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- Stuart Manley Goes Play Off Route . . . And This Time Closes The Deal
It is becoming a bit of a nerve-wracking experience watching Aberdare’s Stuart Manley play on the European Challenge Tour this summer.
The 39-year-old Welshman has made his fans sweat for the past few weekends by reaching a play-off for successive titles. He missed out at the KPMG Trophy in Belgium, but came through to win only his second title at the Hauts de France Golf Open at the Saint-Omer Golf Club at the weekend.
Manley took a share of the clubhouse lead with two birdies on his final four holes to card a closing-round, three under par 68. At the time it left him on the six under par mark, two shots behind then leader Tom Murray.
It looked as though he may miss out again, but swirling wins made it difficult for the final group and Murray fell away. But Scotland’s Grant Forrest also shot a final round 68 to match Manley’s four-round total of 278.
It meant the there was a Celtic shoot-out over extra holes to determine who would win the 28,000 Euros first prize. Forrest just missed with a 45-foot putt on the first hole and the second hole was all-square as well.
That took the two men back to the 18th where, after converting his five-foot par putt, Manley finally took the title – his first since winning in Finland in August, 2003.
“After last week’s play-off loss I just kept telling myself ‘come on you can do this’. I just needed the win, I didn’t want to lose this one,” said Manley.
“My game wasn’t there this week. Last week it was good but this week I just seemed to grind it out — I think the golf course suits me in that way — I seemed to just keep it in play and hole-out well, so to win without playing my A-game, I’m absolutely chuffed.”
Manley had been beaten on the first extra hole at L’Empereur Golf & Country Club in Belgium by Pedro Figueiredo, but still picked up 16,200 Euros prize for his second place finish. With four top 10 places this year he has won more than 60,000 Euros to date
His victory in France has moved him into third place on the Road To Ras Al Khaimah, where the top 15 earn a coveted European Tour card.
“The goal of the season was to hopefully win the Road To Ras Al Khaimah. I think that would be a great achievement,” said Manley.
“I’m in a good position to do so now if I can just keep pressing on, take each week as it comes, try to get some more money on the board every week and don’t take my foot off the gas.”
Manley will now hope to keep his recent run of good form going when the Challenge Tour heads to Aviemore for the SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge hosted by Macdonald Hotels & Resorts at Macdonald Spey Valley Golf Club from 21-24 June.
