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CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, Sept 5: Britain's Luke Donald repaid Bernhard Langer faith in him by winning the European Masters on Sunday the week after the European Ryder Cup captain handed him a wild-card.
Donald repeated the feat of US wild-card Stewart Cink by winning first time out after being given a captain's pick, as the 26-year-old Englishman claimed his second European Tour title in five weeks.
A closing five-under-par 66 for 19-under-par 265 left Donald five strokes in front of Miguel Angel Jimenez and six shots ahead of another Spaniard, Sergio Garcia, veteran Argentine Eduardo Romero and Briton Robert Coles. It gave Europe's three Ryder Cup players in Switzerland a 1-2-3.
LEADING FINAL ROUND SCORES:
265 - Luke Donald (Britain) 67, 67, 65, 66.
270 - Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 65, 67, 66, 72.
271 - Sergio Garcia (Spain) 66, 65, 68, 72; Robert Coles (Britain) 70, 68, 69, 64; Eduardo Romero (Argentina) 68, 67, 67, 69.
272 - Graeme McDowell (Britain) 69, 67, 66, 70.
273 - Ernie Els (South Africa) 69, 67, 66, 71.
274 - Choi Kyoung-ju (South Korea) 76, 65, 66, 67; Carlos Rodiles (Spain) 67, 69, 72, 66.
276 - Darren Fichardt (South Africa) 69, 67, 69, 71; Peter O'Malley (Australia) 72, 65, 71, 68; Stephen Scahill (New Zealand) 70, 68, 72, 66.
277 - Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 67, 73, 68, 69; James Kingston (South Africa) 68, 69, 71, 69; Craig Spence (Australia) 69, 67, 66, 75.
278 - Simon Dyson (Britain) 68, 68, 74, 68; Peter Fowler (Australia) 67, 68, 71, 72; Mark Roe (Britain) 72, 69, 68, 69; Charl Schwartzel(South Africa) 68, 66, 71, 73.
279 - Bradley Dredge (Britain) 69, 68, 72, 70; Andrew Marshall (Britain) 72, 65, 73, 69; Robert Rock (Britain) 71, 70, 70, 68; Anthony Wall (Britain) 70, 72, 67, 70.
SINGH IN LEAD
NORTON: Fiji's Vijay Singh fashioned an eight-under par 63 on Saturday to take a two-shot second-round lead on 131 in the Deutsche Bank Championship. World number one Tiger Woods carded a 68 and is tied for second on nine-under 133 with John Rollins and Bill Haas.
Singh can become the world's leading player this week if Woods, who has held top spot for 334 weeks in total and the last 264 consecutively, fails to finish in the top seven.
If Woods makes the top seven, then Singh would need to tie or beat him. Ryan Palmer, the co-leader with Woods following the first round, shares fifth with Japan's Shigeki Maruyama.
LEADING SECOND ROUND SCORES:
131 - Vijay Singh (Fiji) 68, 63.
133 - John Rollins (US) 67, 66; Tiger Woods (US) 65, 68; Bill Haas (US) 69, 64.
134 - Ryan Palmer (US) 65, 69; Shigeki Maruyama (Japan) 68, 66.
135 - Frank Lickliter II (US) 68, 67; Charles Howell III (US) 67, 68.
136 - Jay Williamson (US) 68, 68; Adam Scott (Australia) 69, 67; Hank Kuehne (US) 68, 68.
137 - Jonathan Byrd (US) 66, 71; Tim Clark (South Africa) 70, 67; Deane Pappas (South Africa) 67, 70; Bob Burns (US) 71, 66; Cameron Beckman (US) 66, 71; Daniel Chopra (Sweden) 68, 69; Camilo Villegas (Colombia) 69, 68. -Reuters
