NICOLAS Colsaerts won his first European Tour title in seven years as Le Golf National lived up to its reputation on a dramatic closing day of the Amundi Open de France.
The big hitting Belgian entered Sunday with a three-shot lead and quickly extended that to five in testing wet conditions.
But the oldest national open in continental Europe would go right to the wire during one of the most incredible back nines of the 2019 Race to Dubai.
George Coetzee led by two with six to play and Joachim B Hansen was in the box seat after the leading pair found water on the 15th – following a Colsaerts eagle on the 14th.
But when Hansen triple bogied the 17th to relinquish the lead, the 36-year-old held his nerve to sign for a 72 and get to 12-under.
The victory is Colsaerts’ third on the European Tour but his first since 2012 – the season he was part of the Miracle at Medinah as Europe came from 10-4 behind to win the Ryder Cup.
Colsearts said: “It’s super special. I’ve been coming here for more than 15 years. I’ve been coming here for so long and missed out a bunch of times, and to do it here, to do this like this, where at the end it was a pretty dramatic, makes it even better.
“I made a big mistake on 15. I thought it was slowly slipping away. I knew there was always going to be a chance because the last holes, anything can happen.
“It was a surprise to come on 17 and find out what JB had done. But like I said, when you hole the last putt like this, and you come out on top, it’s really a special feeling.
“I was kind of looking for a week like this where everything sort of clicked together. I didn’t really have a week like that for a long, long time.
“It changes everything for me for the next couple of years. Lighter schedule. I have a wife at home and a little kid now that I am going to be able to spend a bit more time with now, which is nice.”
Colsearts had entered the week battling to keep his card and cut an emotional figure as he ended a victory drought of seven years and five months in his 389th European Tour appearance.
Dane Hansen carded a closing round of 68 to finish one shot behind Colsaerts, with South African Coetzee at 10-under par after a level par round of 71.
Hansen, looking for his first win in his fourth full season on the European Tour since 2013, said: “The back nine got exciting.
“I really got to feel how it is to play for a European Tour tournament. The screw-up on 17 cost me a chance this week unfortunately. Disappointed now but also really proud of my game,” said the two-time winner on the 2018 European Challenge Tour season.
“I’ve been playing well for three weeks now, and put myself in good positions. So getting really close this week was really nice, but just also really want that win.”
Coetzee, who produced an array of stunning iron approaches with some wayward tee shots, which ultimately cost him after his double on the 15th, said: “I was quite happy with the way I played.
“Just one bad hole. But really happy for Nico, he played really well and it means a lot to him.
“That’s why I don’t feel that bad because that is one of those holes (the 15th) that you can make a number and I made my number.”
American Kurt Kitayama finished in solo fourth at nine-under par despite making a quadruple bogey eight at the par three second after clawing the dropped shots back over the next 16 holes.
It puts the two-time winner who came through the European Tour Qualifying School in pole position to be named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year, with just one more regular tour event left on the 2019 schedule in Portugal, this week.
Germany’s two-time Major winner Martin Kaymer, Scotland’s Richie Ramsay and Ireland’s Gavin Moynihan were a shot further back.
Belgium’s Thomas Detry, Chilean Hugo Leon and Northumberland’s Chris Paisley were all tied on seven-under.
•For full scores at Le Golf National click here.
