SUNDAY JULY 28, 2013 – M2M RUSSIAN OPEN
• His fifth European Tour International Schedule victory in his 187th European Tour event.
• Moves to €246,383 in The Race to Dubai.
• Moves into the top 180 in the Official World Golf Ranking, from 303rd.
• His first European Tour victory since the 2012 Trophée Hassan II.
• This victory beats his previous best 2013 performance of 25th in the Volvo Golf Champions.
• Now won a European Tour event for the third consecutive season. He won the 2011 Madeira Islands Open and 2011 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the 2012 Trophée Hassan II and now the 2013 M2M Russian Open.
• His first European Tour victory was the Estoril Open de Portugal in 2009. So now won on The European Tour in four of the last five seasons.
• Victory comes in his fourth appearance in the M2M Russian Open.
• This victory beats his previous best performance in the M2M Russian Open of tied 23rd in 2005.
• The first player from Northern Ireland to win the M2M Russian Open.
• Led after round three by five shots. This is the largest 54 hole lead in M2M Russian Open history. This beats the four stroke advantage of Per-Ulrik Johansson in 2007.
• The third of his five European Tour victories where he has led or shared the lead going into the final round. The previous two were the 2011 Madeira Islands Open and 2011 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
• The 17th victory on The European Tour this season when a player has led or shared the lead going into the final round.
OTHER FACTS
• The 49th Northern Irish win in European Tour history.
• Northern Ireland becomes the seventh different country to win the M2M Russian Open.
• The third Northern Irish victory on the 2013 European Tour season. They are: Graeme McDowell (Volvo World Match Play Championship and Alstom Open de France) and Michael Hoey (M2M Russian Open).
• His eighth victory as a professional.
• Gains a place in the 2014 Volvo Golf Champions.
• Becomes the 13th European Tour victory by former Challenge Tour players on the 2013 European Tour. They are: Scott Jamieson (Nelson Mandela Championship presented by ISPS Handa), Louis Oosthuizen (Volvo Golf Champions), Jamie Donaldson (Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship), Stephen Gallacher (Omega Dubai Desert Classic), Richard Sterne (Joburg Open), Marcel Siem (Trophée Hassan II), Raphaël Jacquelin (Open de España), Brett Rumford (Ballantine’s Championship and Volvo China Open), Joost Luiten (Lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity), Simon Thornton (Najeti Hotels et Golfs Open presented by Neuflize OBC), Justin Rose (US Open Championship) and Michael Hoey (M2M Russian Open).
• Becomes the 320th European Tour victory by a former Challenge Tour player.
