French Riviera Masters: Roger Chapman faces defeat but takes the top spot in the Order of Merit
Roger Chapman ruined his chances of recording three European Seniors Tour victories in a single calendar year, after he bogeyed two of the last three holes at the French Riviera Masters on Sunday, September 23, 2012.
Earlier this year, he added two senior major championships to his resume by winning both the US Senior PGA Championship and the US Senior Open.
Heading into the final round at the Terre Blanche Resort and Golf Club, he had a two stroke lead over his competitors in the field.
Through 15 holes in the final round, he retained the lead and was an obvious winner of the tournament.
However, he failed to maintain his momentum and lost two strokes on the 16th and the 18th hole, to slip down the leaderboard for a tied third place.
“On the 18th I pulled my tee shot and had a really fluffy lie,” he explained. “I thought I was going to get a flier, but it just popped out and came up short. I hit a reasonable chip which had a bit of topspin on it and rolled about four feet past, but I
pulled the putt. It was a tricky one down the hill”.
His final score at the end of the tournament was a seven-under par 209 – one behind the playoff duo, David J Russell and Tim Thelen.
Despite facing the defeat in the final moments of the event, Chapman was happy with his overall performance in the tournament.
While talking to the European Seniors Tour’s official website, he stated that he entered the competition with an aim of surging to the top of the Order of Merit.
Therefore, he was pleased to achieve his goal in the end – he replaced Barry Lane on the top.
“I came here at the start of the week to consolidate number one spot in the Order of Merit and I’ve done that,” said the 53-year-old. “I just wanted to beat Barry Lane (second in the Order of Merit) and I’ve done that, so every cloud has a silver lining”.
He also praised the way Russell and Thelen played in the final round. Both the players managed to record rounds of 65 and 66, respectively.
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