Magnificent McDowell wins The Barclays Scottish Open

7/13/2008

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell has won The Barclays Scottish Open by two shots after a final round score of 68 took him to 13 under par at Loch Lomond Golf Club.

South African James Kingston was second with a clubhouse score of 273, while Australia’s Richard Green and Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez were a shot further back in third.

The win, McDowell’s second on The European Tour this season after a victory at the Ballantine's Championship in South Korea in March, lifted the 28 year old from tenth to sixth in the standings for The Ryder Cup, but he was not the only one to qualify for a prestigious event.

England’s Simon Khan, who held a two-shot lead after 11 holes of the final round but double-bogeyed the 12th and 17th to finish fifth, secured the final place on offer at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

Khan held his nerve to par the last when a bogey would have handed the spot to Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher, who closed with a superb 64 to finish in a tie for sixth.

McDowell and Khan began the day tied for the lead and were still locked together at the turn on 12 under par.

Khan then moved two shots clear after a birdie on the 11th followed McDowell’s bogey on the tenth.

But that lasted just one hole when 36 year old Khan ran up a double bogey six on the 12th, needing two attempts to chip up a steep slope onto the putting surface after his approach came up short of the green.

McDowell moved into the outright lead with a birdie on the 13th and after both players had birdied the short par four 14th - McDowell two-putting after driving the green - the decisive moment came on the 15th.

Khan took a bogey five after pushing his drive into deep rough, while McDowell hit a superb approach to three feet for birdie to open up a three-shot cushion. Thereafter, McDowell bogeyed the 17th, but Khan’s double bogey five ensured McDowell took the title.

Leaderboard – Final:

1. Greame McDowell         NIR  67 70 66 68 271 -13
2. James Kingsotn            SAF  70 70 67 66 273 -11
3. Richard Green              AUS  67 68 70 69 274 -10
    M.A. Jiménez               ESP  68 69 68 69 274 -10
5. Simon Khan                 ENG  69 66 68 72 275 - 9
6. Robert Dinwiddie           ENG  68 68 71 69 276 - 8
    Stephen Gallacher        SCO  72 68 72 64 276 - 8
    Francesco Molinari         ITA  69 68 72 67 276 - 8
9. Ernie Els                       SAF  72 66 70 69 277 - 7
    Paul Lawrie                  SCO  68 67 72 70 277 - 7
    Alvaro Quiros                ESP  69 70 74 64 277 - 7
    Jeev Milkha Singh          IND  68 68 69 72 277 - 7
    Oliver Wilson                ENG  71 66 71 69 277 - 7

Source: European Tour