Kruger collects first win at Avantha Masters
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jbe' Kruger closed with a three-under 69 on Sunday to win the Avantha Masters by two strokes.
Kruger, who won for the first time on the European Tour, ended the event at 14-under-par 274.
"I'm very relieved to win for the first time. If you want to win, you need to make putts on the final day and I did that today," Kruger stated.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jorge Campillo matched the low round of the day with his five-under 67. The Spaniard was joined in second place at minus-12 by Marcel Siem (70).
Marcus Fraser and Jose Manuel Lara both shot two-under 70 in the final round and they shared fourth at 11-under-par 277 at DLF Golf and Country Club.
As he had done the previous three rounds, Kruger parred the first three holes. He grabbed a share of the lead with his third birdie in three days on the par- four fourth.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kruger, 25, took the lead with a birdie on No. 6. He also birdied the eighth from 20 feet out to regain a one-stroke lead over Lara.
After a pair of pars around the turn, Kruger converted a birdie effort on the par-three 11th to move to 15-under. He was three clear of Lara, who dropped a shot on the 13th.
Kruger kept his three-stroke cushion with five straight pars from the 12th. After going 36 holes without a bogey, Kruger dropped a shot at 17. He parred the last to close out his two-shot win.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It's a big relief now that I've won, but I think I needed all those second- place finishes to be able to appreciate it," said Kruger.
"There was no pressure, even when I made my only bogey of the day on the 17th. I felt that victory was inevitable when I got to the 14th hole. I knew that I had a good chance as I had a comfortable three-shot cushion then."
Campillo had a birdie on the third, then ran off three straight birdies from the sixth. He moved to 12-under with a birdie at 10, but gave that shot back when he bogeyed the 14th. Campillo birdied the 18th for the fourth time this week to end at 12-under.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I started really well and the whole time was up there on the leaderboard. So it was great fun and very exciting," Campillo said. "I just tried to play my best. I played okay on the back nine, not great, but I didn't make many mistakes and I chipped in on the last for birdie so it was nice to finish strongly."
Siem had a birdie and a double-bogey through five holes. He jumped within two of the lead thanks to three birdies in a four-hole span from the sixth. Siem twice traded a bogey for a birdie on the back nine to finish two back.
Peter Whiteford, who had at least a piece of the lead after the first two rounds, was disqualified on Sunday. On Saturday, he was playing his approach to the 18th hole.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He wasn't sure if his ball moved as he played the shot. Neither his caddie, nor playing partner noticed. Several people who viewed the event on television contacted the tour and said his ball did move.
After officials reviewed the footage, it was determined his ball did move and Whiteford should have taken a one-stroke penalty and replaced the ball. He did neither, and in turn signed an incorrect scorecard, which was the reason for the disqualification.
NOTES: Kruger, who earned 300,000 euros for the victory, will improve nearly 50 spots in the world rankings with this win...The European Tour will be in the United States for its next two events. First up is the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, where world No. 1 Luke Donald will defend his title.