Lucas Bjerregaard has been named the Hilton European Tour Golfer of the Month for September after claiming his maiden European Tour title in swashbuckling style at the Portugal Masters.
The big-hitting Dane blitzed the field on the final day at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course with a nerveless performance. Having entered the fourth round one stroke clear, the 26 year old birdied four of his opening eight holes to fend off any prospective challengers.
A three under back nine earned him a six under par final round 65 and a four-shot victory over Scotland’s Marc Warren.
It was an emotional victory for Bjerregaard, who had been on the verge of securing his first European Tour title on two previous occasions, having held the 54-hole lead at the 2015 UBS Hong Kong Open and the 2016 Volvo China Open.
Bjerregaard had been a picture of consistency since his debut European Tour season in 2014, but came into the week in 114
th
position in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex and battling to save his card. He did have cause for celebration in May when he won the European Tour’s inaugural GolfSixes event for Denmark alongside partner Thorbjørn Olesen - a tournament that was not part of the Race to Dubai.
The Hilton European Tour Golfer of the Month is decided each month by a panel of golf journalists, and as the latest winner Bjerregaard will receive an automatic upgrade to Hilton Honors Diamond Status, Hilton’s award winning loyalty program.
Bjerregaard said: “It’s fantastic to be named the Hilton Golfer of the Month after one of the best performances of my career.
“As I said after the win in Portugal, it had been a pretty tough year up until then, so to be in contention again felt really good, and to come out on top was even better. It felt like it was my time to go out and grab the title and not wait for someone to hand it to me.
“I was really happy to secure my first European Tour title, and this award makes it even better. Hopefully there are many more to come.”
Bjerregaard beat Frenchman Romain Wattel and Matt Fitzpatrick of England to the September award.
Wattel also claimed the first title of his European Tour career after a dramatic finale at the KLM Open, carding a two under par 69 to take the title after Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat recorded two double-bogey sevens in the final four holes.
Fitzpatrick earned his fourth European Tour title at the Omega European Masters after emerging victorious from a tense three-hole play-off with Scott Hend. The 2016 Ryder Cup player started the final day four shots back and stormed through the field with a six under round of 64 to finish tied with Hend after regulation play.
David Facey of The Sun newspaper said: “There were some great candidates for Hilton Golfer of the Month, but Bjerregaard stood out for the manner of his win. He did not need a bit of help from his rivals - he grabbed the tournament by the scruff of the neck and ran away with it.
“Fitzpatrick’s win was notable for his sheer doggedness, while Wattel held his nerve to secure his first title, but the award had to go to Bjerregaard after securing his maiden win at the Portugal Masters in such impressive fashion.”
Hilton, the Official Hotel Supplier to the European Tour, is the Official Sponsor of the Hilton European Tour Golfer of the Month award, which recognises and rewards the best performances of European Tour members each month.
