Tag: emotional

DP World Tour: Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson clinches Open Championship spot with emotional BMW International Open win | Golf News

DP World Tour: Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson clinches Open Championship spot with emotional BMW International Open win | Golf News
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An emotional Ewen Ferguson clinched a spot at the Open Championship after winning the DP World Tour’s BMW International Open in Germany.

Scottish player Ferguson’s two-stroke stroke victory in Munich left him as one of the highest five players in the top 20 on the Race to Dubai – alongside Jesper Svensson, Laurie Canter, Nacho Elvira and Matteo Manassero – who were not otherwise exempt for the 152nd Open at Troon between July 18-21.

The 28-year-old finished on 18 under par after a four-under 68 on Sunday, with England’s Jordan Smith – who shared the lead with Ferguson after three rounds – and Australia’s David Micheluzzi tied for second on 16 under.

Highlights from the final day of the BMW International Open as Ferguson, who has recently battled bouts of vertigo, triumphed in Munich

Ferguson, who revealed after his second round that he was glad simply to be playing again following recent bouts of vertigo, told Sky Sports in a teary interview: “I honestly can’t believe it.

“The last four holes I felt like I was in a dream, I just didn’t think this was actually happening. It was crazy. I was hitting it so well, hitting it so much further than usual.

“I wanted to do it for my dad, my mum, my sister, my brother at home. I love them so much and every shot I hit was with them in mind.

Scotland's Ewen Ferguson wins 2024 BMW International Open (Getty Images)
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Ferguson now has three wins on the DP World Tour

“It’s such a hard game. I’ve been moaning like mad the last two months with also being sick. [This win] is so much weight off my shoulders. I’m so happy.

“The Open Championship is a tournament that everyone wants to play in and I feel like I could do well there and the Scottish Open next week too. It’s such an exciting time for me.”

Ferguson hopes to practice with Fleetwood ahead of Open

Ferguson later revealed that he had been planning to contest final qualifying for the Open Championship on Tuesday, but felt he was playing well enough to secure a place either in Munich or via the Genesis Scottish Open.

He added: “I didn’t want to tire myself out. I felt like I could maybe win this week or maybe finish in the top 10 in Scotland and get my own spot that way, so we decided to pull out of Open qualifying.

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“It’s obviously a really good decision. It kept me fresh and I’m here with the trophy. I actually got a text from Tommy Fleetwood saying well done so I said to him, let’s get a practice round in [at the Open] so I’m looking forward to that.”

Ferguson’s victory was his third on the DP World Tour and first since the ISPS Handa World Invitational in August 2022, which came five months after his maiden triumph at that year’s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

Micheluzzi finished birdie, birdie, eagle to earn his share of second spot alongside Smith, whose title hopes were effectively ended when he found the water off the 16th tee as he tried to drive the green.

Matthew Southgate made a superb eagle during the BMW International Open, following his namesake Gareth Southgate’s success in leading England to the Euro 2024 semi-finals in Germany

Scotland’s Connor Syme and England’s Matthew Southgate finished in joint fourth on 14 under with Southgate making an eagle at the sixth hole.

Watch the Genesis Scottish Open live on Sky Sports Golf from 8.30am on Thursday July 11. Then catch the 152nd Open Championship live on the same channel from 6.30am on Thursday July 18.

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Iga Swiatek: French Open title win is emotional after so much pressure before final | Tennis News

Iga Swiatek: French Open title win is emotional after so much pressure before final | Tennis News
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Iga Swiatek said her fourth French Open win was “emotional” after emphatically keeping her Queen of Clay title at Roland Garros.

The world No 1 from Poland brushed aside Italian underdog Jasmine Paolini 6-2 6-1 in and hour and eight minutes.

King of Clay Rafael Nadal may have played his last French Open this year but Swiatek comprehensively proved once again she is also Roland Garros royalty.

“When I talk about pressure, I usually put pressure on myself because of pressure of the outside,” she said.

“Obviously I’m a perfectionist, so there is always pressure behind me. But I think I’m fine with handling my own pressure.

“It’s when the pressure from the outside hits me, then it’s a little bit worse. But I managed it really well at this tournament.

“It was an emotional win, because I felt a lot of stress yesterday and today in the morning. And I knew if I’m going to just focus on tennis I can kind of fight through it, and at the end it all went how I wanted. So I just felt really proud of myself.”

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Swiatek became only the second player to claim tournament victory at Madrid, Rome and the French Open in a calendar year after Serena Williams in 2013

Swiatek is the first woman to win three consecutive Roland Garros titles since Justine Henin in 2007 and only the third to achieve the feat in Open history, along with Monica Seles.

She is undefeated in Paris since 2021, 21 matches ago, and has won 34 of her 36 matches here, a record matched only by Seles and Chris Evert.

Paolini was officially the runner-up, but Naomi Osaka should probably get a trophy for being the only player to lay a glove on Swiatek all fortnight, having taken her to match point in the second round in what was the match of the tournament, on either side of the draw.

Osaka aside, no player took more than six games off Swiatek, who at one point had won 20 consecutive games over three matches.

Poland's Iga Swiatek reacts during the women's final of the French Open tennis tournament against Italy's Jasmine Paolini at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Saturday, June 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
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Swiatek hasn’t lost a match at Roland Garros since 2021

Such is her dominance there were even fears that Swiatek – who had already won one match 6-0 6-0 in 40 minutes this fortnight – could threaten the record for the fastest match of 32 minutes when Steffi Graf pulverised Natasha Zvereva by the same score in the 1988 final.

Paolini, who began ranked outside the top 30, will be the world No 7 when the rankings are updated on Monday.

“Yeah, of course I’m really happy,” she added. “Now it’s a strange feeling. I just lost the final, but I think I have to be happy with those two weeks, you know, and my new ranking.

“It’s a happy moment for me. It’s not a sad moment. Yeah, I have to admit to try to see the things like that.”

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