Staffordshire's Richard Mansell misses out as final round jitters costs first title
Staffordshire’s Richard Mansell surrendered a four-shot lead going into the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Mansell, who went out in the final group at St Andrews yesterday, has been in stellar form in surging to the top of the leaderboard on Saturday evening.
However, a double bogey on the second hole yesterday saw the gap between himself and his nearest challengers shrink quickly.
Four more bogeys on the back nine put paid to the Burntwood golfer’s hopes of a first DP World Tour title and he eventually finished with a final round 76, eventually finishing tied seventh, and collecting a cheque for £106,000.
That though, is some way short of eventuall winner Ryan Fox, of New Zealand who pocketed a winner’s cheque for £700,000.
Fox paid tribute to his former amateur team-mate Shane Warne after claiming a one-shot victory.
New Zealand’s Fox had finished second in last year’s team event in Scotland alongside former Australia Test spinner Warne, who died earlier this year.
And after making seven birdies and three bogeys on the Old Course at St Andrews yesterday to secure his third DP World Tour title in front of his family, Fox remembered Warne.
He said: “To be honest the only person I can really think of at the moment is Warne.
“He meant a lot to me and this event and was a great mate. It’s a terrible shame he’s not here.
“I’m going to enjoy celebrating this one with the family.”
Fox’s mother and father – former All Blacks star Grant Fox – are in Europe for a month and were at St Andrews to witness a magnificent closing 68, which took Fox to 15 under par, one stroke ahead of Callum Shinkwin and Alex Noren.
Fox went into the final round four shots off the lead but three birdies in his first seven holes saw him hit the front before a combination of magnificent approach play and brilliance on the greens helped the 35-year-old extend his advantage to three strokes with three to play.
Fox suffered a late scare at the 17th but managed to limit the damage to just one dropped shot before safely parring the last to claim his second DP World Tour crown of the 2022 campaign.
Rory McIlroy finished in a tie for fourth on 13 under after making seven birdies and a single bogey.
Shinkwin and Alex Acquavella won the team event by three shots on 37 under par.
