First season on the European Tour.
And first victory for Antoine Rozner!
The Racingman, newly arrived from the Challenge Tour, the second European division, brilliantly won this Saturday on the Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
His last card of 64 (-8) allows him to lift the trophy of this brand new tournament with a score of -25 (263).
Either two strokes ahead of his first pursuers.
In Dubai since last week after finishing 20th in the Joburg Open in order to better prepare for the final of the Race scheduled for December 10 to 13 on the Earth Course of the same Jumeirah Golf Estates, Rozner rose to the top on Wednesday. 'after the first round, in the leading peloton of the Dubai Championship.
A sublime first card (63), without error and with an eagle and seven birdies, allows him to take second place (ex-aequo), two lengths behind Andy Sullivan, author of a huge 61 (-11) inaugural.
We don't know yet but these two will not be leaving each other throughout the week.
After 36 holes, the Englishman is still in the lead (-17), the Frenchman is in fourth place (-12).
At the end of the Moving day (played on Friday), the gap between the two men is four points.
Still in favor of the former Ryder Cup player (
in 2016
).
»READ ALSO - French golf changes era and aims for the future world circuit
At the start of this last round, four points separate them while another Englishman, Matt Wallace, 51st player in the world and second in two strokes, seems better placed to threaten his compatriot.
Despite his four personal successes on the European Tour, Sullivan does not appear to be so successful.
He finished his go in 34 (-2) while Rozner came back to three lengths with three birdies (
at holes 5, 7 and 9
).
This one goes on with two other birdies at 10 then 11 before slamming an eagle at 13, then coming back up to Sullivan.
A bogey at 15, the only one of the day, expels - momentarily - the Frenchman from the leadership and goes back to -23.
The turn comes on 16, a small par 4 that can be reached in one.
Rozner, in the penultimate part, birdies while Sullivan, who brings up the rear, cracks in the same spot with a bogey.
At the start of the 18th, the Frenchman is one point ahead and soon two by signing a last birdie on this par 5. Sullivan, very smiling and willingly joking with his caddy during the last three laps, suddenly lost his smile.
He must eagle to take the student of Benoit Ducoulombier in the playoff.
He will be satisfied with a… par and a second place at -23 (265).
"Catch me if you can."
The moment that secured @ AntoineRozner's maiden Tour victory # GolfInDubaipic.twitter.com / vHnN4ESdMv
- The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 5, 2020
“This victory means a lot to me, exclaims Antoine Rozner at the end of the recording.
It has been such a strange year.
We've been through so much all over the world and being able to win here, playing eight under a par in this last round, it's pretty incredible.
To be honest with you, it wasn't until the 18th green that I saw that I was in the lead.
I hadn't really looked at leaderboards until then.
I knew that my game was there, well in place (
eighteen cuts made in twenty starts with a 2nd place in Mauritius and a 3rd place at the Andalucia Masters, Editor's note
).
And then I knew that I had already qualified for the final (
DP World Tour Championship
), the biggest tournament of the year.
Maybe that freed me.
Considering my category of game, I have not competed in any Rolex Series this year.
So I'm very excited to be able to play such a great tournament (
$ 8 million in prize money
).
"
Lorenzo-Vera, very close to the final of the Race
Mike Lorenzo-Vera was also very close to validating his ticket for the same final he finished in third place last year after an epic duel with Spaniard Jon Rahm.
Returning to competition this week after almost two months of "rest", the Basque thus almost created a surprise, signing a huge 65 (-7) without the slightest error.
By finishing only second, he would have been at the start next Thursday for the DP World Tour Championship.
He must share this place with the English Wallace and Sullivan and the Italian Laporta.
The other French who crossed the cut experienced varying fortunes this Saturday.
Clément Sordet, 66 (-6) today, hangs in 13th place at -18.
Damien Perrier, Romain Wattel, Robin Sciot-Siegrist and Joël Stalter finished beyond the top 50, at -9 (for the first three) and -1 (for the Lorraine).
There will therefore be three French people in the final of the Race next week: Victor Perez (5th in the Race), Antoine Rozner (24th) and Benjamin Hébert (65th).
And maybe even four if Romain Langasque, 41st, positive for Covid-19 and confined in his hotel room in Dubai since Tuesday, is tested negative in the coming days ...
