Brett Rumford In The Bag: Ballentines Championship Winning Clubs

Brett Rumford overcame a late collapse to win the Ballantine’s Championship after a playoff with fellow Australian Marcus Fraser and Scotland’s Peter Whiteford.

An eagle at the first extra hole gave the 35-year-old a fourth European Tour title – his first for six years – after a closing 68 left him level with Fraser and Whiteford on 11-under-par.

Rumford had got his nose in front thanks to a 30 on the front nine, and still led by two shots with two holes to play. However, a double-bogey six on the 17th – after a wild drive led to a penalty drop from a bush – meant that both Fraser or Whiteford could win outright with a birdie at the 543-yard par-5 18th.

Neither could though, with the Scot chipping to five feet and missing the birdie putt to finish alongside Rumford and Fraser on 11-under. In the playoff, having seen his opponents fail to reach the green in two, Rumford fired a brilliant approach to four feet to make a stunning eagle.

Of his win, Rumford said: “I battled with my driver constantly and I guess that’s what keeps me out of most golf tournaments. I left a few drives right – it wasn’t just the last two drives, it was the whole back nine I was feeling stuck and a little bit trapped – had a quick word with Pete Cowen and hit a five or six  balls off the first tee and it obviously did the trick.

“It was an absolute rollercoaster ride of emotions out there this afternoon, obviously my last five holes yesterday and front nine today got me in a great position to take this tournament. Ballantine’s is always a tremendous sponsor and it’s just a great event.”

Rumford, who finished his third round with five consecutive birdies at Blackstone Golf Club, took that run to seven when he opened with a 20-footer on the 1st, before hitting to five feet at the next. He then had three pars, but a bunker shot to three feet at the sixth sparked a run of four straight birdies and he looked in complete control until his six-five finish.

While Whiteford was understandably frustrated to miss out on a maiden victory and the €367,500 winner’s cheque, earning enough to secure his card for next season was some consolation for the man who has not recorded a top-10 finish since August.

Further back, France’s Romain Wattel finished fourth on nine-under-par, with Louis Oosthuizen a shot further back. Overnight leader Alex Noren suffered a penalty shot at the second when his ball moved a fraction as he addressed his par putt, eventually carding a 74 to finish in a tie for sixth.

Below are the clubs that Rumford used to claim his first victory in six years:

Driver: Titleist 913D2
Fairway woods: Titleist 913F.d Low Spin
Hybrid: Titleist 913H.d
Irons: Titleist 712U CB
Wedge: Titleist Vokey Design SM4 & Titleist Spin Milled C-C SM2 Series
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Select Mid and Long
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Shoes: FootJoy ICON 
Glove: FootJoy SciFlex