Amateur Lee wins Johnnie Walker classic

New Zealand amateur Danny Lee made history when he became the youngest ever winner on the European Tour with a one-stroke victory at the Johnnie Walker Classic today.

New Zealand amateur Danny Lee made history when he became the youngest ever winner on the European Tour with a one-stroke victory at the Johnnie Walker Classic today.

The teenager carded a closing five-under-par 67 at The Vines Resort and Country Club to finish on 17 under, one stroke ahead of Ross McGowan of England (70), Japan’s Hiroyuki Fujita (67) and Chile’s Felipe Aguilar (68).

Lee, who is 18 years and 213 days, surpassed the previous record of Dale Hayes who captured the 1971 Spanish Open at the age of 18 years and 290 days.

John Bickerton (71) and France’s Raphael Jacquelin (69) finished in a tie for fifth on 15 under, while Lee Westwood closed with a 67 to join Australians Michael Sim (69) and Adam Blyth (67) a further shot back.

He entered the final round two shots behind overnight co-leaders McGowan and Bickerton and remained in the chasing pack on 13 after three birdies and two bogeys through his first 12 holes.

But Lee, who also became only the second amateur after 2007 Estoril Open de Portugal winner Pablo Martin to score a victory on the European Tour, accelerated down the closing stretch, picked up consecutive birdies on the 13th and 14th and saving par with a clutch putt on the 16th after almost sending his tee shot into a water hazard.

He sank a six-foot birdie at the 17th to join clubhouse Fujita at the top of the leaderboard and then showed nerves of steel at the final hole, two-putting from 25 feet to secure victory.

McGowan entered the final round in a tie for the lead with Bickerton on 14 under and held a two-stroke advantage after holing an eagle on the ninth and a birdie on the 12th to improve to 17 under.

But the nerves appeared to get to the 26-year-old on the closing holes as he bogeyed the 14th and 16th to drop to 15 under.

He closed with a birdie at the final hole but it was not enough for the 2006 English Amateur champion to claim his first European Tour title.

Fujita, a six-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour, made seven birdies and two bogeys in his closing 67 while Aguilar had five birdies and a bogey in his round of 68.

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