Alex Noren coasts to four-shot win at Nordea Masters
Sunday 7 June 2015 21:27, UK
Alex Noren capped a remarkable comeback from injury as he cruised to a comprehensive victory in front of his home fans on the final day of the Nordea Masters in Malmo.
The 32-year-old was a model of consistency in difficult, blustery conditions in the final round, closing with a solid one-under 71 to claim a four-shot win over last week's Irish Open champion Soren Kjeldsen.
Noren, who started the season on a medical exemption having battled tendonitis in both wrists, had a two-shot lead overnight and opened with a birdie before he mishit his approach to the second and bogeyed as Maximilian Kieffer closed to within a shot.
But the Swede responded by grinding out 15 consecutive pars, while Kieffer's challenge was derailed by back-to-back double-bogeys at the fourth, where his tee-shot cracked a spectator on the head, and the fifth.
With birdie chances at a premium, nobody was able to make a sustained charge at the leader and Noren wrapped up his fourth European Tour title - and his second in Sweden - with a cast-iron birdie at the par-five last.
I got better as the week went on. You have to enjoy the good days in this game because you have plenty of bad ones
"I’m so pleased," said Noren, who is now exempt on the European Tour until the end of the 2017 season. "Now I can relax a bit because it was probably the toughest weekend in terms of wind I’ve ever felt.
"When you’re in the lead you can think a lot, and it was very tough. I’ve had a few good tournaments but I haven’t played well on the last day. When I’ve had a chance – like at Wentworth, I had a small chance – I’ve had a slow round. I kept my poise and my caddie really helped calm me down.
Right shots
"The win in the 2011 Nordea Masters was very thrilling, and this one is very pleasing. I wasn’t too confident coming into this week because I’ve had a tough time in the wind lately and here you really have to hit the right shots to get around.
"I got better as the week went on. You have to enjoy the good days in this game because you have plenty of bad ones."
Kjeldsen managed three birdies on the back nine to return a 71 and clinch outright second place ahead of a group of four players on six under including Kieffer, who offset two birdies with a pair of bogeys on the inward half to post a 74.
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Noren's compatriots Jens Dantorp and Sebastian Soderberg both stumbled to 74s to finish in the tie for third along with Alexander Levy, who fired a 71 despite a double-bogey at the 16th.
Fabrizio Zanotti put together the round of the day, defying the brutal conditions to birdie five of the first eight holes and two of the last four to card a sparkling 66 - one of only three sub-70 scores on the day.
Zanotti's superb finish propelled him 57 places up the leaderboard to five under alongside English pair Lee Slattery and Tom Murray, while Jonas Blixt, Bernd Ritthammer and 2012 Ryder Cup hero Nicolas Colsaerts also claimed a tie for seventh.
But crowd favourite and world No 4 Henrik Stenson failed to mount a challenge after dropping three shots in four holes on the front nine as he closed with a 74 to slip to four under, one ahead of Thomas Bjorn after the veteran Dane rattled in six birdies in a commendable 68.
