Veer Ahlawat Concludes Campaign at Betfred British Masters

Sutton Coldfield (England), Aug 25 (PTI): Veer Ahlawat wrapped up his campaign at the Betfred British Masters with a disappointing final round of 2-over 74, concluding his journey in a tied 54th position. The event, hosted by Sir Nick Faldo, also saw the exit of another Indian contender, Shubhankar Sharma, who failed to make the cut.

Ahlawat arrived at the prestigious DP World Tour format after leading the PGTI Order of Merit, posting rounds of 73-71-71-74 to finish a total of 1-over. In his conclusive round, he managed three birdies, counterbalanced by three bogeys and a double bogey.

Meanwhile, Alex Noren broke a seven-year title drought by claiming his 11th DP World Tour victory. He narrowly edged out challengers Nicolai Højgaard and the fast-approaching Kazuma Kobori to clinch the Betfred British Masters title by a single shot.

Having previously triumphed at the event in 2016, Noren began the final round trailing the leader by one shot. He soon ascended to the top, engaging in a tight title tussle with Denmark’s Højgaard.

New Zealand’s Kobori entered the fray late in the game, delivering an eagle and three consecutive birdies within the last six holes to post a clubhouse target of 15 under par. Nevertheless, Noren delivered a powerful finish, securing birdies on the 15th, 16th, and 17th holes, which gave him a two-shot lead heading into the 18th tee.

Despite a scare from an errant tee shot costing him a shot on the final hole, Noren completed the tournament with a 16 under par score, marking his first win since the 2018 Open de France.

Kobori and Højgaard both tied for second place, while Japan’s Keita Nakajima and England’s Andy Sullivan finished in the top five with scores of 13 under and 12 under, respectively.

Adding to the day’s highlights, Nicolai’s twin brother, Rasmus Højgaard, secured his spot as the sixth and final automatic qualifier for the European Ryder Cup Team, finishing tied for 13th with an eight-under-par total.