Andalucia Masters: John Catlin claims maiden European Tour title as Martin Kaymer misses opportunity

Leaderboard

+2 Catlin

+3 Kaymer

+4 Rozner, Besseling, Harding

+5 Nienaber, Migliozzi

Final day report

A month after being removed from an event for breaching Covid-19 protocols, John Catlin won his maiden European Tour title in the Andalucia Masters as Martin Kaymer squandered the chance to end a six-year victory drought.

Catlin, who was withdrawn from the English Championship after visiting a restaurant outside the tournament bubble, carded a birdie-free closing 75 at Valderrama to finish two over par, a shot ahead of former world number one Kaymer.

Kaymer missed close-range birdie chances on the 16th and 17th and then bogeyed the last when he found sand with his approach and saw his chip from just off the green pull up agonisingly short of the hole.

Playing partner Catlin, who took a two-shot lead into the final round, had got up and down for par from over the back of the 17th green and held his nerve to par the last and secure victory by a single shot.

“It’s awesome,” said Catlin, who joins Tiger Woods as the only American players to win at Valderrama. “Tiger is the guy that I grew up idolising. I hope one day I can play against him, that’s my dream. To have won on a golf course that he’s won on is very special.

“I don’t think it’s quite sunk in that I’ve finally actually won but that was my goal at the start of 2019 to win on the European Tour.

“I wasn’t able to do it last year so it’s very, very nice to be able to get it done this week, especially on a beautiful golf course and one that’s very, very demanding. The nerves were going nuts the whole round.

“It’s the biggest win of my career for sure. This is the second-largest Tour in the world but it’s very, very close to the PGA Tour and the calibre of play out here is fantastic. To win out here is amazing.”

Asked about the incident which led to him and his caddie being withdrawn before the start of the English Championship at Hanbury Manor, Catlin told the PA news agency: “There’s no real excuse for what happened, I should have known better and I used it as a kind of wake-up call.

“I’d finished a practice round at about 8.45pm and we were staying at a hotel by Stansted Airport which was about 45 minutes’ drive away.

“I didn’t want to drive all the way back and not have them serve food and so I made a very poor judgement call and stopped into a pub and I believe the restaurant is the one that sent in the footage.”

Kaymer, whose last win was his second major title at the 2014 US Open, had taken the outright lead with a birdie to Catlin’s bogey on the 12th, but promptly bogeyed the 13th.

Both players were unable to convert birdie chances on the 16th and Kaymer also missed from six feet on the par-five 17th. The 35-year-old bogeyed the 17th at The Belfry a week ago and missed out on a place in a play-off for the ISPS Handa UK Championship by a single shot.

“Challenging to see the positives at the moment after these last couple of holes today,” Kaymer wrote on Instagram.

“I guess at the end of the day it’s the second week in a row contending with another four consecutive consistent rounds on a very difficult golf course.

“Thanks for your support and all the messages I got over the last two weeks, means a lot and keeps me even more motivated to get it over the line next time.”

Day three report

Martin Kaymer is back in the mix for an overdue win after moving within two of John Catlin at the Andalucia Masters.

The German needed a four-four finish to win at the Belfry last Sunday only to finish 6-4 and miss out on a play-off, but he's brushed that off to make stealthy progress throughout the week at Valderrama.

Saturday's third round, again played under difficult conditions, saw him drop just one shot and that birdie-par finish was secured this time - and with it, a place in the final group.

There he'll feature with Catlin and Lorenzo Gagli, who both experienced the ups and downs of a round at Valderrama as firm greens and a persistent breeze made for another demanding test.

"Going into tomorrow it’s a completely different approach," said the German, after reflecting on his performance last week. "The golf course doesn’t require six or seven birdies.

“It’s more about trying to avoid the bogeys, create birdie chances and if you have them, good. If not, walk away with a par which is always a decent score here.

“Winning in Valderrama was always one of my goals, one of my dreams. To win here would be something very special.”

Catlin's lead was five when he rolled home a monster birdie putt at the 14th, but he found water with his second to the 17th and made bogey, before a tentative putt saw him drop another shot at the last.

That leaves him just two ahead of Kaymer with Gagli a further shot back, the Italian's double-bogey at the 16th seeing him return both shots he'd picked up with a hole-in-one at the par-three 12th.

Jamie Donaldson rallied at the end of a scrappy day with birdies at the 16th and 17th only to also bogey the last. He goes into the final round in a share of third place, three back of the leader.

