Pablo Martin wins Alfred Dunhill Championship

Spain’s Pablo Martin captured the first European Tour event of the 2010 season, winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa by a single shot from Charl Schwartzel.

Pablo Martin
Fergus Bisset
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Spain's Pablo Martin captured the first European Tour event of the 2010 season, winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa by a single shot from Charl Schwartzel.

Martin created European Tour history, becoming the only player to win events on the circuit both as an amateur and as a professional. The 23-year-old ends 2009 on a high after starting the year terribly with seven straight missed cuts. He only narrowly retained his card for the 2010 season, finishing the '09 race to Dubai in 118th spot.

The young Spaniard carried a two-stroke lead into the final round but. given his recent form and the host of top players including Ernie Els hot on his heels, few counted him as favourite with 18 holes to play.

But the Malaga golfer proved his doubters wrong, completing a solid final round of 69 to hold off a charging Charl Schwartzel. The South African birdied four of the last five holes to pile the pressure on Martin. But, the Spaniard was up to the challenge as he made a regulation par on the treacherous final hole to win by one.

"It's an unbelievable feeling," Martin said. "I am so happy and there was so much emotion today."

The par-5 18th once again showed its teeth during the final round. Sion Bebb of Wales took a closing 11 to drop from fifth to 17th place. Gareth Maybin finished with a seven while Michael Lorenzo-Vera closed with an eight.

Alfred Dunhill Championship Leopard Creek CC, South Africa Dec 10-13, purse €1,000,000, par 72

1    Pablo Martin (Esp)    68    63    71    69    271    €158,500 2    Charl Schwartzel (RSA)    67    69    68    68    272    €115,000 3    Anders Hansen (Den)    68    70    68    68    274    €69,200 T4    Gareth Maybin (NIR)    68    70    67    71    276    €38,825 T4    Robert Rock (Eng)    69    68    70    69    276    €38,825 T4    Richard Sterne (RSA)    72    66    72    66    276    €38,825 T4    Dale Whitnell (Eng)    70    68    72    66    276    €38,825 T8    Shiv Kapur (Ind)        68    71    68    70    277    €21,933 T8    Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 71 69    66    71    277    €21,933 T8    Damien McGrane (Ire)    67    70    68    72    277    €21,933

Note: Player scores 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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