David Drysdale won the Vattanac Legends Champion after a nail-biting final round in Cambodia, where he fired a stunning 66 to claim a thrilling first win on the Legends Tour.
British duo Peter Baker and Anthony Wall both finished on -11, with Andrew Marshall and overnight leader Phillip Archer finishing on -10 in the day’s low score at the Sir Nick Faldo-designed Vattanac Golf Resort.
South Africa’s Keith Horne – winner of July’s Reignwood Legends Championship – led with six games remaining but was forced to share sixth with first-round leader Greg Owen.
It’s a special day for Drysdale. A superb birdie at the end sent him into the clubhouse at -12 strokes, ahead of the -11 strokes Wall had just set his target for. The Scot then had to endure the heartbreaking wait to see if his 19-year wait for victory, covering 576 DP World Tour and 14 Legends Tour events, was over.
“The Vattanac Legends Championship sounds great,” Drysdale said. “It’s been a long time coming, but it feels great. I played well today and I’m happy to get it done. I feel calm and just trying to stay focused and hit shot after shot.
“I didn’t get off to a great start, but then I found my rhythm and hit some big shots on the par 5s on the back nine. No. 13 was a big one for me. I hit a good tee shot and put up a good number, so hit a 3 hybrid – leaving me with about 8 feet for eagle, which I holed. And the shot on No. 18 was the kind of shot you dream about. It was almost a three, but happy to end up with a four.”
Having been handed a -12 card, Drysdale then had to endure the prospect of Peter Baker or Philip Archer snatching the ball away on the final board to force a play-off. “It was a tough half hour,” he said, as both men failed to reach the three points needed to deny him victory. “If you can make a good eagle, it’s definitely possible, so it’s been a little bit nerve-wracking to wait. I’m just glad it’s over. It means the world to me. I had a couple chances to win, a couple times if you will, and a couple chances were taken from me — and that’s going to make up for that in a big way.”
The lead changed hands several times throughout the afternoon and spectators in Phnom Penh at Vattanac Golf Resort were treated to an exciting contest as Marshall, Horne and former Ryder Cup player Jarmo Sandelin topped the ever-fluctuating leaderboard before Wall and Drysdale made decisive moves.
Especially Wall, whose back was extremely explosive and shot 11 on the par-4 holeth After driving onto the green, he made two more birdies. “It was a full-on driver — the ball went to about five feet and I holed it, so that was awesome,” Wall said afterward.
“The last few holes were tough, pretty tough mentally, and I played really solid. I felt like I needed to hit three at the end, and I was happy to hit my best tee shot and a hybrid shot 15 feet from the pin. Unfortunately, it ran over and left a difficult chip shot on the hole. But it was a good day, and that’s how it goes sometimes – and I was proud of my performance. I’m happy for David – He was a diamond and he deserved to win. It’s been so long and I remember the play-offs in Qatar and he was unlucky and I’m happy for him.”
Earlier in the day, former Ryder Cup player Niclas Fasth also had a memorable moment – a hole-in-one on the 15th holeth Hole. “It was a 4-iron, 197 yards, hit it perfectly, and I was really happy when the ball dropped,” Fass said. “I think this is my 11th Ace, it’s always cute when it happens! “
As a unique extension of the Tour’s first Cambodian chapter, Vattanac Golf Resort will host back-to-back Legends Tour events, with the Vattanac Legends Championship Legacy Edition moving from the East Course to the West Course.
