Rafael Gomez put together a superb final round 65 to take the opening event of the 2005 European Challenge Tour season – the 47th Abierto de Mexicano de Golf.
Gomez posted a winning total of 14 under par 270 to score a two shot win over Columbia’s Eduardo Herrera following a great final round tussle between the top two players and third placed David Higgins of Ireland.
Higgins threatened the Latin American pair with a strong charge to get to within one shot of the lead with three holes to play, but missed a birdie chance on the 16th green before bogeying the 17th to take him out of the fight for the title. Despite being out of the race to finish number one, Higgins made a great birdie at the last to take outright third place on ten under 274, and pick up a cheque for €16,080.
Englishman James Heath finished one shot behind Higgins after a fourth round 69. The 21 year old – the 2004 English Amateur Champion – was playing in his first professional event at the Club de Golf de Hacienda, and to produce four sub 70 rounds (69-69-68-69) and take fourth place was a remarkable performance under the circumstances.
It also vaulted him to second place on the 2005 Challenge Tour Rankings with winnings of €13,783 behind early Rankings leader, Higgins.
Both Gomez and Herrera ply their trades on the Nationwide Tour in the USA, and the two have formed a firm friendship playing together in America. That was evident throughout their final round battle for the 47th Abierto de Mexicano de Golf.
The two players produced a magical display of putting as the lead swung back and forward. Herrera began the day with a one shot lead but Gomez soon got level with a birdie at the second. Both players picked up a shot at the fourth before Herrera rammed in a 30 footer on the eighth green to get ahead once more.
Gomez holed from the same distance on the 11th, and was then back at the top of the leaderboard after birdieing the 13th. Herrera came back again with a tap in birdie at the par five 14th, but then missed from no more than 12 inches at the next hole and handed the lead back to Gomez.
At the 16th both players holed long downhill putts, Herrera following up his twenty-footer with a mini-samba. Gomez immediately nailed his putt from much the same distance to maintain the one stroke advantage, before going on to make a great par save at the 17th.
After driving his ball into the left hand trees, Gomez was left no option but to play his second shot sideways onto the 12th fairway. He left his par putt 20 feet from the cup but made it look easy with a perfect roll that tracked straight into the middle of the hole.
Herrera then missed a birdie chance to allow Gomez a one shot lead coming down the last. The Argentine went for the green in two at the 603 yard 18th, and was fortunate that his aggressive three wood second shot came to rest next to the green after hitting a TV cameraman, when it looked as though it could run out of bounds.
Unaware that the incident had occurred, Gomez got up and down for birdie to close out and excellent final round performance and seal the fourth Tour de Las Americas title of his career.
“I chatted with my caddie before we went out and we both agreed I needed to shoot 65 and it was just great to hit the number,” he smiled after picking up the winner’s cheque for €36,756. “I was a bit nervous at the start but as time went on I got my confidence up on the greens, and the ball was running true for me today.
“Closing the year in this way is very important and this is a very important title to have in my curriculum,” Gomez added. “Having my name on this trophy alongside Don Roberto De Vicenzo and Eduardo Romero is also very special indeed.”
Herrera was both gracious and philosophical in defeat, saying: “There’s a saying that sometimes when you lose you also win, and I feel a bit that way right now. Rafael played great golf, we were battling all the way and well, and he won by playing best down the stretch. Rafa is also a good friend on the Nationwide Tour so we sort of kept it in the family.”
Englishman Van Phillips was the third best placed European in the field, finishing alongside the Argentine duo of Miguel Carbollo and Rafael Echenique on six under par 278 in a tie for fifth place.
