Dubuisson earns dream win in Turkey
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Victor Dubuisson held off a high-profile chasing pack including Tiger Woods to earn his first European Tour victory at the Turkish Airlines Open by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
In the third of four events that make up the Final Series, culminating in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai next week, Dubuisson shot a final round of 69 to win by two shots from Welshman Jamie Donaldson, who made a stunning hole-in-one on the 16th.
Woods finished in a tie for third alongside Justin Rose a further two shots back thanks to a 67, one ahead of Ian Poulter and Raphael Jacquelin.
France’s Dubuisson headed into the final round with a five-shot lead and there were signs he was succumbing to the pressure of having the likes of Poulter, Woods, Rose and Race to Dubai leader Henrik Stenson hot on his heels by failing to make any birdies on the front nine.
But he responded by making birdies at 10 and then three of the last four holes to secure the €848,930 first prize. Donaldson’s hole-in-one earned him a tie for the lead with Rose at one stage, but Dubuisson’s fantastic finish secured the two-shot win.
“I don’t know how to describe it,” said Dubuisson. “Now I don’t realise what’s happening. I felt so much pressure on the last hole.
“Holing this putt on 17 was like; it was incredible. It was incredible, and the birdie on 18, it’s a bonus. But even on the last putt, I was feeling so much stress. After this day, it was the longest day on the course that I’ve ever had. I’m very proud of what I did.”
The Frenchman climbs to 9th in the Race to Dubai, which ends next week on the Earth course at Jumeriah Golf Estates. He also climbs to 39th in the World Golf Rankings, which should secure him a debut at the Masters providing he stays in the top 50 by the end of the year.
With a T-7 finish, Stenson still leads the Race to Dubai standings and is on target to become the first player to win both the Fed-Ex Cup and Race to Dubai in the same season.
He holds around a 214,000-point lead over Rose, with Poulter sitting just behind in fourth having ended this event joint sixth.
Victor Dubuisson’s winning clubs:
913D2 driver (9.5), 913Fd fairway metal (15), 712U 2-iron, 714 AP2 irons (3-9), Vokey Design SM4 pitching (48) and sand (52) wedges and a Vokey Design prototype lob (58) wedge, Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter. Titleist Pro V1x golf ball.