Simon Dyson won his third KLM Open by one shot at last year's Omega European Masters. Here, in an excerpt from The European Tour Yearbook 2012, we recap how the Englishman captured his sixth European Tour title in Hilversum.
Simon Dyson not only continued his sensational form of 2011, he also rekindled his love affair with the Netherlands with a third victory in the KLM Open.
The 33 year old Englishman’s previous two triumphs had come at Kennemer – in 2006 and 2009 – but this time round he proved he was the master of Hilversumsche, coping with both a challenging week’s weather and the strongest field in the tournament’s history; led by World Number Two Lee Westwood, Number Three Rory McIlroy and Number Four, the defending champion Martin Kaymer.
McIlroy and Westwood finished third and fifth respectively, the main challenger to Dyson being his fellow countryman David Lynn, himself a winner of the tournament in 2004.
Tightly bunched around the turn, Dyson made the crucial move with three birdies in a row from the 12th, a run which took him into the lead for the first time and when he added a further birdie at the last, he posted a total Lynn could not match.
It was Dyson’s second win of 2011, following his success in the Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland, and his sixth European Tour title overall. It was also the seventh time he had finished in the top ten in 2011.
Furthermore, he joined a very exclusive group of players to have won the KLM Open on three occasions; the other two members of the club being none other than Bernhard Langer, who won in 1984, 1992 and 2001; and the late Seve Ballesteros who triumphed in 1976, 1980 and 1986.
To order your copy of The European Tour Yearbook 2012, a 240-page, full colour hardback Official Publication with iconic pictures by Getty Images and essays from some of the game's top writers that takes you every step of the way through 52 tournaments and 29 destinations on The 2011 Race to Dubai, click here.
