliver Becker, as well as the Spanish duo of Cantero and Hidalgo.
McKibbin couldn’t have envisioned a much worse start as he stumbled to a triple-bogey-seven on his opening hole. It looked that any challenge from the young man would be over before it had begun. On a day where birdie and eagle chances would present themselves, even par around here would seem like going backwards.
If this was to be a test of character, McKibbin would pass with honours as he responded with three consecutive birdies, aided by a fantastic iron to inside three feet on the par-4 third, and he was back on level terms with the course through four. Two more would follow on seven and nine to turn at two-under for the day. Quite the turn around after his travails on the first and a real show of temperament.
The leading pack were exchanging blows all afternoon with a group of five swapping places constantly as they attempted to reel in Manassero. The Italian, whose iron-play was pinpoint, would be neat and tidy on his outward nine, blemish free with birdies on the par-3 fifth and another on six. The youngest player ever to win a European Tour event would birdie again on the par-5 11th to keep his nose ahead, however bogey on the next would see him drop back to level with Norris.
A couple of holes ahead McKibbin’s resurgence continued with birdie at 14 to join the party at -20, but a disappointing bogey at the next arrested the charge. As play moved through the back nine, four players would share a -22 leading score, with Jordan Smith joining the two South Africans and Manassero at the summit.
A late rally saw Thriston Lawrence eagle the par-5 17th to put himself one clear at the top. His second eagle of a cracking final round 63, taking the clubhouse lead as the final groups filtered home. Another bogey for McKibbin would follow on 16 and the young Holywood man knew his race was run, even though a creditable further birdie would come on 17.
Manassero would pounce on the par-4 16th with a second consecutive birdie giving him a single shot lead with two to play including the par-5 17th. Thunder had threatened earlier but was deemed too distant to disrupt play, but as it moved closer, sirens would follow as play was suspended.
After a protracted weather delay, word came through and the final chapter of the Tournament would re-start at 6pm local time. Enough light to finish the final two for the lead groups.
McKibbin would par to finish his tournament on -19 after a battling final day performance and thoughts of what might have been but for the stumble on the first hole. He continues his fine run of form with another top ten finish and will be full of confidence wrapping up this final leg of the International Swing.
The weather delay did nothing to affect the concentration of tournament leader Manassero who came straight back out to birdie 17 and give himself a two-stroke advantage approaching 18. 3942 days since his last DP World Tour win, the Italian would almost hole his second shot on the last and in the gloom of the South African evening he’d complete a run of four birdies and register his fifth win on the DP World Tour.
“I won’t be able to reflect for a while anyway. It’s been the best day of my life on a golf course,” the Italian said on receipt of the trophy. “It has been a crazy journey over the last couple years and I knew that I was getting on the right track and you never know when this happens, even coming down the 18th with a good tee shot, you still have to do some work. Golf is a really difficult and tough game, so, I am so incredibly happy to be here holding this right now.”
A well-deserved and popular winner in the clubhouse. Despite their best-efforts Smith, Norris and Lawrence could not overhaul the class shown by Manaserro. Up next, we turn attention to the Asian Swing at the Porsche Singapore Classic at Laguna National GC on March 21st.
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