Nicolas Colsaerts wins Volvo World Match Play

Nicolas Colsaerts won the Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin in Andalucia, Spain. The Belgian defeated Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell on the final hole.

Nicolas Colsaerts wins Volvo World Match Play (Getty Images)
Fergus Bisset
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Nicolas Colsaerts won the Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin in Andalucia, Spain. The Belgian defeated Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell on the final hole.

Colsaerts had faced Paul Lawrie in the morning semi-final and it looked as though the Scot would progress easily after the early exchanges; Lawrie was four-up through the first four holes. But Colsaerts fought back and levelled the match on the back nine. The Scot moved one ahead again after the 16th but then a thunderstorm called a temporary halt to proceedings.

When play resumed Colsaerts was able to capitalise on his length on the par-5 last by getting into the greenside bunker in two. He got up and down from there, and the match was halved.

Extra holes were required and Colsaerts prevailed on the second of them - the 18th once again.

In the other semi-final, Graeme McDowell came through a hard fought contest against Spain's Rafael Cabrera-Bello.

In the final, Colsaerts gained the upper hand three times towards the end of the front nine but each time the Northern Irishman levelled.

At the start of the back nine the pair were all square but McDowell made a bogey at the 11th and then another at the 13th to fall two behind. He got one back at the 14th by driving the par-4 green, but went two down again after the 16th.

Colsaerts gave McDowell a glimmer of hope with a three-putt on the 17th, but the 29-year-old composed himself to close the match out on the 18th.

The victory was an important one for the Belgian. Not only did he secure a sizeable winner's cheque, but he has also moved into an automatic qualifying spot for the Ryder Cup.

"It means everything to win this," Colsaerts said. "I played well in tough conditions. Wind like this, you know it's going to be very difficult. Graeme McDowell, he's won the US Open, so he's used to playing in tough conditions. I knew that it was going to be a tough game in conditions like these."

Volvo World Match Play Championship Finca Cortesin, Casares, Spain 17-20 May, purse €1,268,644, par 72

1   Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel)      €458,333 2   Graeme McDowell (NIR)   €305,555 T3   Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Esp)   €154,825 T3   Paul Lawrie (Sco)         €154,825 T5   Sergio Garcia (Esp)      €91,025 T5   Retief Goosen (RSA)      €91,025 T5   Alvaro Quiros (Esp)      €91,025 T5   Brandt Snedeker (USA)      €91,025 T9   Thomas Bjorn (Den)      €47,506 T9   Richard Finch (Eng)      €47,506 T9   Robert Karlsson (Swe)      €47,506 T9   Tom Lewis (Eng)         €47,506 T9    Ian Poulter (Eng)         €47,506 T9   Robert Rock (Eng)      €47,506 T9   Justin Rose (Eng)         €47,506 T9   Camilo Villegas (Col)      €47,506

Note: Player result in bold signifies Titleist ball usage

Where next? PGA Tour - Jason Dufner wins Byron Nelson Championship

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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