![One last moment of anxiety - Scott Strange finds sand with his tee shot on 18. [China.org.cn]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20090420/000802aa2f490b5626283d.jpg "One last moment of anxiety - Scott Strange finds sand with his tee shot on 18. [China.org.cn] height=") |
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One last moment of anxiety - Scott Strange finds sand with his tee shot on 18. [China.org.cn]
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There were very few low rounds in the tournament – only eight scores of 67 or better – and Strange did not make any of them. Instead, he crept along under the radar, and his closing-round of four-under was his best of the week. He went 70, 73, 69 and 68, and proved that on the CBD course, consistency is the key to success. Later he spoke about that feature of his play to the media:
"When you break it down and go through how you play this golf course, it's not one that you can tear apart. Certain pin placements in the breeze mean that you can't really attack some holes. Some guys have shot low scores and they've had a day out where they holed some putts, because scores around this course are all about putting. Guys like Mark Brown have produced a low score and come back from just making the cut to finish third. You can do that, but to do that for four days you would have to be playing some sort of golf. I've played solid golf and this is a course that has suited me. Because of the way I played I wasn't going to put myself in too much trouble – I was always playing to leave myself the best putt I could have. There are some real slopes out there – instead of having a forty footer with a ten-foot break try and leave yourself a 20-footer with a two foot break. I hit the green yesterday on 17 and I had to chip it because the putt was breaking so much. Obviously I didn't tear the course apart but I played the course the best I could and produced the scores that ended up winning."
![On his way to Spain! Scott Strange will play in the 2009 Volvo World Match-Play this autumn. [China.org.cn]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20090420/000802aa2f490b56266b3f.jpg "On his way to Spain! Scott Strange will play in the 2009 Volvo World Match-Play this autumn. [China.org.cn]") |
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On his way to Spain! Scott Strange will play in the 2009 Volvo World Match-Play this autumn. [China.org.cn]
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Elsewhere in the field, last year's champion Damien McGraine produced a fine round of 68 to restore some respectability to his position. He had experienced a disastrous 79 on Saturday to drop out of contention.
Best of the Chinese who made the cut was, as ever, Liang Wenchong. He played steadily over all four days – carding 72, 74, 70, 73 – without quite putting together the scores that he needed to challenge for the title. He finished in a respectable 25th position, and also managed the unenviable feat of playing along with Colin Montgomerie on all four days, finishing on the same score as Colin.
But ultimately the toast of Beijing was Scott Strange, and his were the shoulders on which the gold jacket of the 2009 Volvo China Open Champion was draped. As an added bonus, he wins an automatic slot as one of only 16 participants in the season-ending US$5 million Volvo World Match-play Tournament, a huge boost both to his profile and his bank balance.
Scott will be a hugely popular winner here in Beijing – a modest and unassuming player who makes time for media and fans alike. He is well-known in Asia, and has been a regular on the Asian Tour events. He has worked his way through Australia and Asia to Europe, where he won his card last season with victory in the Welsh Open at the spectacular Celtic manor resort. That win was tinged with tragedy, as it came at a time when his sister was fighting a losing battle against cancer. This Volvo China Open title will surely leave happier memories.
(China.org.cn April 19, 2009)
