Noren lifts title but now faces Open challenge

The 28-year-old’s previous win came in Switzerland two years ago after he sank a bunker shot for an eagle four holes from the end.

Noren has now added the Saab Wales Open at the Ryder Cup venue by two strokes from Dane Anders Hansen and Frenchman Gregory Havret after a closing 70 containing just two birdies and one mistake.

That came on the driveable 15th when, with confidence high and a three-stroke cushion, he went for the green with a three-wood and saw it go left and kick down a bank into a hazard.

A bogey five brought the gap down to two, but he parred the last three holes for a nine under par total of 275.

It completed a dream week that began with him qualifying for the US Open – his first ever major in America.

But Noren’s work goes on. Winning the title and £300,000 does not spare him from 36 holes of Open Championship qualifying at Sunningdale today.

“It will be weird, but I will look forward to it,” he said.

“My driving has been the best it’s ever been. I never really believed I could do well on tough courses, but now we play them all the time.

“I’ve proved to myself I can hit a lot of greens and not just rely on my short game.”

His name follows that of Graeme McDowell onto the trophy – and last year, of course, the Ulsterman went on to capture the US Open as well.

McDowell had hopes of a successful defence when he was in second place behind Noren at halfway, but then came a nightmare Saturday 81 and even an improvement of 10 strokes yesterday lifted him only to 30th place. Noren had resumed one ahead of Hansen and Peter Hanson, but by the seventh green that had swelled to four.

Hansen was the first to fall back, taking a double-bogey seven on the long second after his ball plugged in sand.

Hanson went joint top with a 10-foot putt on the fourth, but missed a three-foot opportunity at the next, double-bogeyed the sixth after failing to make it over the water with his approach and then three-putted the next.

Bourdy set the target of seven under with a birdie at the par-five last and Hansen’s birdie at the short 17th – a hole that had earlier seen Scot Elliot Saltman hole-in-one for the second time in the week – meant he still had a chance.

But although Noren went over the green in two on the last and then played a poor chip, Hansen was bunkered, came out 18 feet past the flag and both took five.

Johan Edfors, another Swede, eagled the hole to share fourth with Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez, who came back from an opening triple-bogey seven to shoot a 67.

Melissa Reid sank four birdies in her final round of 70 to claim victory in the Deloitte Dutch Ladies Open by a single shot.

The Englishwoman began the day on one under, and coped well with the cool conditions in Vlaardingen to finish the tournament on three under overall.

Dropped shots on the sixth and 17th holes prevented Reid from pulling completely away, but her rivals ultimately fell short in their attempts to catch up.

Caroline Afonso, Caroline Hedwall and overnight leader Holly Aitchison finished tied for second.

Steve Stricker appeared in total command at the top of the leaderboard as he neared the turn at the Memorial.

Stricker birdied five of the opening eight holes to increase his lead to four shots over Matt Kuchar and Brandt Jobe.

They had both taken advantage of a huge wobble from Jonathan Byrd, who began the day in second place but tumbled into a tie for seventh after a bogey on the third and a double-bogey on the eighth.

That pushed Kuchar and Jobe up a place as they both made the turn at five under par on the day, 13 under for the tournament.

Gary Woodland was also on five under for the day after 12 holes.