Bernd toasts maiden win

Bernd Wiesberger cruised to an emphatic victory at the Ballantine’s Championship, winning his first European Tour title by a five shots.

The Austrian closed with a round of 68 after shooting consecutive course-record rounds of 65 on Friday and Saturday and finished in style with birdies at three of the final four holes to end on 18-under par.

The 26-year-old, twice a runner-up on the European Tour last season, thoroughly deserved his win, playing his final 59 holes without dropping a shot after a double bogey at the 13th hole on Thursday.

Scotland’s Richie Ramsey finished alone in second on 13-under par ahead of Australian Marcus Fraser and France’s Victor Dubuisson on 11-under par.

Ramsey was first to try and challenge Wiesberger, trimming his advantage to four with a 30 foot birdie putt at the third.

Wiesberger turned in 35 and still five clear, and he clocked up five further pars as Ramsay came charging from the pack.

The Scot hit his tee shot to five feet at the 16th for his sixth birdie of the day to close the gap to three, but that was as close as anyone got to Wiesberger.

The two-time Challenge Tour winner responded with a glorious pitch at the par five 15th to eight feet, holed a 20 footer at the 16th and drained a 15 foot birdie putt at the last for good measure to finish with an 18 under par total.

“I just tried to enjoy it and I had the three best rounds of my life,” said Wiesberger. “I tried not to make bogeys and I did that pretty well, it was awesome.

“My game plan was to hit as many greens as possible and try to make putts, and they dropped in the end.

“I didn’t get nervous, I had three or four shots. There was a pretty shaky moment at 12 but I made a great chip and a putt for par, but I just tried to enjoy it the last three or four holes in.

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