Day two report

Ryder Cup hero Jamie Donaldson claimed a share of second place as Valderrama continued to provide a major-style test in the Andalucia Masters.

Donaldson, who secured the winning point for Europe at Gleneagles in 2014, added a 69 to his opening 72 to finish one under par alongside Scotland’s Connor Syme and Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal, with American John Catlin setting the pace on three under.

Catlin, who was withdrawn from the English Championship last month after breaching the European Tour’s Covid-19 protocol by visiting a local restaurant, birdied two of his last three holes to add a 70 to his opening 69.

Just four players are under par after 36 holes, with South Africa’s Wilco Nienaber on level par. The halfway cut fell at eight over.

Donaldson, who reached a career-high of 23rd in the world rankings in 2014 but began the week 423rd after almost five years without a win, said: “I’m very pleased.

“It’s a battle out there on the best of days. Even when there’s no wind blowing here it’s still difficult. It was blowing 30 (miles per hour) yesterday and probably 20 today.

“It’s very difficult, you’ve got to be very patient out there. I’m happy with the position I’m in.

“I didn’t play a lot of golf (during lockdown). I played four weeks in a row on the return and you get to my age (44) and need a bit of a rest. Had a lovely time in Anglesey with the family, it’s a case of resting up and getting ready for another big run.”

Larrazabal carded four birdies and three bogeys in his second round of 70 and said: “I’m grinding well. Actually I didn’t play my best golf today.

“I’ve played very poorly in the UK Swing, and I didn’t play any good today, but I hung in there, making pars.

“I’m happy with the fight, with the mental work I’ve been doing the last couple of days, and I’m happy for the result.

“I would love to play not only this week, but all season, with yesterday’s wind and this golf course. That’s when I keep missing shots, but I keep grinding, and other people hit worse shots, so we kind of level our games.”

Syme again finds himself in contention for a maiden European Tour title after holding a one-shot lead after 54 holes of the Celtic Classic before finishing third and sharing the lead at the same stage of the following week’s ISPS Handa Wales Open, only to slip to eighth at Celtic Manor.

“I’m pretty pleased to be honest, it wasn’t easy again,” Syme said after his 72.

“The wind was probably a little less than yesterday but still equally as difficult. I probably wasn’t as sharp around the greens, got a couple of bad breaks, but that’s just going to happen to you to be honest.”

Day one report

Scotland’s Connor Syme will be hoping it is a case of third time lucky as he chases a maiden European Tour title in the Andalucia Masters.

Syme held a one-shot lead after 54 holes of the Celtic Classic before finishing third and shared the lead at the same stage of the following week’s ISPS Handa Wales Open, only to slip to eighth at Celtic Manor.

After a week off the 25-year-old returned to action at Valderrama and defied blustery winds to card an opening two-under-par 69 to share the lead with Spain’s Jorge Campillo, Italy’s Guido Migliozzi and American John Catlin.

Spain’s Pep Angles was the only other player to break par with a one-under 70 while UK Championship winner Rasmus Hojgaard was part of a six-strong group on level par and former world number one Martin Kaymer returned a 72.

Syme, who finished his round in style with three straight birdies, said: “It’s a brutal course, obviously very, very challenging and anything under par round here is a very good score so very, very happy with minus two today.

“I didn’t actually hit the best tee shot down 16 but managed to get something on to the green and holed a nice putt for birdie.

“Seventeen was an opportunity today downwind and I missed it in the right spot and managed to get up and down, and 18 I hit a nice shot round the trees and managed to hole a nice little chip to finish.

“It’s nice to just keep it rolling. Although it was only one week off I felt a little bit fatigued this morning and didn’t get off to a great start. But me and my caddie spoke about it this morning, saying that you don’t really need to focus that hard or for that long in golf.

“You can switch off after your tee shot and get back on it. So I managed that well today and I certainly felt the juices flowing a little bit certainly once I got into the round a little bit.”

Campillo admitted a 69 around Valderrama was equivalent to a far better score on most other courses, adding: “It feels like six or seven under par on a regular golf course, at least.

“I played pretty good on the front nine and the back nine I hung in there pretty good. Just a shame about that bogey on 17 but overall it was a good round.

“I live close to here so I normally have a lot of people coming to watch and it was a strange feeling (without spectators) but it is what it is. We have a few guys who can watch 17 at least and hopefully we can get better from here.”