Nicolas Colsaerts wins Volvo China Open

Nicolas Colsaerts secured his maiden European Tour victory in the Volvo China Open at Luxehills International Country Club. The Belgian cruised home, four clear of his nearest rivals.

Nicolas Colsaerts
Fergus Bisset
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Nicolas Colsaerts secured his maiden European Tour victory in the Volvo China Open at Luxehills International Country Club. The Belgian cruised home, four clear of his nearest rivals.

Colsaerts began the final day one ahead of Chang-won Han of South Korea and two clear of Ireland's Peter Lawrie and Gregory Havret of France. But, the 28-year-old never gave the rest of the field a look-in as he opened with a birdie then posted two more at the 3rd and 7th to complete the front nine in 33.

He turned the screw in the middle of his back nine with three birdies between the 12th and 15th. Those birdies got him to 24-under-par and three closing pars were easily enough to secure his first European Tour title. He is only the second Belgian to win on the circuit, following Phillipe Touissant in 1974.

Spain's Pablo Martin played the round of the day. His 63 lifted him into a tie for second place with Danny Lee of New Zealand, Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen and Peter Lawrie of Ireland.

With the win Colsaerts has climbed into the top 10 on the 2011 Race to Dubai. With €447,609 pocketed so far this season, he has already surpassed his total earnings for 2010. He has also secured his playing rights on the European Tour to the end of 2013.

Volvo China Open Luxehills International Country Club, China Apr 21-24, purse €2,150,000, par 72

1   Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel)   65   67   66   66   264   €350,946 T2   Pablo Martin (Esp)   70   68   67   63   268   €140,086 T2   Danny Lee (NZ)      66   68   69   65   268   €140,086 T2   Soren Kjeldsen (Den)   65   71   66   66   268   €140,086 T2   Peter Lawrie (Ire)      68   64   68   68   268   €140,086 6   Christian Nilsson (Swe)   70   65   70   64   269   €73,698 T7   Danny Willett (Eng)   70   66   69   65   270   €54,326 T7   Gregory Havret (Fra)   66   66   68   70   270   €54,326 T7   Jamie Donaldson (Wal)   70   61   70   69   270   €54,326

Note: Player in bold signifies Titleist ball usage only

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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